, 1866-11-27

Both branches ase in session with consid-
crably over o quorum IN cach. and good
working Radical 81, majoritlss. The recent Tecen.
ft.urea III 10 Obtain eapassGnS aeats l,ass, aea
So far Is heard from, resulted ii Radical
gain of some seven Representatives. AS fast
as the several Commissioners Of tyistratlon
under the new franchise law complete their
labors, and make report to the Governor. he
Issues his procfa1nations ordering elections
wherever vacancies exist. It is generally
believed that tic result will add still further
acccssions to the ranks OF the Brownlow
party. ... |
By the terms Of the resolution by which
the Legislature recently reassembled, an ad-
iournment must take place On the 10th Of
December prorimo. i Is a general impress
sion Will be prolonged until next April. Sen
ntors and Representatives going home during |
the Christmas holidays to consult with their
constituents on the Issues Of the day. There
la stropE disposition to wait until after the
nitely on any Of the prominent political
questions requiring legislation.
In regard to the elective franchise, there
will be three parties; ono for striking out
present law on the subject another for de-
clarirg universal suffrage and universal am
ncsty aud third opposed to both PROPOSE
tions and in fayor Of repcallng the present
act. As yet, the dividing line between the
first two named parties is not distinctly
drawn, and members may drift to the Que |
side or the other, according to the ground |
which may be taken By Congress. or the |
pressure from constituencies, or the convic- |
lions resulting from Investigation and discus !
sion. As the matter now stands, impartial |
suffrage could not carry. Representatives |
and Senators from East Tennessee, whatever |
their individual opinions, are hampcrcd by |
the very strong and bitter prcjudices against |
r. -tr -4af.. -.
Of the Union men Of that section. Those
from West Tennessee will feel themselves re-
strained somcwhat By the dread Of calling
down upon themselves the vengeance Of the
rebels, which experience has taught will not
halt at arson or assassination to embody its
exccration and make its hatred felt. Recon-
structed traitors would 70 wild with fury to
| find themselves excluded from the ba1lot-bo1
| while their former chattles were eufrauchfsed.
| It is thought that some members would
| storm of Indignation and unrelenting pcrse'
eution In their worst Manifestations, as
would almost certainly follow impartial suf-
ne so soE ney snF T hS sD
| sent 10 bcstow the same privilege on those
| who spent over four years In trying to de-
stFoy the Union. Some lnsfat that the Gov.
error, tho Legislature, and the Congressional
~, and 20 practically into the hands Of the
rebels next year ut the elections, unless the
freedmen arc made electors. Amidst this
complication of circumstances, conflicting
convictions. nndtgested sentiments, violent
psejudiccs and outside pressure. II is quite
possible that no very material changes may
be effected in the present elective franchise
system. No one, however. can positively
predict such result, or confidently say that
consultation and further developments may
not bring an entire revolution Of thought on
this very important subject. Impartial suf-
fsagc hae many supporters in the Legislature
who would not hare listened with patience
to such proposition this time last year.
Another measure which attrncts largo
share Of general attention is that providing
| acommon school system for the State. It
will be rccoltcctcd that the Bank Of Tennc5-
sec, the custodian Of the school fund, accom-.
squande.ed, in various ways, the two MIL
lions Of dollars set apart for public instruc-
tion. The present movement Is m attempt
, to fll the gap occasioned by this defalcatlon.
in the various Northern States hare been
\ carefully collated in the production Of bill
: which shall combine the best features oi
:. each, while excluding those which have fail,
has passed the senate and awaits It's third
reading In the House. Its final enactment
t has been delayed, In great part. by dreae
), ofinflcting on the people, st q time whet
;. the late war, and are groaning under heavy
accumulation Of debt, the taration necessary
), to carry the new system into practica
l. operation
c TIE FRANCHISE LAW IN PRACTICE.
