Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1866-01-18
Emerson Ether1dge for
the Presid ent's Policy.

JODn ~. Terrytlidti, LsQ' OcaA
Sir: / have your favor of yester-
day, calling my attention to the
following in a Philadelphia news
paper:
EMERSON ETHERIDGE.-Emerson
Etheridge is in Washington, 1t as
said, doing his uttermost 10 weak
IN thecase OF the Tennessee claim
hts to seats in Congress of the
United States. Notwithstanding
this, however, the feeling ia favor
of these excellent men continues
TO increase among the Republican
members"
The statement is untrue. | am
now, as have been from the first,
in favor of admitting the members
from Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Geol gia, Florida,
Alabama, Mississippi and Texas,
in each Of which Representatives
have been elected under the wise
and liberal policy of the President.
And, since the meeting of Con-
gress, for public reasons satisfacto-
ry to myself, | have urged the adj
mission of the entire delegation
from Tennessee, although some of
the applicants from that State
were not elected; were not the
choice of the legal voters of the
district they claim to represent,
but were in fact appointed by
Brownlow and the agency of ne
gro bayonets, the outrage being
sanctioned only by his petty asso-
ciates and a few renegade Rebels
who have disgraced every cause
they have espoused. Some other
applicants, however, from that
State are the choice of their con-
stituents and, therefore, fit to rep
resent them. They were elected,
despite the efforts of Brownlow
and the military satraps who aided
him, and, if admitted to their seats,
viii do honor to the people by
whom they were chosen. At this
time, however, would gladly see
them all indicted into office,
thereby ending, | trust, forever,
the complicated, exciting, and dan
gerous question. The opinion
here expressed | have frankly a.
vowed to all who have asked my
views. have not, it is true,
thrust my opinion upon any one.
Indeed, during my stay in the city,
/ have not visited the Capitol, nor
have interchanged visits with any
Senator or Representative, save
from the State of Kentucky.
Those who attempt to make the
impression that am opposed to
the liberal and comprehensive pol
icy which the President has In
augurated to restore representa-
ton to the States first above-nam-
ed, are themselves the secret enc
my of both the President and his
purposes; they will soon be the
public, as they now are the private
allies Of Sumner & Co. The mes
sage of the President had been
plainly foreshadowed by his acts
and conversations. / cordially
approved the automatic truths
therein so frankly avowed; and,
without reference to the opinions
or wishes of any one, / shall con-
slider it an imperative duty, and
in no spirit of captious criticism,
to give his policy hearty support
in the impending conflict-a con-
fict which | regard as inevitable,
unless the President, contrary to
all just expectation, should aban-
don the principles Of the message
for the dangerous dogmas of his
Radical enemies. This he can
not do without public and person
al dishenor. He has made and
accepted issues thus far boldly; he
will be sustained, finally, by mil
lions of just and liberal men who
SO fully comprehend the response
= bilities and complications inherl-
ted from his unfortunate prede-
cessor.
The President knows that the
people of the insurgent States ac-
cepted in good faith the results OF
the war; theyhave done SO with
the same courage and fortltude
they SO signally displayed through
out the contest. This cheerful-ac
quiescence in results they were
powerless to avoid may be incom-
prehensible to mean natures and
little souls. And though they