The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-02-06

8 a. the sueccl- 8 iea words c. the gene
quest.5a Q, suffrage are apprarsi-.e.
2 LOT think the p ght vote IS = naturliri
! few. if GCv Cf'the rlrhts wees .-iog- ia q,
I ety are ua-ursl-tHey sTe ccnxert;aui
e sufraEe uader this 2ovesnsaens l. q poii
CA -at hUWsveg--a T.a..t oisaagu heI
e q distinction can be maize frorla ari0l'c
E Under onr sT5lem f IS indeed : y rht, ,
70 / served ~ aud Tor wn.te r.en ri mature aq
q when the Governments was esiatllshed.
!; / T-3s not c0nEded 70 the Covernmslt as
E | privilege 70 be given or withdraBn al pie
b sure. slch principle 10 at var Tith \
{ underlying Principie O. free in1atufious.
e the goveruuiens claims this porer, On Il
2 Unlimited scale it ls now propose 40 exc
o cl5e it, j. would be competent f0f G wicks
e admlnIstratfoa 70 ems8culate their aauctiti
{ / e1t5 Of power, and alter the whole chara.
, ter Of tee roFevnment. It is couspstaat q
Z amendments % the of-snic law, Gt-IFratiEy
p By qualified voters, to enlarge the frzuahis
I or e. prescribe how il may bo tol isitei Il
cause, bat - ais1r4ncEias - iudelsEaib be +
{ pr.aelple, and dangerous IS pe.Heien
! -he-iEhs 20 Yo.e % e right whieA ever
whlts american citizen, uHcharged o. uu
convicted cl crime, may clsim b. pars
, mount r.sht- Under this free constituuor
the baIlo.- box IS Indeed the trsasure- box q
the c.u1ens LIBERTIES, aud the 5uirs-E G
deDccrctic i-lt.tUllons. = Ihese --er who's
rights are 1oW under discussion, thourl
c-lniustin their conduct, are uncouvictsd
and are relieved by r1rd--, ofthe penattie
Of Their ofenss.
And there IS yet smother view, sir. TIL
o cardinal principle o. our Institutions tha
rePreseni ietion and taxation 70 hard il
hand. L wes = maintain this principle
that cur isihers resisted Briti 4 tyranoy
and Il - IS clear and true to-day, as wher
they shed their blood 70 give tito Us. There
Is no representation il me citizen is denied
: voice in choosing the represe 1t1tiye He
is excluded froa participating ia the cen
duct Of the government under whose laws
he lives. HIS property and his income Is
! taxed, aad his substance carried 10 the sup
! port OF q government which refuses him tha
! right 10 assent or dissent. or 70 assess the
! amount. Gentlemen NAV self-c0mplaceur-
/ ly contend that this, ior the class referred
| 10, is, under the circumstances, lust. Bur
I nothing, sir, is Just which cannot be iusti-
/ fed by the principles o. right, and this ac-
| tion is aSVariance VITA principle as old as
| the government, snd insepsrable lsom true
American liberty.
And yet sgs'n, sir. The Eovernusa: has
properly required Of these people 81 renewal
Of their alegisncs, ana they nave given il
Q
and learn, they have testiGed by their con-
duct tue Uth Of their Gassveratiors. Fx-
cep iorGl Gases have occurred, and viii oc-
cur; bu l ape II them IS 8 mass, both the
returned soldier AID their svmpathissrs
and encourage S; aud I say, without isar Of
successful contradict on, tuet they have
yielded, sad are paying sllegisnes 70 the
government. Now, sir, It is e fundamental
principle that allegiance and protection are
reciprocal. But what IS protection under
the circumstances2 Will It be contended,
that in the case Of an American citizen, il is
nothing mere than the privilege of living
under The laws, and lsbsr-ug for the rov-
ernment, IN these tunes Of taxation, Is f1r a
IasKmasterl that he IS to be protected only
in life, locomotlon, and thu ownership Of
his property Surely gentlemen do 10.
taKe that harrow view " the subject. Il
means much more than that. t uurports
8 guarantee for the enjoyment of ali the
civil and political rights possessed By his
peers ard 10 deny them, is to break She
faith Of the Government, and iulrsct another
principle Of inestimsble value.
These are the reasons which have forced
me to the conclusion that this bill is, in no
true and enlarged sense, in conformity with
the Constitution, ana the great principles
in which that instrument was conceived,
and they are sufficient, if there were rea-
sons Of no other kind, 70 determine me 70
oppose IT,
But, cir, on other grounds I cannot
concur in the adoption Of this messure.