y At the time the franchise law was maturet
- and passed, II was generally believed tha
- rebels were cffcctually excluded from tn
II bal1ot-box, but practice. has shown tn
groundlessncss Of the expectation. Is well
developed the defects Of the Law in practice
= The provision which allowed the fcgistra
II ton Of all persons who had voted for Prcsi
II dent in 1861, or for Ratification or rejection
OF the amendment to the State Constitution
&c in 1865, or for Governor and members Of tn
le Legislature in the same year, was pcculiarl
ID unfortunate. 1t seemed to the trainers Of til
\ bill that II would be unjust To exclude fron
~ :. the elective franchise those men who thu
IL assisted in upholding law and ORDER and /
u Government on d loyal basis. It was prt
ID eurncd, moreover, that all such persons wcr
ID true 10 the Union. But practice has show
= = directly the contrary, More than two.third
have proved to be rebels Of the most blatan
ID stripe, many Of them having served consi6
n csahle terms Of service in the confcdcsat
q army. ....- -
ad IN East Tennessee, where the major 20
re Of q different Kind have been encountered
- arising out Of the ignorance and the pref,
ve dices Of the people. Many entitled to do S
1t, hare refused to register. looking upon . ce
u siGcAte In the Light Of free paper, an
H. ayesrine that their honorable wounds n
oe ceiyed In battle and their discharge papci
D. from the service Of the United States are 81
u fclent evidences Of their Eniouism. Thl
Cd feeling has gone TO such leusths that,
&, many counties not more than one-sixth
~ the loyal voters have applied for certificate
1t has been found almost Impossible to col
,st vince large numbers Of war-worn veteran
he that registration is a mark Of honorable di
dy | lnctlon instead Of badge Of subscEvienc
n, IN various localities in the Middle an
m. m Western sections Of the State, the Comml
H. sionc.s have been tcased, bullied or ewindft
- into granting certificates TO individua
clearly not entitled to them. In some p1ac
1t is more than suspected that money hss q
:, comrlished more than eato1ery or intimid
D nortea s1a 1de e ipse psa9 II i s e. t.
;, Davidson County, where numbers hold Ger
cvc acates who never c, en- applied for them. b
s' have myateriously received them In enrt
cal opes superscribcd with their several nams
,, I kuch fraudulent certificates exist in X
the county alone, while the number of othe
md procured falsely directly from the Comm
Gu. tioners are t.artlinclY numerous.
nj. But the difficulties do not begin to e
- here, In various counties the legal electc
are less than one hundred ont Of popul
H. ton which, before the war, used to poll soz
: it, three thousand votes. Here all the d!ttie'
In tics Of executing q Law in the Ece OF an .
ion, verse public sentiment arc felt with pec1l
49,. force Those who dare TO exercise the el
!" tive franchise are marked ont for scorn, n
OF cu]e, jeers, bitter unpopularity, and son
by times even for fierce persecution and SOC
ers. | ost1xcism. Under this spirit of1ntimldatlt
many stay away from the polls, or vote
The men opposing their political principles.
ua- No. l. this all. Often rebels, who canu
take the neccssary oath, take possession
re- The polls, and hold the election The #
ton elise law il then tramplcd under foot In
luce spirit OF pure contemp pt the reconstruct
,o.,. vote without certificates; and candidates
-. chosen with h1gh.handed outragc-thc t.
very elise Law made mockcry and a b1-word
tion To make matters worse, large number
will youne men who, though having had moth
,era- 10 do with the rebellion, arc yet dis1oyal
any Of its warmest supporters, arc coming
legal nsc, and cannot be lawfully c1clu
,nfv. from tic ballot-box. In many count
these new voteEs will exceed In number
lpyxlists In the same localities.
tne This condition OF affairs leads dtrectl.
IL be the conclusion that the rebels will gain
that ascendancy 1T tho next regular clcctl'
ctrd. and I'LL GOOSE overwhelmingly not only
~. Governor and majority OF The State 81
-. tors and Representatives next year, but
aleEs also secure all but two Of the Conrrcssit
,orps delegation, unless some plan can be dcv
| the 10 retain the administration and the
uak.ae power Il Loyal hands. To acc