Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-28
ADDREss.


NAsHvILLE. March 9th. 1s66.-FELLow CIrI-
zExs or DAVIDSON CouNrY: A speech delivered
ty my competitor-Judge NJ. ~ BRIES-which L
find published. and distributed in the form Of q
circular, deserves a brief notice. 1t is replete
with errors and mis-statements in regard 70 my
course. but presuming they are made in ignoran ce
and with no wilful purpose to misrepresent me, l
shall simply note and correct them. trusting that
gentleman and his friends will hereafter refrain
from repeating them.
Speaking of mgr esignation he says:
This vacancy and unexpired term was occa-
stoned by the wiliul not to say eontemptnous
withdrawal of our venerable representative Mai.
VIM. i. Lewis
In reply viii say that nay withdrawal was
neither wilfull'' or "contemptuous' On the
contrary it was. as / stated, in my note of resig
nation, reluctant and as respectful in its Ian
guage as the occasion would permit. Ny sense of
duty as a legislator and guardian of the public
veal forbade my cooperation. even by my pres
ence as a member. in the passage Of an act so
mischieyous as the DISTINGUISHING measure. |
stated this fact and quietly withdrew.
Referring 70 the Convention Of January, 1865,
he says:
He was the President of the Radical Union
Convention, which assembled in our capital on
the Sth or 9Th of January, 1860; was also mem
ber We passed what Is now known as the amend
ed Constitution, with the schedule, the ninth sec
ton of which provides that this present session OF
the Legislature shall have power TO restrict and
limit the right Of suffrage. voted Tor tins, as dld
Major Lewis.
Twas not the President of that Convention, nor
did sit as member, or participate in its pro-
eecdings in any way. At the time of its session,
was confined to my bed by illness. 1t is strange
I nh
memory is so accurate in regard TO the action of
the body, should forget the name Of its leading
officer. | may say however. that in the general
purposes of that Convention 1 concurred, but re-
served to myself the right of independent judg-
ment as to the merely advisory and permissory
| clauses of its schedule.
Abiding to the present franchise law. he says
Thus he ~ was sent to the Legislature; he
aided and assisted in passing upon the people the
present franchise law, which. if possible. is or
| should be, at least, more Odi0us TO errfng
| friends il may so call them, instead of rebels.
/ venture 10 say of this law, If il was faithfully
executed. and the oath therein prescribed and
trequired 70 be taken ii is, and probably tciu BE-
that four out of every five would decline to vote,
| rather than take that oath. know hundreds who
| obtained certificates. who could not and would
not prentend t0N6te If required to take this oath
| Examine it foryourself
This is the Majors franchise bill,
| " L
franchise law from the moment of its introduction.
| Pending its passage in May of last year. pre-
pared speech taking ground against its principle
and its policy. This speech would have been de-
| livered but for illness which prevented my at
tendance upon the session of the House until after
the passage of the bill. Further, the Legislature
re-assembled on the first Monday in October. and
on the 9th of that month l introduced a bill re
pealing the present law. and placing the voting
basis on the plan of the President, as applied to
oth,r States implicated in the rebellion. The ef-
fec of this bill to give the franchise privilege
to every man involved in the rebellion who had
taken or should take the oath of amnesty, or be
the subject of Presidential pardon. This is my
record on the subject Of the franchise, and my
| present position.
In regard to the two per cent. tax on merchan-
dining privileges he says:
Now. gentlemen. promise to do all 1 can for
/ you l feel confident / can relieve you of this
| enormous tax. WIN the Major do it? Mark my
prediction. If he is elected the tax will remain,
| if not increased. Look to your own interest.
This two per cent. tax an item in the reve-
| nue. bill presented to the House. When the bill
was put upon its passage attention not called
to this feature l voted for the bill as a whole.
As soon as 1 learned of the oppression which it
wrought upon the interests of the mercantile
class of the community. l favored its reduction
| to q fair standard, and am now in favor
| of such a measure. If political objects had
not entirely engrossed the attention of the ma
jority, subjects of this kind would have received
the attention due to them. tits not my fault that
this burden has not been removed, and Judge
| BRIEN speaks without authority, when he says,
that my reelection will cause the tax to be main
tained if not increased. shall, rs / have here
tofore done, attempt TO bring the majority of the
House of Representatives to the consideration of
business of this character. and divert it from the
pernicous work of partizan prescription. If this
| can be done the tax will be modified.
The speech dwells with much JUNCTION upon the
evils of disorganizatiOn, which is charged to my
self and my retiring colleagues. This is matter
referred tothe peopel The evil of the legislation
contemplated by the majority, in my Judgment.
| oVershadowed everything else. My course was
taken to prevent that, and my conscience is clear
| that no man can truthfully impute to me the
| spirit or the conduct of a factionist.
Any insnuations touching my loyalty to the
Union of the States under the Constitution; my
attachment to the welfare and prosperity of the
government; my devotion 10 the true interests Of
the State and all Of its people; my zeal for the
preservation of free institutions. I cannot cOnde-
scend to reply to, come they from what source
they may. Respectfully.
W. b. LEWIS