Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1866-11-25
RADICAL DESPOTIsM AND DISRE.
GARD OF THE CONSTITUTION.


even Wendell Phillips. 1t insists that
when the war ended the emancipated
negroes became citizens and members of
the body polite in each State, and that
as such they had the same legal right to
vote in reconstructing those States as the
whites" The Republican insists further
that Congress has the power to prescribe
uniform national suffrage law" 1t is
evident that the extreme Radicals, in an
ticipation of the refusal of the Southern
States to ratify the proposed amendment
to the constitution, are prepared to secure
the passage by Congress of a law prescrib'
ing "a uniform national suffrage law. They
seem to be strangely infatuated with the
idea that the negro must. be invested with
the right to vote, or their party will be an.
INITIATED, and to secure the object of their
desires they stop not for constitutions and
laws, nor to listen to the suggestions Of
reason In the expressions we have quot
ed, the Republican is but echoing the Civ
ings-out of its New England party leaders,
whose programme is thatthe negro must be
armed with the ballot that radicalism may
secure foot-hold in the Somth While
the Southern people do not believe that
this would be the result Of negro suffrage,
they can see from the efforts making to
raise the ilIiterate negro of the South to a
level with the white man, and the evils it
would entail upon the country, the despe~
rate expedients to which bad men, raised
to power through adventitious circum~
stances, viii resort to perpetuate their lease
of power We have in the policy advocated
by the leaders of the Radical party an in
sight into the dangers which menace lib
erty and republican government in this
country, if their reign shall be perpetu-
ated. But history shows that radical
party may flourish for a time, contrive to
accomplish a great deal of mischief and
spread ruin all along its path, but it's life is
Ofashort duration We are sufering--every
interest of the country is sufering-to-day
through the madness of radical rule;
more especially is the laboring man suf-
fering, by the instability of all business
and material pursuits that inevitably re-
suits from keeping the country in uncer-
tainty; but not they only, but the capital
of the country is in peril and the credit of
the country is threatened by the disorgan-
izing schemes that at present stand in
stead of legislation. 1t has never hap
pened in the history of nations, says the
Boston Commercial that an aggressive,
fanatieal party has had long life. Born
Of one idea, usually sentiment Of liberty
or philanthropy or religion, and effective
from the very nature Of the case, as long
as that idea remains TO be accomplished,
it ceases to be so when the prime object
for which it was or, anized has been real
lied. But, having tasted Of power, its
leaders cling to the organization, grow
fercer and more fierce in their aggressions
by their first and natural success, press on
to touch with reckless hands institutions
that have become imbedded into our
national existence, and in the audaeity of
their delirium, strike even at the founda-
tons of the State itself Held, now, to-
gether only by the cohesive power of mu
tual dislike to any and everything that
impedes their way, suspicious of each
other, envious of each others success,
jealous at any advantage one may gain
over the other; treacherous, unprincipled,
greedy for self; ferocious, cruel, bloody,
and devouring they turn against them
selves, and in their frequent dissensions
lose their ascendency and pass away to be
heard of only in history as beacon and
warning to other generations. To 60 back
no further in history than the French Rev.
olctiOn ofHl7S9, we shall find, if we ex-
anime the utterances of the savage and
blood-thirsty Jacobins Of that day, that
their speech and the speech of the Jaco-
bins of our own era are strikingly similar.
Take, for instance, the following example
"The confirmation of the Republic has
been my object; and l know the Republic
can only be established on the eternal basis
Of morality. Against me and against those
who hold kindred principles this league is
formed. My life? O.! my life 1 abandon
without regret! / have seen the PAST.
AND FoREsEE THE FUTURE. What friend
of this country would wish to survive when
he can no longer save it? when he can no
longer defend innocence against oppression?
Wherefore should l continue in an order of
things, where intrigue eternally triumphs
over truth; where Justice is Knocked where
passions the most abject, or fears the most
aIRlrd, override the sacred interests Of hu-
manitv? In Witnessing the multitude of
vices which the torrent of the revolution
has relied in tnrbid communion with its
civic virtues, confess that have some