Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-09-21
FRIDAY. sEPTElTHER n. Isce.
Conservatism in the Fourth District.
Mass Ratification Meeting at
TfGJJGItOHta.
Speeches by Hon. Ed. Cooper, and A.
S. COlyar, Esq.

Correspondence Of the Union and Amcrican.I
TULLAHoMA, Sept IS 1861 was on,
OF vast concourse Of people assembled
here to-day, from the several surrounding
counties in Mass Convention, 10 Fatify TIE
action Of the Philadelphia National Union
Convention, and of listening TO the exposi-
tion Of the Presidents policy from one who
has been an inmate Of his household for
many nonths-Hon. ED. COOPER, who has
the confidence Of this people to greater ex-
tent than perhaps any other man in the
District. lt was a regular old-fashioned
gathering Of the real people-the taxpayers
and bona fde citizens Of the State, and would
have reminded You Of the good old tines
The meeting was organized with Hon. JOHN
r. THOMAS as President, and number Of
Vice Presidents and Secretaries.
Hon. i. COOPER delivered an oration-it
was no mere 'speech"-ene Of the most DOW
eriul, chaste and effective have ever listened
10. In elevated patriotism, its appeals for
peace and maintenance Of the Union and
constitutional liberty, were in striking con
lrast with the speeches Of those who are en-
deayoring TO stir up anger and hatred in the
North against their own people II ought
10 be printed and circulated broadcast both
in the North and South.
Mr.. COOPER was followed bv A. s. CoT,-
VAR, Esq, in a thorough arraignment of the
present State dynasty for their corruption,
ialsehood and tyranny. After reviewing
their efforts TO precipitate another war. he
proceeded:
The close Of the war found these Radicals
IN power. What has the Governor done
What has been his policy, and how have the
people acted2 In the coarsest and most
vulgar language has he continually hurled
has anathemas against the people. Procla-
nation after proclamation has he issued. in
which he has encouraged the killing of the |
men whom Generals GRANT and SHERMAN |
had sent home with a protection In their |
pockets. Time and again, through his |
newspaper, and by various other means 1
have the lawless and vicious been notified in |
advance that they would be pardoned ifthev |
Killed rebels. All his messages to the Leg /
islature have encouraged, and in fact COM
manded the degradation and disgrace Of the
people by legislation. In open defiance of /
the Constitution, which gives to the people
the right 10 elect their judges, comforting np,
on the Governor the limited and well-euard-
ed right Of appointing a judge to fill va
eancy until an election can be had, he has
usurped the power and claims the right Of
controlling the question, and has suppressed
the PROVISIONS Of the Constitution, and abol-
ished all elections lie has appointed 20 Of
ton OF power or warrant in the Constitution;
lie has not only abolished all elections and
appointed judges to Office 70 hold indefnite-
~, but he has absolutely assumed 10 remove
Judges when they decided questions against
his will
By way Of punishment 10 particular To-
calilies for nearly whole year he has de-
clined either to appoint Judges or allow
elections 10 be held, and, thus encouraged
the military authorities TO arrest those who
were known to be opposedito him, giving as
reason that there were no courts TO deal
with them. These men, peaceable and law
abiding as any in the State, upon the mere
pretext as afterwards discovered Of the
most trivial oaenses, have been thrown in
prison and kept for weeks, without warrant
and without charges, and finally turned
loose without charges and without their |
ever being informed Of the cause of their
arrest The men, some Of them, live in |
THIS nelghborhOOd and are here to-day 10 |
indorse the truth of what | say, and this ;
whole community know the facts. 4
Under the dictation OF himself and his
corrupt Secretary Of State, an ignorant, IL
liierate and stupid Legislature, 10y no means I
responsible, because many Of them are the :
most grossly ignorant men in the whole
State,) were used 10 exclude many of the I
they did not like their politics. These IL j
literate men we're actually made to believe a
that they were the judges, not only Of the e
"clections' and Qualifications" ofmembers. 4
terms defined in the ConsttutiOn-but they r
were so omnipotcnt so powerful, that they a
could determine the ftlcss Of one of the peo-
pies own representatives and exclude him a
from the halls of Legislature and deny him a
his seat, because they did not like his poll "
tics; and so the Senators and Representa- It
uve5 representing perhaps one-half OF two a
thirds OF the taXables Of the whole State, q
were sent back home, because Radicals did Il
not like their politics. Many Of them, the r
most thorough and certainly the best tried Il
Union men in the State-men who had p
fought through the whole war on the Union
side-these men have been thus sent back Il
home, and their constituents have been Il
enormously taxed, and other burdens more p
than they are able 10 bear imposed upon n
them, without being allowed 10 speak or Sc
vote through their representatives. u
This Radical faction Of the Legislature m
in violation OF the Constitution, represent d
ing nobody, holding their seats, beyond all fl
question, against the will OF the people, hy IA
the force Of the bayonet-because in ranv Il
places where the form Of an election was had. ri
the people were told that il they did not IA
ence Of BRowNLow and FLETCHER, have M
almost the entire population Of in
the State. They have created for ali the &C
cities Of the State military organizations, bs
with power to take control Of the hallot-box te
on election days, not only, in the cities but ou
all over the State, appointing as many men Of
as they choose on these days. with the power m
Of oonstables and with the express authority st
20 arrest whom they please without warrant, ha
anywhere IN the State. Some Of them are M
lawyers, generally without clients and some Of
nf them are what is known among the legal
profession as "teasers," that is not having Jo
The hardihoOd 20 undertake a case them ha
selves, they hire themselves out to some an
iirty lawyer to tease gentlemen out Of fees, ar
hey getting part, and under the hope Of ne
making unwilling clients for themselves Ga
They were only prevented from passing a Gl
aw TO stop most Of the lawyers Of the State m'
rom practising their profession, by one of fro
he judges Of the Supreme Court telling see
hem that no such law could or would be ito
.ustsined by the courts. th'
Less than quorum, in utter disregard Of for
he plainest provision Of the Constitution, cot
hat "less than a quorum" shall do no bust da
hess, but may adjourn from day TO day-un- CO..
lertook 10 ratify, and pretend that they have NJ
-ahhed, the amendment proposed to the me
NttoAtANAtNA W AAt AAtttN fNAAttrs a l4lNA- ] "a-
'ure which had never been canvassed. which OF
vas not before the country when they took ms
heir seats, and which they knew ninety-nine dis
lut Of every hundred men in the State were on
opposed 20. A measure Of more vital im- opl
10 the people Of the State than any an'
hat was ever presented 10 them either in by
leaoe or war. And the whole people ef the vic
State are insuited by this miserable faction,
less than Quorum" who had no more pa
,ower to legislate than Dan Rice's Circus, ag'
,laimihg and proclaiming that they have, hos
or, and ON behalf OF the people, adopted thi
his amendment Of the Constitution Of the pal
United States, an amendment by which Ev
nearly all The public men Of the State are TO mi
be constitutionally degraded. tin'
Think for a moment Of The enomity OF bul
his outrage, Of the hideousness and orimi- owl
laliiy Of the insult, and Of the shameless as
md heartless trcachery Of men who, ,tand. but
ng in the place Of representatives, can be san
ither driven or hired 90 80 unblushingly wo
'etray the people and sell their honor, and haI
mortgage their freedom, hartering away all