The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-05-10
War against the Union.


mastery to excluding Southern representatives
from the floor of Congress alone nor to dicta-
ting policy, and perhaps nominations by their
agents, to Republican State Conventions, as
was brazenly effected in Pennsylvania by the
Secretary of the Senate and the clerk of the
House of Representatives, nor yet to forcing
by menace, cajolery, or .chicane, the official
machinery at Washington and throughout the
nation, in direction hostile to the Admins
| tration.
The leading business of the star-chamber d.
rectory of late has been, to procure, to the ex-
tent OF its ability, disfranchisement of the
masses of the people in several States Of the
Union. Referring to the accomplishment of
that object in Tennessee, the Albany Aryus
says that "the Legislature, led on by the ruff
fan Governor Brownlow, has, after eApelling
enough of its members to secure majority
and intimidating others by threats and actual
bodily violence, succeeded in passing law
by which the ballot-box is closed to nine
tenths Of the people of Tennessee.
THE oligarchy of one-tenth, who now pro-
pose to govern Tennessee, have entered upon
their reign of terror and corruption. But in
the midst of their triumph trouble awaits
them. The people of East Tennessee have
of the State They desire separate system
of plumber and tyranny Governor and.
officers, two Senators, and Congressman in the
lower House
1.-The whole history of their revolutionary
measures shows how degraded has become po-
litical morality, and how lost the sentiment of
State pride. Why should not State gov
erned by Brownlow, and legislated for by
the riotous mob of Nashville, be cut in two?
Be cut in twenty pieces.
"Let this anarchy go on. If it does not
cure itself, it at least will punish its authors"
In Missouri, as in Maryland, form of test
oath for voters exists, that is so ingeniously
contrived by network of detail, as to cause
those who are sensitively conscientious, to
hesitate, lest in some triAing particular they
may be amendable to the penalties fixed by
law for its violation.
While most men who do take the oath,
with its multitudinous exactions as 10 opin-
ions and sympathies, can doubtless do so sim
cerely and honestly, yet it is very certain that
there is a large number of the rufian order
las in Baltimore certainly who do not afflict
their consciences at all as to the form of that
OATH or any other; and there are also too
many of the privileged class of voters who
are stained with that worst form OF rebellion
the first steps in the original covert effort to
destroy the Federal Union The lust for
power of an aristocratic or tyrannic kind is
so strong in the human heart, that it reflects
ineffable credit upon those unconditional
Union men" who propose to break down the
barrier that establishes, under the sacred
sanction of forms of law, their own exclusive
ness, or order of aristocracy or nobility in the
State. This most noble sentiment has already
revolutionized St. Louis, giving three thousand
of johnson majority this year, against seven
thousand for the proscriptionists at the pre-
vious election
In Maryland, as we have before stated, the
executive committee of the unconditional
Union men divide about two TO one against
Radicalsm, and it is stated that the majority
represent large portion of their party. The
Baltimore american, which is as bigoted and
proscriptive as it is crafty in its tactics, has
sounded the alarm, and the negro organ here
of the star chamber, echoes and re-echoes the
frenzied appeals of the former for resistance
to the renewal Of an era of good feelings by
the extension or diffusion of equal rights
among all the peope of the State upon the
basis of support of the policy of President
johnson
Indeed, it is not doubtful that if the secret
cabal in Congress had not interiered and die
tated to the people of Maryland an adherence
to tests that are obnoxious to the good con-
science of nearly all the people of that State,
they would be speedily enfranchised by the
adoption of suitable steps to that end.
This aspect of general Acknowledgement of
citizens of the Southern States is of fearful
import in its character of establishing by le-
gislation privileged class-an aristocracy
among equals-which will sow the seeds of
discomfort and dissension, that must ultimate
ly seek redress, if need be, in revolution. But
further still. The people of the free States
will not consent that handful of voters in a
State are to have as large representation in
Congress as one containing two, or three, or
four times as many in other States. Here
will be occasion for a constitutional amend
ment with a vengeance. In view of this d;a-
bolism of the star chamber, let all the people
fix their eyes upon its adherents, and decide
at once whom they will sustain-the treason
able central directory, or Andrew johnson
and his Cabinet