Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1866-12-09

GOV. PERRY-s ENTERTAINMENT
AND SUFFRAGE A CONSTETU-
TEONAL CONVENTION.
The Charleston Is. c. papers of the
9th inst contain letter from ex- Governor
PERRT on the subject of the political stu
alton il is in reply to one Of CHARLES
W. WooDwARD, Of Philadelphia. He
quotes as follows from letter addressed
to him by Mr. GREELEY: In my judg-
ment, the true basis Of settlement Of all
our troubles is universal amnesty, with
impartial suffrage. In other words, |
would have all disabilities, because Of re-
bellion and because Of color, utterly and
absolutely abolished and looming to the
point) I strongly hope and trust that a
settlement on tbs basis viii be made at
Washington this winter.
Gov. PERRY objects to impartial or uni
versal suffrage, because, he says, the
Southern people viii never consent to il,
as It would degrade the right Of suffrage
and demoralizc the Government and So
ciety." lie also objects to the property
or intelligence qualification, because it
would admit some negroes to the ballot
box, while it would disfranebise many
competent white men. On this point he
says, with great force and truth:
every Southern man knows that there
are a great many men Of substance and
character in the Southern States who can
not read and write, and especially old men.
They are men of Intelligence, patriotism
and excellent judgement, and as capable OF
exercising prudently the right Of suffrage
as any one, no matter how well educated
he may have been. They have enjoyed
this right, too, throughout their manhood,
and valued il as sacred and inestimable
1t is well known, too, that there are hun.
dreds Of thousands of young men in the
/ Southern States who were gallant soldiers
and officers in our army, destitute of thu
| property qualification requisite 10 entitle
them to vote They have been well edu-
Gated, and are the sons Of many Of our mos
respectable citizens, and some Of them have
been Colonies and Generals in the Confed
crate army. Are they, with all their re-
1 spectability, virtue, education and distinc
ton, to be DISTINGUISHED by this compro
mise and placed upon an equality with th'
negro, or below him, as to the right Of suf
frage?"
He continues, however:
'1f the proposed compromise simply en-
franehised negroes, who could read an,
write, and had a property qualification
without DISTINGUISHING white persons, i
might, with reason and propriety, be &C
coded 10 by the Southern States. Their,
is sound philosophy, public policy and
justice in permitting, as they do in some Q
the Northern States, negroes to vote VIII,
have property qualification, and can rea,
and write II would be a stimulus {
their good conduct and elevation, morally
and intellectually. 1t would be a safety
valve TO their superior intelligence and in
dustry.p ...
Gov. PERRY further argues that t
couple amnesty with the suffrage PROPOSE
ton, is no sufficient inducement to tn
South, and adds Exclusion from Cor
gress is no great vital sacrifice for tn
Southern people to make We should b
in hopeless minority at present il gu
members had their seats, and they eoul
do nothing for their constituents or tn
country" lie contends that we shout
devote all our energies to the materii
Improvement of the South, and abando
politics, until times are more propitiou
and there is a returning sense of iustic
at the North .Er
! Not however despairing Of the coun
try, but stll trusting to the intelligenc,
virtue and patriotism Of the America
people, be closes with the following in
dorsement Of the proposal for the nationu
convention Of all the States
'Tt possible that a national convention
Of the States, composed of their best an
wisest and greatest men, might revise on
Federal Constitution, and adjust all diff
culties between the two great sections o
the Tepublic If such proposition wa
made by the North, the South would &C
cede TO it. This grand tribunal woult
command the respect Of both sections, an
be worthy Of settling all difficulties betweel
thirty-six sovereign States. The associa
ton Of wise, patriotic and virtuous men
from all parts Of the country, convened 70
the purpose Of restoring peace and har
mony TO the nation, would have to b
submitted 10 the States for their adoption
and be ratified by three-fourths Of them
before il becomes a part Of the Fedora
Constitution. If twO-thirds of the Stat,
Legislatures win make the application fol
such a convention, the Constitution makes j
imperative on Congress TO order its as
sembling."