Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1866-03-02
THE CONVENTION. Il


the 22d ult and regret that our limited space will
not permit us to give tine entire proceedings as pub
iished in the Nashville papers. The meeting was
presided over BY Hon. Henry Cooper Of Bedford,
assisted by number Of vice-Prcsidents, apd for
talents, numbers, unanimi,y and patriotism has
not been surpassed by any similar body, in the
history Of the State The speeches on the occas-
ion, and the letters from absent delegates, ail
breaihed, the snne spirit and looked to the same
fgreat end-Union and paciGcniion. The effect
upon the whole country must be saut,ry, and we
indulge the hope that, even in Tennessee, it will
not fail to arouse better feeling and lead to wiser
counsels:
The Committee on Resolutions appeared and
through their Chairman, Mr.. Baxter, reported the
following as the result of their deliberations;
The friends Of the Union, apd Of the National
Administration, have deemed the recurring ami
versary Of The birthday Of the Father Of his Coun.
try, to be proper occasion on which to assemble
in Mass Convention, for the purpose of declaring
their continued devotion 10 he Federal Gonstitu-
tion, and the Federal Union; and of proclaimiug
. their earnest approval of the. policy adopted by
! President johnson in his patriotic efforts to pre-
serve the Constitution, and to re-estsb blish the
whole country, the blessings of permanent peace
and of republican freedom. Such celebration of
the day is rendered peculiarly appropriate in view
of the extraordinary resistance made by Congress
to the restoration of the Southern States to an
equal participation in the benefits of the Union ;
and in view of the fact that small portion of the
people Of Tennessee, possessed of an accidental
} influence ia the government are giving encour-
agement to that spirit Of sectional hnatacism in
Congress which has threstenei to paralyze the arm
of the Federal Executive, aud which persists in
holding the Federal tnOa in state Of virtual dis
} solution.
The people of Tennessee are excluded from the
benefits of the Union upon the unfounded assu.np-
ton that they are not sufficiently loyal to be ad-
mitted to representation in the two Houses of
Congress. The delegates to this Convention, re-
presenting the great body of the people Of the
State, embracing as we'll those who participated
in and sympathized with the rebellion as those
; whose loyalty to the Union was never questioned,
come forward 10 place upon the record their united
testimony against the truth of this imputation of
disloyalty made against the people of the State.
Upon the surrender of the Southern armies, the
people of Tennessee accepted the result as con-
elusive settlement of the issues involved in the
war. By the act Of laying down their arms and
surrenderiig ig to their victorious enemies the
! Southern soldiers acknowledged their defeat and
pledged their honor not again to renew the con-
men. They returned to their homes, resumed their
peaceful avocations and have distinguished them
selves by the zeal and energy with which they
have prosecuted their various pursuits.
The result had established the indcstructibility
Of the Union, by means Of separate State seces-
sion, and hence that the several States which had
sought to form new confederacy, had never been
withdrawn from the Federal Union. In this re-
suit the people of Tennessee acquiesced unhesi-
taiingly, and have waited patiently for the adop-
ton of such measures a. would restore them to
their former rights in the Union. In the mean
time they have submitted, without complaint "a
all the terms and conditions imposed upon them As
citizens of State lately in rebellion; and have
complied with all the requisitions by which their
sincere loyalty to the Constitution and the Union
could be made manifest.
The delegates to this convention with full
knowledge of their responsibility do not hesitate
to affirm that the people Of Tennessee were never
at any former time, more sincerely anxious fol-
the preservation of good order and the restoration
of civil law, nor more earnestly united in their
, determination to support defend and preserve
a the Constitution and the Union against all as
saults, open or concealed, domestic or foreign
y than they are at the present time. They are as
a ready now as they ever were in days gone by, or
as are the people Of any other State in the Union
to pledge their fortunes, their lives, and their
honor in defence OF the Constitution and the
: ln declaring their willingness to maintain the
Constitution, they desire to be understood as re-
a cognizing the late amendment, forbdding the ex
isence Of involuntary servitude, as part sthereof
IS and as avowng their determination to give to that
o clause an honest and sincere support. They art
s prepared to aid in extending to the free persons
!. of color such protection as shall secure to then
y the undisturbed enjoyment Of all the blessings o
e freedom; and of conceding 10 them all the civi
d and political rights that may be compatible Will
the best interests of both races. They insist how
ever that this subject belongs exclusively to th'
people of the state and that the has not beer
70 transferred to Congress by the amendment afore
4 said. They are satisfied that whenever all extra
neous influences are withdrawn, the relations be
tween the two races will be established upon prin
N ciples of justice that will be mutually sasfactor
is and beneficial.
e. Entertaining these sentiments the people Of Ten
os nessee, with unprecedented unanimity, hav
observed with unaffected admiration, the wise AM
Of patriotic efforts, made by President johnson, 4
&c secure an early and complete restoration OF tn
te Southern States to the Union. By the liberal ex
. ercse of Executive clemency, he has shown tina
y" he understands and appreciates the plighted fait
G" of brave men, and by reposng in them this ger
o. erous confidence he has won their hearts, an
TX renders their pledge OF loyalty doubly sure nc
only in securing their jealous support Of the UnoI
n but in overcoming sectional antpahes, and in re
e. storing sentiments Of federation and fraternity be
nd tween those who we've lately public enemies.
er The people of the Southern States had res
pondcd so promptly and efficiently to wise spgges
w tons and the liberal policy Of the President ths
ed when the present Congress assembled most of th
do States, lately in rebellion had complied with tn
re terms and conditions upon which their restoratio
to the Union was to be consumated. NothiD
'u was then wanting for the eectuating OF the gres
gh work of re-est ibshng the union Of all the State
, | except the approval by Congress Of the polio
adopted and carried out by the President. TIL
approval was withheld BY dominant majority
IAs Congress, who have thereby repudiated tt
ir- policy of the President, ignored the existence
is the Southern States, repelled the Senators an
Representatives from the two halls Of Coz
as gress, and usurped the powers to govern Ii
M Southern States as conquered provinces. As II
to make their usurpation more elaringly revolution
ary, this dominant majority instead Of acting
nat accordance with the provisions Of the Constit'
at tion, in the matter OF admitting the Southern r
r. presentation, "abidicatcd that high position, an
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