The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-06-26

Tuesday Morning, June 26, 1855.

Tho First TO Bow the Knee.
With a haste that would be indie
cent in any other official, the old
sinner who tyrannizes over the peo-
pie of Tennessee has issued his pro-
eiamation, convening The ''so-called'
Legislature of that unhappy State to
meet on the Fourth Of July next, for
the purpose of ratifying the odious
:. CONSTITUTIONAL alamendment just passed
by Congress.
The black and malignant concep-
; ton Of desecrating the political Sab
bath of the country, by assembling
his mongrel crew of radicals on that
day, for the purposes indicated,
could not have been hatched in any
.-other hrain-outside oi Thad. Ste
vens' penitentiary-than that of
Brewnlow's. In ordinary times, and
for ordinary political purposes, it
would be deemed shame to have
: commenced a session Of any Legisla-
ture on that day; but when the pur-
pose is to prostitute once noble
State and people before the idols
erected by Thad. Stevens and his
followers, the execration of every
, true man, woman and child in the
Southern States, will be coupled, if
they speak of him at all, with the
name of William G. Brownlow.
On that day-the -Four ttiil of July
ninety years ago, the fathers of that
revolution which brought civil and
religious freedom to the then colonies
of England, signed declaration of
rights, which has become immortal
lied throughout the world, and which
will be held in sacred remembrance
7as long as liberty has a dwelling
place upon the earth. And now,
not a century has elapsed, when
some of the degenerate heirs and
inheritors of the priceless boon
, bequeathed to- them, are to assem-
= BILE md desecrate the day, by sign
ing G'cay The rights their fore-fathers
asserted, and for which the blood of
patriotic thousands were shed during
the eight years struggle for liberty
and national independence. This
recreant Governor intends, if posi-
BILE, to place the people of Tennessee
under worse tyranny than that ex-
ercised by Great Britain in 1776-we
mean the tyranny and despotism of
the unprincipled faction, who control
the legislative department of the
Government, and who crown their
series of oppressive measures against
the South by this insulting and de-
grading amendment" to the Consti-
tuition of the United States. We
trust in God that such an appendix
will never sully the pages. of that
glorious instrument.
That our readers may understand
the views of this radical Governor
which, Of course, are the views of his
Legislature-we extract the following
paragraphs from the body of his pro-
clamation:
In view of the rebellious conduct
of SO many of our people, and the
= treachery of those who controlled her
action, Congress has deemed it neces-
sary to require of us certain condi-
tions precedent as guarantees for our
future loyalty. To this end, it has
been deemed necessary, to the Sc
curity of She whole country, that the
State Legislature should ratify GER
tain amendments to the Constitution
of the United States, which may be
briefly stated as follows:
1. Equal protection of all citizens
in the enjoyment of life, liberty and
property.
2. That classes who are disfran-
chised without crime shall not be
taken into account in fixing the basis
Of Federal representation
3. That certain persons who have
proved themselves dangerous to the
peace of the country shall not be eli
gible to Office.
4. The validity of the national