The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-04-14
lie eorernor,s speeIaI Message.
STATS or TINS, EXECUTIVE DEf T.,
NASHVILLE, April 18Th, 1866. }

| election Of county O4ncels " me % d
March the other special election Of TWEEN
| ty-four Representatives aud Two Sc atorl
Ia different parts Of the S ate. The result
Of these elections, carefully studied, viii
furnish YOU much instruction in the dis
charge Of your present duties. It will ap-
pear that the public safety absolutely re
( quires a thorough revision Of the present
1 suffrage laws.- While it is true that in
many counter in West Tennessee a very
/ creditable, and in some instances, q success
| full effort wCs made 70 execute the act OF
/ the 9Th Of June last, in some counties OF
that section, and in the greater portion Of
| Middle Tennessee, the law was totally dis
| regarded. In the county Of Davidson, for
| instance, where there has been 50 much
eiamor against the lev, charging that three
iourths Of the people were disfranchised by
u, the aggregate VOC exceeded, By over q
thousand, the average vote in county cleo
uons before the passage Of the law. Can
didates in many localities openly and pub
| licly based their claims 20 election upon
wounds received and losses incurred in the
cause Of rebellion, and were often successful.
In the special election nearly all Of those
who had by revolutionary conduct broken
up the Legislature and paralyzed the gov
I eminent were candidates for reelection,
under pledges 10 repeat their performances
unless the majority will yield ID them the
control Of your proceedings. With two ez-
I ceptions in West Tennessee, one in Middle
Tennessee, and two in East Tennessee they
have been returned by large majorities.
This result may well excite the apprehen-
sions Of the friends Of civil government II
shows that not only the revolving represen-
tatives, but their constituents, are ready TO
destroy the STATE government. The fear
expressed il my proclamation Of the Sd Of
March, that "our people have not sufficient
ly recovered from the demoralizing effects
Of the late rebellion 10 appreciate the bless
Ings Of peace" is thus painfully realized.
AS the legality and proPriety Of my pro-
clamation Of the Sd Of March in ordering
some Of the elections have been questioned
and may come incidentally before you in
determining the qualifications of the new
members, ] will present briefly the grounds
Of my action.
The constitution provides that "where
vacancies happen in either House, the Gov
ernor for the time being shall issue Writs Of
election 10 fill such vacancies" No psrtic
ular form Of vacating a seat is prescribed.
Il is sufficient if the seat is not occupied,
and no Legitimate excuse or reason given
for its remaining so. If a member wllfully
and persistently refuses 10 occupy his seat
and perform any Of the duties Of his place.
may be the duty Of the House 10 notify the
Executive when q vacancy happens, but
when the House is disorganized or not in !
session, it becomes his duty to know when |
10 act. Upon this construction If the con-
and this view Of my oficiai duty, |
I issued writs Of election to fill the seats Of |
those who had absented themselves from |
the House for the declared purpose Of dis |
il, and who had publicly pro-
claimed that they had Withdrawn from your
This much ] deem proper
10 say in justification Of my action. You
are the exclusive judges Of the qualification
and election Of your members, and l only
announce my own action and the reasons
which governed it, and refrain from any
as 10 the rights Of the
newly elected members. The extreme peril
Of the crisis in which we find ourselves |
will, however, justify me in calling your
attention 10 the fact that number of
are asking seats in your body IN
der pledge, endorsed by their constituents,
10 disorganize the Legislature by revolu-
.ionsry conduct. I therefore invite your
serious attention to the grave question it
presents.
The objections to a stringent suffrage law
are plausible, and made under the guise Of
equal rights and republican liberty but ex-
ftA AAAA9 VIII hAbM AnAh AAADnG MAANF Dul a ]
few months since, we're engaged in the work
Of destroy ing all government, and who sue
seeded in destroying our State government,
and only failed 10 destroy the national |
government by being Oyerpowered by force
)f arms, are not yet safe repositories Of the
elective franchise. 1t is not a question as
10 who shall be disfranchised, but as 10 who
shall be eafranchised. Those who com
nitted treason disfranchised themselves.
