Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-06-15
rExNEssEE-NEGRo SUFFRAGE.

We published on yesterday an address to
his constituents, by Hon. B. FRAZIER, Sena-
tor from Knox, in which there occurs the
following passage:
1t is very clear to any one who has wit
messed, as | have, the whole actings of the
Radical party in the Legislature, that the
great point sought to be reached is univer-
sal suffrage. There would have been ma
jority easily passed for it in both Houses,
had they not feared the influence of such
measure before the Union people Of East
Tennessee. They know that with their pres
ent strength in the State, under any franchise
law that they can pass that excludes the ne
gro, they must soon lose their power. They
are aware of the fact that in five years there
will be young men enough come up to man.
hood-the sons of sires that are now distran-
chised-to carry the State against them.
They hope and believe if they can infranch-
ise the black man, that they can use him for
their own selfish purposes, and by this means
retain the power in their own hands. This
Is the avOwed object of many of the advo-
Gates ofthe measure. They is only hope to
use him for their own elevation. There is
not a single advocate Of the measure in
either House, who places it upon the grounds
Of benefit to the race, and this measure is, by
no means, abandoned. 1t is the main ques-
ton that is To come up in the fall. Ifit had
not been for this question, the bystanders
would have adjourned "sine die"
They hope that By that time Congress ciU
make some requirements Of tie Southern States
that may giUe them an excuse for adopting II.
They would abandon the franchise law at
once if they could get the freedmen to the
polls. Their aim and purpose is to retain
power. For this they would sacrifice every
other interest, and would adopt any measure
to secure it.
To show that Senator FRAZIER fully d.
vined the purposes of the Tennessee Radi-
Gals, and had fathomed their dark schemes
to the bottom, we find that on the day al
most simultaneous with the publication of
his statement THADDEUs STEVENS, the
great light and lawgiver of Radicalism at
Washington, introduced an enabling act APP
plying TO the excluded States, in substitution
for one previously offered, and containing
new section in reference to Tennessee, as fol-
lows:
SECTION 9. WHEREAS, The State of Ten
nessee has returned to her allegiace to the
United States and by regular convention
of her citizens has framed a Constitution,
which on being submitted to the people has
been duly ratified and which, though not
fully Republican and not suited to the alter
ed condition of the Constitution, yet as it
contains many elements Of iEst Govern
ment,
Therefore be ii enacted, That the State of
Tennessee may be admitted 10 representa-
ton in Congress, and her present Senators
and Representatives if found to be duly APP
pointed, elected and qualified, may be adj
mitted to seats on taking the oath; provided,
that unless said State of Tennessee, shall, be-
fore the LIST day of January next, either by
legislation or constitutional provision en-
franchise all classes other citizens, and extend
the right Of suffrage, impdrttGtiy to ereTy class.
and shall give TO every person within her
jurisdiction an equal standing in all her
courts of law and equity, both as suffers and
witnesses. and shall ratify the addition to
the Constitution, article IL, proposed by this
Congress, then the provisions of this act so
far as they relate to the State of Tennessee,
exclusively, shall cease and be null and
void, and said State shall no longer be rep
resentC& IN congress.
1t thus appears that the men who ruled
the Legislature of Tennessee, are in perfect
accord, and perhaps, in intimate correspon-
dence with the most advanced of the Radi-
Gals, and that they look to the schemes of
man who, on Wednesday last, said that he
regarded the late civil war as fortunate
chance" which had 'broken up for time the
foundations Of our institutions" to aid them in
extinguishing the political rights of ma
jority of their fellow citizens, and perpetual
ting the ill-gotten power which they WELD
SO ruthlessly.
If this enabling act becomes the law, Ten
nessee, in addition to her ratification of the
proposed amendment, is required to con-
form her suffrage laws to the most ultra
Radical mountaineering with the fran
chise all classes, white and black-except
those DISTINGUISHED by the amendment she is
required to adopt, or remain indefinitely ex-
cluded from a voice in Congress. MAYNARD,
FOWLER, and Stokes, with their cOadjutOrs
at home, have thus filled to trimming the
cup Of infamy which they present to the peo-
pie Of Tennessee. How long are these men
to escape the lightnings of popular wrath ?