The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1866-11-24
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IFUppoSc tilut II iunueu PROPRIETOR III inc
South cannot there manage his own
slaves ofycstcrday, his practically dc
pendent freedmen Of to-day?
Gentlemen, If the South should BE-
dishonest cunning and designing, Il ey
will pass this amendment, give tho
franchise to their blacks, come in again
to Congress with their whole represen-
tation, strike hands with any revolu-
tionary party at the North, abolish the
Senatorial representation as now fixed
and establish new popular scheme,
close an alliance with the West upon
their great common dogma of free
trade, and then rule the Union they
could not ruin. For il the former slave
holding States now denied representa-
ton pass this amendment, do YOU not
know it will be under pro est, if not
cxprcssed--so much the more liter for
hi, silence, to do it tor the time for
which they bide, the great day of re-
talialion? If they are willing to pass
this whitley stick ut anything to ac-
complsh their ultimate end! The pol
icy used towards them by this amend
lncnt necessitatcs this No faithful
teaity. no loving allegiance can spring
from the crnging Of the conquered to
his master. But. gentlemen, the South
will spurn this bill rs one man. Not
one more State will ever pass this
amendment, to be badge ofthcir deg
radiation and disgrace forever in the or
ganic law. They would not do so If it
were Il tiuality, which it does not pre-
tend to bc. Far from it.
And why should We expect it Ofthcm?
My friends, the Southern people after
all do not ditierso much from U.s.
They are men with noble, generous
feelings, and their bravery no man
Qucstions and what do 80 call on them
now to DO hy this sectioni Why, you
say, come all you poor, small, mcon-
sidegcd people, however ardent you
may have been for rebellion, we will
/ forgive you, 10 stigma shall rest on
you, YOU shall go free, provided only
what You consent to botray yonr
old leaders and hand them over to Con-
stitutiona! disqualification. | shall
despisc item if they 90. Why! des-
cendants Of revolutionary fathers, how
would your ancestors in l.16, If the
old war had gone against us, have re-
ceiyed proposition from the Mother
/ Country restoring us to our tOnstitu-
tional blessings if only what we
would vote that sam. Adams, John
! Hancock, John Adams. and all the
Glorious list of the founders, with
George Washington at their head,
should ho forever disqualified from
office. No, gentlemen, / believe IN the
wise words Of my friend, Governor
Andrew:
The capacity Of leadership is
gift, not u devise, They whose cour-
age, talents and will eutitIe them to
lead, will lead. Why not try them ?
They ara the most hopefu subjects to
deal with, in the very nature oi the cas,.
) They have the brain and the experience
and the education to enable them to
understand the cTirencies Of the pres
cnt situation They have the courage
As well as the skin, to lead the people
in the direction their judgments point,
in spite OF their own and the popular
prejudice. " eaker men, those Of less
experience, who have less confidence,
are comparatively powerless. Is it
consistent with reason and our knowl-
eoge of human nature, to believe the
mass of Southern people able to face
about, to turn their backs on those
they have trusted and followed, and to
adopt the lead OF those who have no
magnetic hold on their hearts or minds
For my own part, sir, should, il the
excluded States could freely accept
that amendment they can t.
and il they could then be accepted rs
finally redeemed, which they won't be
declare the act rs the greatest wound
which the general permanent welfare of
the nation and the peculiar present
power Of New England ever eXperien-
ccd. To NY mind it would he Il shock
to the salu,ary and Legitimate and duly
limited doctrine OF States Rights,
from which we should not rpcovcr-it
"p'Ii't TX ottllc tlIot tiit NoN NV III u
path decentralization. from which no
steps come back. Let me fatigue You
but one moment more to quote from a
speech deli"ered in Congress just be-
! fore the outbreak of the rebellion by
y gentleman who then represented you,
Il few words which aptly express my
feelings tonight.
"Surely, there are some things
which, for It's own security, il for no
other reason, it may fairly be presum.
ed that not one of the States would ever
| originate. And one of the most essen-
tial would be any idea of direct inter
: ference with the Internal economy of y
sister State. III have any way sue
ceeded in mastering the primary ele-
+ ments Of our forms of government, the
, first and fundamental idea is, the res
5 ervation to the people Of the respective
States of every power of regulating
/ their own affairs not specifically sur
rendered in the Constitution. The Sc
e curity of the State Governments de.
: pends upon the fidelity with which this
T. principle is observed. Even the init
nation of any such interference as I
3 have mentioned by way of example
{ could not be made in earnest withou.
t at once shaking the entire foundation
5 of the whole contederated Union. No
| mrn shall exceed me in jealousy of nj
tection for the State rights of Massa-
chusetts. So far rs remember, moth
ing ofthis kind was ever thought Of
J heretofore; and see no reason to ap-
prehend that what has not happened
thus far will be more likely to happen
! hereafter. But il the time ever comes
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