The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-05-17
Public Meeting in Greene CO
A public meeting Of citizt


Public Meeting in Greene County.
A public meeting Of citizens of
Greene and adjoining oountieg vas held
at GreeneVille on the Tth inst Major
John McGaughey presided, and Saml
II. Baxter and James Britton acted as
Secretaries. Speeches were made by
Bedford Brown, Esq, and Rev. John P.
Holtsinger. The following resolutions
were adopted:
Resolued, That our fellow citizen Andrew
Johnson, now President of the United
States, is entitled to our warmest thanks for
his bold stand for Constitutional liberty,
and in favor of the unbrOken perpetuity Of
the Union, and that our confidence in the
ability, integrity, patriotism and statesman
ship of President Johnson is undiminished,
and we approve the general policy of his
administration, and in the midst of the diff
cultes, which are without parallel il the
past history Of the country, ne has shown
himself a skilllul helmsman, and has safely
steered the ship of State through the Third
terrible ordeal which our country hes been
passing; and we now fully endorse the great
principle that " taxation and repreSen-
tation are inseparable," and we further
indorse the reconstruction policy of the
President, and his course in exercising
the veto power as to the two Bills, to-
wit :--' The Freedmea's Bureau Bill
and 0TRc CiVI Rights Bill" the last of
which passed by a two-thrds vote over the
veto, and vet we have an abiding confidence
that the masses of the people after full
understanding of the provisions Of the
"Civil Rights Bill'' will sustain the Pres-
dent in the views he has taken; and we
also endorse the doctrine that our State has
never been out of the Union since the adop-
ton of our Constitution in l776, and now
insist that our loyal Senators and Repre-
sentatives are just as much entitled to their
seats in the National Legislature, cs those
from Massachusetts or any other State and
We now pledge ourselves to sustain the
President Of the United States by all lawful
and honorable means within the oonstitu-
tonal scope Of American citizens, 80 long
ss he makes that sacred instrument his
"P0iGr STAR"
RcsoIUed That the right of fixing the
qualification Of voters exclusively belongs to
the States, and any attempt to exercise that
right by the law-making power of the Fed
eral Government, would be the exercise of
power not granted in the Constitution. In
the past history Of the country, no such
power has been claimed by Congress, and
in the opinion Of this meeting such thing
would BE- move in the direction of oonsolida
ton, and we 90 hope that no proposition 80
fraught with danger to the Union in the
future will be insisted upon.
ReS0iUed, That we endorse fully the policy
of the Federal Government in abolishing
slavery, and we now in the strongest possi-
bic terms recommend their colonization.
The Government of the United States has
unoccup.ed territory whore the Freedmen,
with all the guarantees of republican form
of government could form themselves into
a Safe or States in tho Union. If we allow
them (the Freedmen) to remain among us
theywill continue TO be a degraded people,
doomed to live practically in servitUde, and
We therefore recommend their removal. The
Government for the same reasons promptly
removed the Indians, whose mark Of separa-
tion was less Objectionable. Now, as tried
friends of the Union we call upon our
Northern friends who hold the power that
oantrols the action Of the Government, to
lay aside all pTejudices that may have been
hastily formed. They should calmly look
into the condition of their well tried
friends, who through the war, under the
foot Of the destroyer, stood firm as tho rock
OF Gibraltar for the Union. The crisis is
fraughI with danger, and it can only be
aNefteQ Dy prudent ana tlmely leglslatlon4
To allow the freedmen TO remain among us,
in the opinion Of this meeting, would be the
very worst thing that could happen 20
them, and would result in incalculable
troubles iu the future.
RcsolUed, ''That the Union must be and
remain one and indiYisible forever" that
The war for its preservation has been
brought to q successful and triumphant
close, and the Supremacy Of the law and
the Constitution have been fully yindicated,
and the rights Of the States, under the Con-
stitulion, maintained inviolaie.
RssolUcd, That ali the States in the Union
are entitled 10 q full representation in the
National Legislature, and such loyal mem
bers as are duly elected, having the qualif-
cations prescribed by law, are entitled 10
their seats in Congress Immediately and
without delay.