Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-02-24

some newspaper or II least four publi plares b
his county. of his intention 10 conipiet. AMI ~
the time being close his TsgistFati0u Bnt II - al
be his duty after making his report 10 the tsss,r-
nor 10 atfend for enc day at each Fuerttrls ses.
sion OF the Conutv Court for the purpose OF is-
saing eeflheates oi rSfistratso1 ~ sieh pcrsf n
cf this act and for each day be may so attend b
shall receive the OF three dollars. to be p.id
SEC. ii. BE- Z 5sssksr eaaeteS, That every wilfa
and Intentional violation Of this act by the CON
missioner of registration, IS hereby declared 10 b
missiemeaaar, aud upon con yictioe he shall b,
removed from office, and shall pay 4 fine ci Eoi
less than fiily dollars to the use OF the State.
SEc. Is. BE Il IHrfher eaacfef. That every tis-
atian ei this act Is hereby declared to be = Is
demeanor. and punishable upon pfsSsnims Ill -
indictments and every pess0n paEticipat,agl N
such violation shall. upon enny lotion. be hne na
less than ten nor exceeding one hundrssi dsliars,
and may be imprisoned at the discretion of ihs
SIC. Id BE itf41fker enacted, That an acs en-
titled An Act to limit the elective franchise
passed june . tSs9. DC, and the same Is hereby
altered and amended as provided in the several
section of this act and the provisions Of this act
shall be deemed and held in lieu of said act enti-
tied +" An act to Limit the elective Franchise =
passed June 5th. 1855. with the exception of the
preamble thereunto prefxed.
SIC. IL. BE % further enacted. That this act
shall take effect from and after its passage.
PRESIDENT JOHNSON As REGARDED
BY A MAssACHUsErTsM MAN.
From the Boston Commercial.l
The cool selfpossession and the signal
ability manifested by the President in the
performance Of the high and responsible
duties OF Ills Office, prove him to be man Of
excellent judgment, and eminently fitted for
the position which he occupies. Those who
thought to frighten or cajole, or in any way
control him, find themselves in the preserce
Of a man who Is master of the whole sub
ject, and whose plain common sense is more
than a match for all their selfish and anfbi-
tious schemes.
Springing from the middle class OF the
community ut the South, class which has
been pleced in more disadvantageous posi-
ton than any other in the country, because
of an overshadowing aristocracy above il,
and the great degradation of labor below il,
he is web acquainted with the temper and
capacity Of The whole population of the
South, and will be thus prevented from
committing any mistake in the reorganiza-
tion of the social and political institutions
of the slave States. His early proclamation
Of amnesty to the whole population except
ing those who were worth more than twenty
thousand dollars, which took the whole
country by surprise, was a master stroke Of
policy as well as justice. Ii prevented all
disafection among the mass Of the white
population, while il placed the burthen OF
the punishment upon the class who were
responsible for the rebellion.
There has been, and Is yet, much misap-
prehension at the North, in regard to the
number and condition Of the middle class of
the white population at the South They
oa,f,S.s a x,,,,nb l,r,rar x,,rf,<,, f tt,
lation than is generally supposed, though
they havs been kept out of public life and
out of the ranks of traders and manuiactu-
reis, by the system of negro slavery. Those
who have had opportunities of knowing say
that more than half CT the cotton crop has
been raised by these small planters who
owned few if any slaves. These men were
never friendly to the negroes, because they
suffered greatly from their depredations; and
in fact many have in times past sold out and
emigrated solely on account of the annoy.
ance they suffered from the thetts Of the
slaves around them. This class never would
have engaged in the rebellion il they had
not been instigated to the work by the
wealthier and better educated classes who
misled them, operating upon their prejudices
by misrepresenting the movements of the
Northern Abolitionists, in regard to negro
equality.
The President knows well the importance
of conciliating this large class at the South,
and he knows well, too, that it Is this class
rather than the wealthy planters, which will
decide the fate of the negro in his new con-
dition as freeman. His knowledge of this
matter, concerning which the Northern and
Western politicians are almost in entire
ignorance, makes him aware of the vital
importance of eonciliatory measures which
the great body Of the members Of Congress
seem to disregard. The inevitable course Of
events will, however, prove that unless the
policy recommended by the President is
adopted, the fate Of the negro will be de- !
plorable and disastrous throughout the
South. He cannot stand before either the
excited prejudices or the neglect of the white
population. All the legislation Of the coun-
try, directed for his benefit from the present
time until doomsday, will avail nothing TO
save the race, unless they are capable of,
bringing themselves up to a standard OF in
dustry and morals which will command the
respect of the white race, and to effect this,
care must be taken that the animosity OF the
whites is not excited against them. Coercion
VIII AOt diio"cAJ IL Will oSffC dB1td-
yate the evil. We do not believe there il
any danger of the country being abandoned
to the negroes.
If they were three or four times more
than the whites, instead of num-
bering only about half as many, there might
be possibility of this, but the greatest dan
ger is We think, that the best disposed por-
ton of the white population Of the South
will sell their lands to adventures from
other sections of the Union, and that thus
the negro will be placed in a more unfayor-
able condition to elevate himself than ex-
lists OF present.
With an earnest effort made on the part
Of the whole people, we do not see why the
negro may not be found as valuable 20
he country as to the emigrant population
which is welcomed TO our shores. His labor
IS needed at the South, and half a century
would not suffice to Gil his place by immi-
migration. If the South does not under
'tand this now it cannot be long before il
will come to the knowledge Of the fact.
Let, then, every intelligent and right minded
nan come into harmony. with the just and
,onciliatory views Of the President, instead
If exciting prejudice and animosity, by i'll
ldvised attempts at Legislative coercion
which from the very nature of things must /
,e Intellectual and dimpossible Of execution.
Il they will do thB there Is good reason TO
nope that emancipation win prove great
blessing to the blacks and 10 the whole popu-
alton of the country.