Admitting that the power was cles- and
unmistakable, its exercise is unwise, mex
psdient, and unnecessary, and with all due
respect Tor the oplnin5 OF members, = must
say, that 1 have never hesrd one fact al
legged, or argument adduced, which can
lustiiy its prOprIety or necessity, 1 know
nothing and can learn nothing from any
source, which affords plausible reason for
assuming this extraordinary step for the
Acknowledgement Of a very large msjCrity Of
the population is O most extraordinary
movement, and one which should stand
upon the soCndest reasons Of necessity. Can
gentlemen point 10 any movements or
mGchiuations on the part OF these people
which look 10 further rebellion sgainst the |
laws of the Government Are there any
evidences that they are secretly plotting a
new treasous Do they exhibit q sGllen !
and rebellious spirit? Are they evadirg
the terms Of surrender imposed upon them !
by the Government, when they laid down |
Their arms, snd confessed detegt9 Are lhey
ref-sing to comply with conditions which |
the emancipation OF the slaves hss sub /
lecteu them tcf Does auy man believe that /
the full restoration of these people 70 their |
former conditions, woAld impair the lust |
authority OF their Federal or State gov
ernmeuts, CT render probable another re- |
bellIon, or defeat the ends achieved in the !
overthrow Of tho one which has termina- |
ted ? Does any man dream Of another se- |
cession2 Does any man fear the revival Of |
slavery Sir, these questions cGrrct be J
answered in the af5rna i've. But coming /
toto rn~ -fnr-e hat inf 90 D
are to be endangered by the participation |
in giving the suffrage 70 these people . /
Doss any one expect the present state gov /
ernnent 70 be oyerthr0vD, and is o.5cers /
elected from their places Does any one /
look 10 see the action we hsvo deemed it |
necessary t. ADOPT upon the great variety /
Of subjects brought before us, 70 b annuIIed /
in msss2 Is il % be feared, that with TIE 1
majority which their votes could command, /
they would send men here to prescribe the /
steadfast friends Of tie Government Is 4
there sny grouud 70 believe they would /
adopt line Of State policy inimieal to that 4
Of the federal GovsTnment, and intended /
20 thwart It's measures for finally concluding |
the great work OF re8toration2 Sir, I think /
that every mans dispassionSte iudglneu, !
must snswer in the negative, it any l
ono wants light TO guide him in 1
regard % this matter, let him look /
at the course Of rebels IN the States /
farther South, where by tho Presidential |
orders sud sanction, there was almost sn IN
tramueied vote. Except in, one OF two /
st les, and 10 regard 70 one or two msttsrs /
Of comparative unimpor r.sncc, there has /
been 10 snd prompt aequiescence in the |
schedule Of measures suggested by the gov i
e nnent, and ,hsIT local legislation q il /
accordance.
But say gentlemen, the o8ly wzy to pro
tect loyal people, and to eradicate The dis
Loyalty shich bss tsEen such ueep root IL 4
the breasts of tEO-thirds or more Of the i
people Of this State, and to foster an sttsch-
ment to he government, IA 20 strip them q; 4
thair politicsl right, Mr.. Speaker. ven
der al the iufatustion. Is It possible that 1
the msa Of Tennessee, who through all the |
va wing fortunes OF TINS struggle, maintain
ed ,hsir fidelity 70 the Union, should row
need pro .~ction from unarm Rebels, who 1
have acknow lodged defeat, and who are a. 4
home pursuinE pesceful occupationsf |
cam { think Sc. Il is only the suggestion 4
ofa fer hich b S 20 real foundation, aud
is unworthy Of them. But it is said this 4
measure will promo'e oyalty. Not i By
loyalty is meant a genuine attachment %
the government Harah and proscri ptiTe
measures are not the breeders Of goodwill
D
heartily support governments when Re
fuse them their rights, snd IL this be ore &
the results which the friends Of this bin ez-
peci, fear they Will be disappointed, Il .
man nature must be reformed.
In my judgment, sir, such measures IS
this are tae sursst means Of keeping alive
disadeetion and fostering disloyal semi
ments, which otherwise would b discardd,
and sent the way oftke lost fortunes of ae
Coufederaey. Gentlemen, in the seeming
madness Of their loyal zeal, appear to hare
forgotten who and what these people sre-
that they are bone Of our bone and flesh of
cur hesh-thai they are the Descendants af
the men who cut the cane and rescued tbs
fair land from the wilderness and the ssr-
Mountain, and later under the lead oi Jacl-
son-that their memories are 1lled with To
traditions Of liberty, and their breasts hea--
iuE with iLs aspirationa that they can feil
kesnly what they regard as vindiciiye sxs,-
tons, and vii cherish tho feelings vhsh
they excite.
Ard would ask u it j. wise thus tore
kindle the extinct elnher5 oi HOSTILITY. an
lay the foundation for irtermina5le divai1n
snd diaeord- i cerlaiuly is aot the eoI7se
which comneuis itself - me. think our
true policy is 20 Gdont every proper mans
% restore tae Euisz, sud one ~ che frstana
most import1nt steps IS % revive in ths bo-
sons q cur er-ing and misruided p1p.s
love q country. Al uetaeis of rescrs
tor vii Ne EEt OF tan ,csarv avail ffkhse