10 restore them at once 10 the right Of
suffrage is simply to hand over TO them
hat government which was organized in
ipite Of them upon the ruins of the one they |
lai destroyed. This is now what they de-
mand. The red handed maraude- who has
inflicted the most frightiul wounds upon
the body polite, claims that he, Of all
others, IS the proper surgeon TO heal them.
They claim the exclusive right TO destroy |
aud build up--to kill and to restore tc life. /
You alone, gentlemen, can dispose Of this |
question. In a crisis like this, we should /
adopt no timid course. Let us fearlessly /
perform our part, and leave the result 10 |
God. / invoke your prompt attention to |
this vital subject. We can have no hope |
that capital or loyal emigrants will come |
within our borders until they are assured |
Of protection against rebel rule. I am as
sured that the tide of emigration now flow |
ing INTO Missouri, is owing to the ample |
protection given to them in that State by |
the Acknowledgement Of the deatToyers Of |
law and order.
have been compelled, by a sense Of hu- |
manly, 10 direct the Comptroller to issue |
his warrant upon the Treasury for a cons d |
cradle sum, without any act of approPria- |
ton, 70 supply the convicts Of the Peniten- |
tlsry with the neeessaries Of life. ! am in |
formed that they are sgain in danger Of suf- |
6 = h. Sc ]
curing supplies on credit, relying upon you |
10 meet the payment. The Hospital for the |
Insune is in like necessitous circumstances, |
and the salaries Of the officers Of both insti
tions are unpaid. Your early action in re-
lief OF both is an absolute necessity.
! apprehend that sufficient provision has !
not yet been made to meet the July interest |
on the State debt proper, and upon the
bonds loaned 10 such railroads as may fail
to pay their coupons then falling due. /
recommend the temporary appropriation Of
the funds realized by the sale Of the specie
captured with the remains of the Bank Of
Tennessee for that purpose, without peTma- |
ncutly Withdrawing it from the school fund. |
After mature deliberation, have deter |
mined 20 recommend 10 your favorable con- |
sideration the remuneration Of loyal cit-
gems Of this State for losses sustained by
the occupation Of the country by the ma
tfanal armies. The passage Of the So
called ordinance Of secession, and the as
sumed transfer Of the State 20 the social ed
COnfederScy, placed Tennessee
in the attitude OF rebellion, and her people
in the position Of enemies 10 the national
government. The consequence was that |
upon the occupancy Of the Stale BY the !
uational forces, our people we're treated as
enemies, with but little discrimination be- !
tween the loyal and disloyal. Their lands |
and houses were occupied, their property
impressed or destroyed, and their provisions
consumed In East Tennessee this was
done from necessity, by an unsupplied
army, 10 an extent that reduced the peop'e
20 absolute suffering. Thus far the Federal
government, chasing Tennessee with the
rebel States, and unwilling TO assume
the losses incurred in the whole South, has
not regarded the applications Of our loyal
people for remuneration. 1 understand that
similar LOSSES by the citizens Of Indiana,
Pennsylvania and Ohio have been promptly
assumed, and yet the nation knows and the
world knows. that a more loyal people than
rbfse in Tennessee who remained steadfast
10 the national cause, through so long and
terrible an ordeal, are not 70 be found M the
Union. But / cannot ard will not lose con-
fdence in tho Justice and magnanimity OF
the American people. ] believe they will
yet chee.fully repay the loyal sufferers
among our people, many Of whom we're ae-
pTived Of their property by the nshonai
forces, while they were themselves absent
fighting for the national cause. But you,
gentlemen, can afford present relief, rely
Jog upon the General Government hereafter
to assume and pay these just and meritori-
Gus claims.
! recommend that proper officers be ap-
pointed % ascertain and audit those claims,
and that the bonds Of the State of denomi-
nations from $50 20 Sl00 be issued in pay
ment. / am aware that this proposition
will meet with fierce opposition from those
who would give preference to the millions
of debt contracted by the usurped State
Government, or by Rebel Quartermasters.
am also aware that objection will come
from q better class upon the ground Of 50
considerable an increase Of the state debt
but IL the American people are Just, they
will assume the amount long before u falls
due, and, upon principle treat the suffering
loyalists Of Tennessee, as they have treated