, 1866-03-14
THE TENNESSEE QUESTION.
Why Tennessee Should not now be Re.
admitted.
minority Report Of messT4. WAsl, bur11e
md Routssell, Of the Committee
OF Fifteen.

me nnuefsisni1 4l..1 mes " tno 1olnl
:Gomm1tsee " aeeSSaselnG.mu, eS otsseolmg
Tennessee, respectfully submit the following
statement
Yhe last ontsed states census shows that
rather more than one-tourfh OF the people Of
Tennessee are coiored persons, and that less
than threo-fourths are white, The evidence
submitted to the Committee shows that the |
colored people are unanimously loyal to this
Government, and that about e.haf Of the /
white peEsona are disIoyal. In. East Tennes.
sec the number Of loyal PERSONS far exceeds
the number Of disloYM white; In central and
West Tennessee the loyal white population
constitute only a minority nf Ibe wha]e.
r,atcs tre rrstnrstinn nf Tennessee ,tn po3sti.
cra1 nower in tf,e Govenmenf nf The. Tinted
STATES and that the eiectiyc frnnchIan NAV he
confined to the loyal white men, citizens Of
villa M nroyision wbateyer is made far thc
evcTc;se II the elective francise hv loyal col
s,-eil rann1e.
-Previoi1s tn the re1,ellion- the rotInr ropu.
1atfon Of the state. then limited to whife Der.
SONG. was about 10000. or the nrcscnt
yntintr nonuIa ton. not more than &c, Goo. and
rerdetl As loyal. The result Of the fproposi.
linn Of the Committee is that State viii be
cIercisinc power in the Government Of the
Upited etntes, In which half its white people,
numbering about e, 600, and all It's co1pred
population, numbering about $1,000 adult
mhlc citizens, will be excluded from pa1ticlpa-.
tion in public affairs. OF about aO0,000 adult
male citizens Of the State, not more than TO-
600 will possess political power.
The exclusion for limited period of time
OF the men who have participated In the re-
be1lion, and as punishment for their offences,
cannot by The parties excluded, be made,
properly, the subject Of comp1atnti but it.ls
very grave question whether State Gov
ernmcnt can be set up, and maintained, &C.
cord1ns to the theory OF American instit9-
hons, IN which eyen tenth ol me aduit cltl-
ZEN zens IRE oept1Feu o. q VOICE l" i'S P"oi's a1-
tatra. ...4:
appears eonciasSey 1T, nom tns eesn5naony nuny
of Major General Ihomas, Ma)or HeneIat
Grterson ana others, tnat eecret oEgani]atlonls
exist IN al' inc Ienel statss Tnose pu.Pose. Is
to obtain representaiion IN tonEfsss, .aen 70
Government, nSoi'e Inc county ! u ~ io1e.gn
tnnity thus created 70 elect . dissolution o.
the Union aud The establishment OF asepnrate
Government; WIN . kno"iedge q tAese
facts, would seem 70 oe o. tae 9tat lmport..
ance IN the recohst[netion o. tne G9tenment
to secure n eEeIy ssate losa! vo.hG 1 p4Putt at
It Ia entirely prncticahse ultimately. anu WIN
In reasonable timo, tor the adult male col
oEed population to become voters, to place
the Government o. tha1 STATE nfeSoeao'S In
the hards o. Loyal men.
In The e1lgency that exists II "op!o M % seem 70
be wise Craftsmanship to accept the services
and political power Of men Eno nave saoWn
themselves under all circumstances 70 oe true
friends OF this nation. Moreover tIe aanis-
sion Of the colored men TO the exercise o. the
elective franchise woua eaapls: tne ioSat
people Of; Tennessee to restore TO the mass Of
their fellow citizens who have been engaGedi in
officially distinguished from their associates, 10
participate without much delay In the Gov
rrnme1t of the State md of the country.
Thts measure Which cannot be safely adopt
ed if the elrctlye tranchisa il limited to the
willie people ia Tcnneseee, win become entirely
nract1rahie. hv The extension OF the elective
trauclise as suggested. The mnguaniu1ous
chararter Of eucR i nrocecdipg could not fall
to induce many Of those who hare been en-
mei,t in GOOD faith, Moreover the rule or en-
c1u1,inr ner1naneptly. or for a LONG term OF
yenrs. afl those Who have participated
IN the rebellion. u adopted In the
case of Tennessee: must be extended
To- the other rebel States. In some Of
N ,hose W states hot % more than tepth or q ltth
~ ia neonle hayn heen loyaf. and in sucl,
a. ofes + IrnntI ha ;Tnnose;hIe n nj mn a
Gore1nmrnt With any bone that il could be
nsrmnnrntlr maIntainci. In which the elect
{Se trnnchisc ebould he iimtted to The Ioyal
Willie nconie excIusiysIy. Ucnco The coan{rY
ioIc Ecrinti nf t1me without REPRESENTATION In
CnnscT,sa and s,,histH ID the authority Of the
I National f;uyern1,ent, This theory u con
trary 10 the tbccr7sTf our institutions, to the
| nract3cc If thc Goycrunent. and cannot for
Inv rnn,fier,htc nerinG Of time he nursued.
nm f.w years nt fsTthest, such States, even
! thosc where the lumber Of IoYAl white people
it fcast viii i,e adn;ttrf} IN nowcr in t1e roy-
ctnment Of the country, with tno elective
franchise In the hands oil dtsloyal whites, who,
by ]rresistihle mstoritirs, Will control tho
policy OF the States aud the character Of their
representation 10 Congress.
Regarded Us = national question, and as a
subject affecting the peace and prosperity OF
tho county, 1t d Of prime Importance to So
cure In each State loyal basis for the main
tenanca Of the Government. 1t seems unwise
to consider as Of prImsry Importance the p
NAT offer himself for eeat In Congress. The
right to 10 represented Is the right Of the
people. No individual has right to be O
representative. until be has been duly elected.
While II Is ena5nently proper for each branch
OF Congress to inquire nto the loyalty o.
be questioned, 1t still Is vastly more In
| ortant 10 ascertain the loyalty Of tho con
stituency lie claims to represent. The Official
life Of tho representative, whether In the
Senate or the House, Is comparatively bsict,
conslitucncy be ioyai the power 81 the rep-
reseutaliys for evil, even though be be mau
Of dlsloyal opinions, Is relatively unlnpor.
tant. Iii, If the constituency be tlfsleynl, no
limit can Be assigned to It's power to affect
peTniciously the public welfare.
1t is also to be observed, that technically
considered, man is loyal where disloyalty
cannot be proved. III constituency Is dlsloy.
al It WILL always be IN It's power 10 select as lis
Representative, man WHO is free ION any
ipcrscnal participation In aisloyal proceedings
aud Jet who wifi giye his vote aud influence