Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-02-04


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the breasts Of .tEo-fhirds or mora Of the
| people Of this State, and 10 foster an attach
ment to the goyemnenf, i to strip them Of
| their political rights n[rs Speaker, Won
-deE.s a. the -inlafaafisHs = pcssibtc thar
the men. Of Tennessee, who ihreush al the
| varying fortunes Of this struggle. maintained
their fidelity 10 the Union. should nov need
! protection from nnafmed Rebels, who have
acknowledged defeat and who are At home
\ pEssssiug peaceful occupaticgsE I cannot
think 50. Il IS only the suggestion q q lear
| which has no real foundation, and il. nm
worthy Of item. Bat L IS said this measure
viii promote loyalty. Not r BY loyalty *
meant genuine attachment to the govern
ment Harsh 5 and proscriptive measure.
are not the breeders Of goodwill and aies,
tion. Men cannot be taught to heartily sup.
port governments which refuse them their
rights, aud If this be one Of the results
which the friends Of this bin expect. fear
they win be disappointed. Human nature
must be reformed
In my Judgment Sir, such measures as
this are the surest means Of keepiag alive
disafection, and fostering disloyal senti-
megts, which otherwise world be discarded,
AMI sent the way Of the lost fortnnesof the
ronfederacy Gentlemen, IL the seeming
madness Of their loyal real, appear To- have
forgotten who and what these people are
thatthey are bone Of our bone, and aerh Ct
our hesh-that they are the descenaants Of
| the men who cut the cane and rescued this
| fair land from the wilderness and the savage
4 ..14 41....-
I tain, and later under the lead q, Jackson
| that their memories are filed With lie ira
4 ditions of liberty, and their breasts heavinx
\ with is aspirations; that they can feel keen
| " what they regard as vindietiye exsciiGns.
and --wili cherish the feelings which ihey
And would ask il il 4 wise thus 10
| rekindie the extinct enihers OF hostility. end
\ lay the Foundation for in;erminable division
and discord. it certainly Is not the co,iue
which commends itself to rae. I think our
true policy Is to adopt every proper means :
20 restore the Union, and one Of the first and
most important steps Is 70 revive in the
bosoms Of our erring and misguided people,
a love of country. All methods Of reslorz-
tion viii be but Of temporary avail Il this
be nos done. Our measures should be COM
prehensivc and libcrnl-the suggestions Of
sagacity which looks beyond the petty
circuit Of retaliation and punishment, and
seeks 10 harmonic into one lately warning
and disunited people. And just here Il is
proper for me TO say, that am, In no sense
or degree, an spologiss for rebels. or for the
wrong think they have perpesrafesl. No
man can reprobate more than secessien
and the concomitant evils which I ever be-
4 lieyed would follow in it, train. Nor would
/ / have il thought that / stand here 20 plead
their cause but do honestly beliess that
| the masses who sprang 70 arms were mis-
| giided-that they drew their swords in q
| bad cause, but in earnest, and believe also
they sheathed them in sincerity. and
that they have returned with the full IN
tention of retrieving the error which
they committed. So believing cannot give
| my vote for this extreme and anti-American
| legislation; cannot consent 70 commit the
| folly Of DISTINGUISHING two-thirds Of q peo-
| pie for the assumed protection Of the remain
der; cannot undermine the principles Of
| my government as means os strengthening
| il. want, Sir, a polity adopted by Ten
nessee, IN consonance with that which presi-
dent johnson is pursuing with other States
which participated In the rebellion, and
which, IN my judgment, Is the best and wis
est that has been dessiscd want 20 har-
/ moaize State action with that Of the General
Government, 80 that when the work Of res
toration is complete this nation viii be a
| Homogeneous whole--the home and country
Of the greatest and freest people on earth.
| And, Sir, it was my devotion % this policy
which induced nae early in the session, to
present q bill repeating the franchise act Of
| last session, and placing our legislation upon
this subject upon the principle adopted BY
the President In regard 10 the other rebel
iious States. The House Is familiar with its
main features, and advocate its adoption
to-day, as the best and safest measure which
has been presented. claim no credit fes Il.
Il is the work Of THAI great and true patriot
at Washington, whose hands wish 10 mp
hold in his endeayor to lead his country out
Of the difficulties which environ It. be-
lieve that no step we could take would give
him greater moral support, than the sdop-
| ton OF State policy which should accord
with the work Of restoration, which he has
90 patriotically begun. It would be some
thing more than moral aid At the present
time--it would be practical aid girding
| I'D Of his loins.
( Mr., Speaker, there Is but one other con-
sideration which shall offer in opposition
., this, or any other scheme, which leoks 10
| prescription, and the degradation Of class
of the people. as an element in the mode Of
disposing Of this question. When you divide
| the people into classes BY Legislation, and
set up the odious and injurious distinctions
| contemplated BY this measure -shsa you
make one the proscribers, and the Others the
proscribed--one the rulers, and the others
| the ruled-when you attempt % poiss the
republican pyramid upon is apex and sub
ject majority to the dominion Of miDori-
ty, you need an army in preence TO make
| sure your work. / do not believe these pso-
| pie viii oppose force 70 wh4tegef measures
you may impose. They have had enough
ofwar, and are wiling 70 submit 20 the con-
ditions Of defeat, but you will feel the neccs-
sity Of bayonets, and all the anti-rcpnblican
| paraphernalia Of military power, as q pre-
caution Of safety for yourselves. /, for one,
wish to dispense with IL ~ soen a. possible.
honor our army--its rank and fle-and
feel grateful 70 II for the valor which has
rescued our Governnscnt from che laws Of
destruction. But, sir, 10 legiiiinste work e
done. Every days prolonealion Of il pres
ence, beyond actual krcessify in ~ own
sphere, i blow AZ the ihsegfity Of free IN
stitutions. 1t gives sanction 70 lorce, aud
debanehes all just ideas Of civil government
In the minds Of rulers as well ~ people, End
I shall hail the day,when Il shall retire.
am for policy THAI hss for its basis
trust and confidence in the people them
selves; whose CONVERSIONS Is the principle
that ali just governments derive their power
from the consent Of tie governed That
principle Is the light and land-msrk By
which We should ind harbor fro<a the
stormy ocean On which we have been tossed.
There We nsy ride in safety.
Mr.. Speaker, ! beg pardon for having 20
long detained the Honee. but fsIt that
my duty 70 ny county, and Hhst ! con-
ceive 10 be its pressing and immediats IN
teresfs, would not Be done, III I d;d not
enter my protest. azainst fhia rninoas iesis-
lation. hope ! have done 20 respect
fully, bat firmly. / impeaah no mans
motives We are all aninaxted By
desire to make this great eork
hnal and perfect. That there should
be differences OF opinion Is natural. For
myself, / have one great ciljoct, and fhat i
to obliterafe the ill-feeli ing which engendef-
ed tiiis strife, and 70 cultivate . sentiment
Of attachment 20 the governments which shall
be as strong as the instinct for lifc itself and
which shall carry forward this nation Of
people TO a career Of prosperity; which shall
confound the evil pfophesies Of the ensni;es
Of frepabiicsnism throughout the world, and
make Il the admiration Of the age ] inn
pierre gentlemen ef this Legislzture, % liz
their minds above the misis Of passion snd
prejudica, and let our gork here redeund 70
the good Of our conmon country, and for the