Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-03-14


fered by the majority, was ever called u
bv the minority for action. Always
their ulace, and intent only upon meas
ures OF necessary legislation for the Pre-
2 lection Of the financial aud commefcla
; interests Of the State, they deprecate
and protested against All the action OF tl
majority, looking alone, as il did, .
measures Of prescription and persecution
eliminating in this bill, Revolutionary Il
its character, and subyersive alike Of tn
character and peace of the Government
Finally, they were compelled, as q las
reqqyf, 10 saus tie liberties Qf the people
lmperilled by measures like these, 10 re
siun their ats and return 10 the peOpl
4 lie trust committed 10 their charge.
} have thus, as briefly as was conssi
tent with pefspicuity, presented TO y0l
the circumstances under which TIN
bin was presented for our action, anI
which made our retirement imperative
and have alluded in few words 70 th'
prominent features which rendered thi
measure 50 odious. My duty would bt
ilv performed, however, did / fail L
advert 10 other circumstances, which
stamp this particular measure with
peculiar infamy ] allude TO its CON
neeiion. direct and immediate, with
other measures nov constituting the
! developed programme Of the radical
party in Tennessee programme not
Z wholly concocted IN Tennessee, how
ever, but originating in part in Wash
I ingtOI, among those whom the Presi-
l dent has had occasion so recently and
50 bitterly 10 deuOunce as cOnspiring 10
disturb or destroy the integrity of the
/ Union, aud 10 prevent the etiectuatiOn OF
Z his long cherished policy of restoration.
/ To those who have made themselves IA
miliar with the legislation Of our State
during the present session, this pro-
gramme is now known TO consist Of four
distinctive measures, uOtcOtemp9raneOus
in their iutraductiOn-fUr that would
have given alarm, and, perhaps, have
defeated the plot-but brought forth one
ata time the introduction of the one
following, except in the two last upon
the passage OF the other-the four com
bined calculated and designed 10 place
and continue the whole power Of the
state, financial and political, in the hands
OF The now dominant party.
Let us glance briefly for fear I shall
detain YOU too long, at these measures,
in the order in which they have been in,
tr0duced.
The first is the one commonly known
rs the Negro Testimony Bill, ~ or in
the language Of its title, the Bill 70
render persons OF Indian and African
descent competent Witnesses in the courts
Of tie State, aud for other purposes"
This bill was introduced into the House
and passed into a law, If / remember
rightly, and 1 am certain do not mis-
take, before either of the other
bills, Of which I shall presently
speak, in the form in which they
finally were passed, OF sought 10 be
passed, were introduced. The Bank of
Tennessee question, and the franchise
question, had both been before the
Legislature, but not IN the obiectiOna-
bic shape in which they now stand,
and Ia which, as connected with other
measure, they now constitute the
radical programme. They were both
"veEel questions and had properly
engaged the attention of the members
of the Legislature, but lad assumed,
up to the lme Of the Introduction
Of the negro testimony bill, no de-
structive, and certainly no partisan
shape. The negro testimony ball sim
ply rendered cOmpetent, as witnesses,
in 81 the courts Of the Stale, and in all
cases, Indians and negroes, formerly,
by special statute, excluded from the
diti0n of the negro occasi0ned hy the
war, was rendered necessary alike as a
matter of principle and policy, and be-
ing then disconnected with any other
measure, received my support. Had the
other measures with which it is now
sought 10 be connected f0r partisan pur-
poses been then developed, ! am free 10
adnit that / should have withheld that
support. The connection Of this bill
with, and its bearing upon, other meas
ures Of the programme, will be apparent
as We proceed.
The next measure in the development
OF the purposes Of the dominant party
was the Bill tp WiHd up the affairs of
the bank OF tennessee Under the
provisions Of this bin the Governor |
6f the State il empowered 20 appoint siX
directors To take charge, WithOul bOnd ar
surety ~ gli the assets o. tho bank, and |
Wh0 d3e directed to cause 10 be made an
immediate assignment Of all its assets TO !
trustees, to secure, first, % the "schQgl l
fund.- Sl, 800, 900, and then q pay pro rata
o. the residue of IL assets to its creditors. !
