Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1866-03-08
,FlYETTEViLLE, TENN:
Thursday Morning, March s, 1861
legislative.

QoaO LOCK IN the HOUSE, IWcIity
members have resigned, Mr.. Bed
soc, of this county, among the
number, leaving that body with
out a stitutional quorum. The
cause of this extraordinary move
ment is briefly given by the Nash
vile Banner: 2st l5z ~
The truth of the matter is very
simple. A gang of ultra office
holders, desiring to retain their
offices perpetually, contrived a
measure by which the great body
of the people to whom they owe
allegiance is to be disqualified for
free suffrage. This new measure
does not propose to invest the
blacks with any additional privi-
lege, but to deprive the whites OF
Inherent possessions. 1t is not
founded on any principle of pollt-
ical economy, except the Maclli-
avelism, that you have a place,
that it is your chief business to
keep it, by fair means if you can,
by foul means if you cannot.
No one supposes that the rag
tag and bob-tail which make up
the majority of the Capitol could
keep their places after the people
have chance to get at them. UNI
less they do SO by some cunning
device, some stupendous fraud;
and, we may add as coroliary,
that no one is SO imbecile as to
imagine that they are too honest
for such malpractices.
The Franchise bill. which has
brought about the present lock
jaw, is certainly as infamous a
proposition as was ever concocted
by plundering rogues TO manacle
the hands of a free people. 1t is
simply a desperate and unprincl-
pied scheme on the part OF wicked
men, who do not rise to the digni-
ty of politicians, for holding on to
few paltry stalls in the public
crib, at the expense of every body
but themselves.
The minority, which, with few
exceptions, comes directly from
the people, its members for the
most part having been elected to
fill occasional vacancies. is repre-.
sentative and speaks for the mass
es. Finding that this wholesale
prescription could only be proven.
ted by retiring from the Halls that
were to be discharged, the repre-
sentatives of the people, acting
under their guidance and sane.
ton, withdrew. The House is
thus left without a quorum.
! This is the case in brief: Force
attempted to riot over right, and
has met, for the present, at least.
defeat. We know. not what vlo'
lence the Radicals may resort to
next, but this we do know
that nothing which they can d.
will be able to secure them against
the wrath to come. They may
writhe and they may wrigg.e, but
the snake is pinned to the wall.
and every conclusion hastens the
final, the inevitable result.
Below we print the main fea'
lures of the Franchise bill:
Sec. /. Be 1t enacted by the GEN.
eral assembly Of the State Of Ten.
nessee, That every white male in.
habitant of this State, of the age
of twenty-one years, . citizen OF
the United States, and resident
of the county wherein he may of.
fer his vote, six months next pre-.
ceding the day of election. shall
be entitled to the privilege of the
elective franchise, subject 10 the
following exceptions, to wit:
First. Said voter shall have new.
er borne arms against the Govern.
ment of the United States, for the
purpose of aiding the late rebel
lion, nor have voluntarily given
aid, comfort, countenance, counsel,
or encouragement to any rebellion
against the authority of the Uni.
ted States Government, nor have
aided, countenanced or encouraged
acts of hostility thereto. p
Second. That said voter shall
have never sought, or voluntarily
accepted any office, civil or militia
ry, or attempted to exercise the
functions of any Office, civil on
military, under the authority of
the so-called Confederate States Of
: America ~. of6o,,v ;,,c,,rroefinna.