Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-02-04

SPEECH
OF
MAI. WILLIAM B. LEWIS,
SENIOR MExBER FROM DAvIDsoS,)
SPEECH
The Franchise Question.
Delivered in the Heuse Of Representatives, Fab
ruary I'd. 1850.

| II Akc n I-<stle-1A19C<a <a< AtS LhOAAs
Delivered in the Hsuse Of Representatives, Fab
| ruary I'd. 1866.
| Mr.. LEWIS sAIp-Mr Speaker: In 0cfo-
Der last presented bill on this subject,
and have intended to submit my views to
the House on the general questions in
volved. The feebleness of my strength and
voice precludes the. possibility of my speak
| ing and have, therefore, reduced them 10
| writing, and with the consent of the House,
they will now be read by my friend Mr..
| Poston, the member from Shelby. Leave
having been granted, Mr.. Poston read as
| follows:
Mr.. SPEAKER .--I venture to address the
| House upon this subject with great diff
| dence-a dif6dence which arises alike from
a consciousness. of nay inability to discuss
| the question az it deserves, and from the
| profound sense Of its Importance, with which
/ am penetrated. The subject now before
US, and the coliateral questions which il
| introduces, are indeed Of transcendent in
terest; and language fails me to express the
| deep solicitude which feel in regard to
| Them. l am convinced that upon wise and
| iudicious legislation touching this great
matter of the franchise privilege, depends
consequences for veal or woe, to the
present and future generations-conse
| ces to satisfactorily put an end to our
| NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. which are to con-
summate our late unhappy civil war in a
wholesome and perfect peace, and lead us
again into the path Of prosperity, or to in
volve us in agitation and pickering, if not,
(which Heaven"avert) into renewed blood
shed, sooner or later--consequence which
are to strengthen and secure the permaneney
| of democratic institutions, and the stability
| Of constitutional government, or to unmoor
this peopleon the wild sea Of anarchy, or pass
them beneath the yoke of despotisnn--eon-
sequences which may jeopardize the exisr-
ence of the Union.
| If any one thinks that this is an exaggera-
ted estimate of tEe Importance of this sub
ject, almost envy him, for when l obserye
the temper in which i. is treated by some,
feel sadness, little short Of that which
overcame me, when FIVE years ago rebellious
hands were raised against the government
/ have so long lived under and loved. II
they do not realize its importance, and think
they can use it in political legerdemain,
with impunity to the best interests of the
coustry, they are simply unfit as Legislators;
if they are suffering passion to sway them,
and put away their better judgments in obe-
| dience to its behests, they are something
worse-they are evil counsellors of the Re
public. One of the greatest men whose
words and deeds have come down 10 US in
history, and whose comprehensive concep-
tions lighted up the pagan darkness which
surrounded him, addressing the Senate OF
Rome said: "All who deliberate upon grave
affairs should be moved neither by hatred,
| affection, anger or sympathy. Any one
| filled with these emotions can with difficulty
unravel the truth; and no person can, at the
same time, serve his passions and true inter-
ests. Clear your reason Of that which OBJ
scures it and you will be strong. Let pss-
sion rule your spirit and you will be power
less.r These are wise and weighty words,
and I beseech gentlemen to give them heed
| in their action upon this matter. / ask them
| to discard feeling, and to ponder the past
| only to shun Its errors, and not to find ma
! terial from which to perpetuate its heart
burnings and strifes.
Mr.. Speaker, / am an old man. 1t has
been permitted to me to pass more than hall
a score of years beyond the period allotted
| by the Psal1nist / have done some service,
humble perhaps, but faithful to the country.
Lam admonished that my remnant of time
is short, and feel that this feeble effort to do
| something towards harmonizing my coun-
! trymen, and healing the horrid gashes of
| this civil war; will be the last that my
strength is equal to. do not wish to gain,
by these personal allusions, any factitious
| consideration for the opinions l may give,
| or the reasons / may offer for my course on
| this question, for am not skilled in the
| phrases in which they might be set. But
can say truly, sir, that if l could see my
country reunited-the authority of the gov
ernment exercising it's just and .benignant
sway-my fellow citizens Of this State, and
of all the States, manifesting a spirit OF
| liberation and conciliation towards each
| other---and peace and prosperity restored,
should see a sight that might well reconcile
| an old man to die. And it is to promote
these ends that speak to-day.
| Before alluding to the immediate question
before the House, it will not be improbable
| to briefly advert to the course of events
which has devolved the present duty on us.
| ] do not mean a review Of the causes or the
progress Of the war, but such glance at the
more recent situation of the country as may
serve to assist our judgments upon this issue.
| The war, sir, has been IN many respects un-
exampled, as well in the numbers Of men
| engaged, the number of lives sacrificed, and
| the amount of treasure expended, as in the
greatness Of the stake contended for, and the
| valor displayed on its memorable fields of
conflict. Itwas ground-swell of the ener-
gies of the greatest people, viewed either in
| martial or civic light, known TO history.
n 4 IL l.~& oss~lf
months? A grander sight, think, than all
the exhibitions of warlike power. We have
seen the heart Of this people, throbbing high
| with excitement, temper down into rhythm
and regularity, and vast armies, equal to the
Persian host, melt away into the mass Of
peaceful citizens. We have seen passion yield
| to reason, and resistance to law and order give
place to obedience to authority. These are
indeed triumphs; but there is another to be
| achieved 1t is to show that our form Of
government is as capable to retrieve the
damages of civil convulsion as were the
people to recover frem the passions which
produced it. It is OF the nature of civil
wars to unsettle political institutions, and
| frequently they leave lasting impressions-
sometimes good and sometimes ill. 1t
was our boast, before the, war, that our
form Of government was perhaps as nearly
perfect as human wisdom could devise, and
see no reason to change the opinion upon
which il was founded The great question
now for those entrusted with its manage
ment, is to determine whether the unseemly
defacements which this beautiful fabric may
have received during the war, shall become
permanent feafures-whether our system
shall undergo radically organic alterations
or whether il shall be restored and remain,
in form and essence, what il was---the model
of genuine republican liberty. We who
act in these halls, and in the legislative
assemblies throughout the country, are
charged with the high duty of deciding
whether our institutions are adequate to
the emergency, or whether they shall be
amended TO quiet puerile fear of future
war, or satisfy the vindictive spirit
of aparty, or to embody in the organic law Of
the lsnd the dognlas OF creed. Il Is 10 be
determined, even If we do not change the
letter, whether we shall pervert is spirit by
enacting rigid and proscriptiye measures,
which shall practically anrui is grants Of
individual liberty, and thus sow the seeds Of
future struggles TO regain 1t, or leave freedom
extinguished in the folds Of a virtual despot-
ism. We are to say whether these innoya-
tons are necessary, or whether we can safely
trust the sober sense and innate attachment
of this people to law, order, and government
and permit the genius of our free institusions
to rescne them from the destruction which
the war has wrought These are the great
issues involved In this question, and for my
self l have no difficulty in snswering them,