The school fund.- thus ordered Ia he
made the primary preferred creditor, |
was, by the charter of lhe bank passed I'M
lss7, made 2 stOqkholder IN tho bank, /
aud the fund itself pledged by solemn |
enactm6ut OT the Legislature 10 the |
support Of the bank" The bill 10 wind |
up the affairs Of the bank, thea places 1
tie Stale Of yepul4sus, through its /
L-egisiGi,ae, IN the attitude Of an en-
bsfTassed, il not insolyent QorHaration, /
endeayoring to make an asaIgimeDt g; I
its effects, ~ vnIqn i sesl;s to secure
tirsf one, and The chief one, Of its stock /
holders, and this at the expense of the |
faith Of the State. This assign
ment thus made, IL Gats admitted on the
floor OF the Senate by the author Of the
bill, a lawyer of ability, would be fraud
ulent and void, aud would be 50 declared
By the courts of the country, and set
aside. For what purpose, then, had
such 4 bill an origin . aud what was in
tended to be accomplished by it, Let
,hgSe who have considered the de-
atructive tendencies Of The wild, mad
faction who seem careless Of cOnse-
lueuces so That they continue them
selves in place and power, determine.
The assignment declared fraudulent
and void, and sct aside BY the courts,
ruinous and protTaeied litigation ensues,
and app0intees fatten, while the poor
note holder and deposition, who have
placed their all in the Bank Of Ten
neszee ~ because " the faith OF the State
Is pledged To IFS support % or have laid
by its notes because The law made them
receivable fOr taXe-, sigh vainly over
their losses, OccasiOued hy their implicit
cOnhdeuCs ia the piighted faith Of the
state Of tennessee. But not to be tedi- ]
Gus, let us look 20 the next succeeding
measure Of the programme, the oneWhich I
has disrupted the Legislature, and sent
eighteen OF its members home 10 their /
peopit-ihe franchise bill offered by
the gentlemen from Rutherford and Bed /
lord, sired by the Secretary Of State, /
doubtless with the approval uf His Ex-
cellency, the Governor, who isgraclousIv
pleased 10 term my associates and NV
self factiOus dis0rgauizers and FsVoIu- /
tionists. My did Methodist and Wing |
friend ought not to cal me such hard /
names, bat / suppose ] may bear itwhile |
he associates me in such cater0ries with
my venerable friend iram Davidson, the
" Kitchen Cabinet OF the Old Hero. l
whose sentiment "Jhe Federal Union, II
must be preserved would have immOr-
taliEcd him bad the battle Of New Or |
leans never been fought have alluded
heretofore TO some of the uncon-
sdtutional and obnoxious features Of this
bill. In this connection, / propose 20
touch bat IRsn one, aud this IN reference
to its connection with the negro testi-
mony bill. IN section - cf tha fran-
chise bill, il Is UgoviGud that the Com |
missioner Of registration shall have
power apd authority TO inrodube testi- l
mony to prove the disloyalty of any one
applying for certificate Of registration
10 voting. Why this pro-
vision my lord Secre,ay2 Have yo1not
already trenched upon the liberties and
dearest rights Of the people Ear enough /
in your bill d sDpRlinations,u 6v
eXelndlng nearly every homes. laan In |
the State from the ballot box, that Vol
thus pGcVla5 f0r pJoUiBg out all me
residue even who can't swallow your
dynasty? What is the intention Of tbis
section, fellow ycitizens? Let ussee. Vo,
apprOach the Commissioner q Reyisfra-
ton, friend 3, 70 qualify yourself TO ex-
eroise the right or privilege Of suffrage
You are known publicly 20 he, and al
ways 10 have been an unconditional
Union man - more than the Governor or
or any one 0f the radical crew
can claim, II the pirate records of the
country were searched)i or you bring
with you two friends, who are srrh, 70
prove what is pot lgaFizlE Known. All
right II you design 70 vote for the Gov
ernOr or The Secretary, or aE they wish.
But suppoae that IA The exercise Of what
you have been taught to believe was
your privilege y0u have thought or said
you would vote otherwise. VODF friand.