The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1866-03-10
PNOCLAMArTON BY GOyIIRNl
OR BROWNLOW.

:. State of Tennessee. The events of the lns
three weeks give rise to serious apprehen
sions that q Large, portion. of onr peopl
have not sufficiently recovered from tn,
demoralizing effects of the late rebcllio,
to enable them to appreciate the blessing
OF peacc--that their passions have not sui
ilcicntly cooled to enable them to avoid
relapse into anarchy or military rule.
a SINAI minority 0ftwenty-one member,
Of House of Representatives, by fac,
tious and revolutionary proceedings hay,
succeeded il! breaking up the Iegislatur,
characterize this conduct as revolutionary
because it was violative Of the spirit of tit
Constitution and laws, and. arrested the
machinery Of the State government as eff
fectually as If the same had been done by
force OF arms, ~ 10 npitHipJzt '
They have been able under the construc-
ton Of parliamentary law which prevailed
in the llouse, to reduce it below what was
held, to he 2 quorum for the transaction of
business, and tile. great body ofthSE rfei,i-
bersS Of both Houses have goRHe III Their
homes and legislation Has cntifely cGeased.
When an important measure of State
policy was propOSed-a measure referred
to. and Il duty imposed upon, this Legisla-
ture by the amended C0nstitution-they
either withdrew from their seats or re-
manned and refused to, answer to their
names when called. the Speaker holding
that 4 member in his seat, refusing to am
swer' was not present so As to be counted
as part of u quorum. After Worrying the
majority in this way for several weeks,
and after the consultations of the Conven-
ton of the 22d February, they have pub
licly announced their secession from the
Legislature. through the newspapers, in o
Northumberland will n0t4fail To- remind its
readers Of the address OF the I,egislature Of
81, who transferred the State to Tile South
crn Confederacy.
The prctcxt for this legislative rebellion
was a proposition to discharge the duty
imposed upon the Legislature by the ninth,
section of the schedule to the amended
Constitution, which provides, for 't4e lin
itation of the elective franchise" by this
Legislature. There was nothing new or
startling in this measure. From the ear
lest inception Of the idea of reorganizing
Il state government, upon the ruins of the
rebellion. the policy of DISTINGUISHING those
who had lately Observation-Disclosures govern
mcnt, and attempted to destroy the Nation
al government. was deemed Il necessity,
and was adopted and rigidly executed. In
the election held on the 22d of February,
1865. upon the adoption Of the amended
Constitution. rebels were all DISTINGUISHED
by an oath which required every voter to
swear that he was al enemy Nt6 the So
calledC onfeder GStates.y The course
was pursued in the election for Governor
and members of the General Assembly, in
March, 1865. The Military Governor pat-I
urally believed that those who had Wanton-
ly destroyed the Government We're not the
proper persons tdrebnild it, ,Orito admins
ter it when re-established. This policy and
principle of disfranchisement was a feature
Of the amended Constellation approved by
the qualified voters of the State.
Nosubiect has been more thoroughly dis
cussed and understood by all classes for the
last year than this subject of DISTINGUISHING
the disloyal. Several Of the seeding menu
bcrs were also members of, the. conVentiont
which adopted it into the schedule, and sus-
tanned it before the people, and accepted Of
flee under it, and are therefore estopped
from denying its binding force All Of
them had been elected under Il law of proc
lamation DISTINGUISHING rebels. The pre-
tense that the measure was sprung upon
them suddenly, is therefore most manifest
ly 4 subterfuge to cover up the attempt at
disorganization.
The ~resigning members appeal to their
constituents to sustain them, and most of
them are announced as candidates for re-
election to the places they have just made
vacant under u pledge, of course, again to
withdraw from their seats, and again @to
break up the Legislature. This discloscs
whole plan of the conspiracy. They
and to send them back to repeat it. This
will place their constituents In the attitude =.
of disorganizOrs-commit them to a rebel )
lion against the State government, and !
render futile any attepipt tosllT the vucan- {
rics by Writs of election, as the same rOu- I
line would be repeated. The danger to the .
State is therefore imminent. I
Should the civil government fail, the mil y
itary authorities will take control of the |
state, and it is not likely that the General i
government will, at an early day, permit a =,
people who will have displayed such inca ',
)acity for self government to attempt an I
,tllcr State organization. Nor is it likely. j
+ the effort should be permitted, that tile n
"litferent divisions of the State will agree =
Upon Il new constitution, and discOrd and q J
separation may follow. h
If the plan Of the seeding members, I
lOw 50 manifested, is successful. many OF 6
he important laws already passed, inelud- ~
ny those comforting lmportahtcitif rights VI
lpOn freedmen can never go inte-efiect.- II
10 appropriation bill can be passed; the V
,enitentiary, lunatic asylum and other h
tate institutions must be broken up and n
bandOned; and the interest accruing on y
he debts of the State and all other eXpcn- l
es requiring an appropriation must re-
lain unpaid. The credit of the State will
&c destroyed, and the bonds of the State
lready appropriated must be deprecated, Il
D as to fail of the objects of their issuance.
migrants. Will shuna State in such contu-
and discredit. and capitahwill seek tn- nj
c~stlncnt; in more promising. Localities. and ty
nus the brightest hopes OF the State will s,
e blighted. "
Even if the conspiratOrs should fail of is
lccess. i~ncalculable mischief lIas already q,
cen done to the State. Eight millions Of ~
or bonds are soon to be thrown upon the 70
larkct. The ruinous depreciation of her til
edit consequent upon y disorganized con-
bfsle State, in1icts asdeeps injury, On
OF only upon the b~ondholders, but upon @.
ir works of internal Improvements. de- 81
now upon Il sale of our bonds to re
lable them to revive their Operations. M
Our political prospects, too, are severely h.
ljured. By the acts of a rcbellious pOpu- Nv
ton we have lost our representation in IN
le council of the nation. Our Senators tn
nj Representatives are in Washington re
king admissiOn TO seats In fCOngres.-T
hat body Is watching all our. movements 3
it'll a View Of determining whether we 2
I'VE an established government or not, On
I'd whether those Senators have been sent -
by Il government capable of MAIN w
lining its existence and authority. They &c
ny now conclude that our people are not if
Il temper for self-gOvernment. Certain so
the opponents of our representation will 49,,
furnished by our present condition with W.
49,. - NCru AL 49, a 81 no
Nor is the moral effect Upon the reputa- tn
On of our State and people less to be de- w
ored. A large portion of our people, just m,
t of rebellion. are protesting reconstruct nj
loyalty. while a portion of their repre- q"
natives display not only a rebelliOus
irit but u disregard for the solemn obi
.tiOns of legislators and are unmindful sh
that dignity and sense OF honor which =.
Ould always characterize the statesman. eo
Aside from theeinjpry 70 the neral tn
litical and financial character of the ey