Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-08-08
THE LABOR QUESTION.
ReIsecsfans and Suggestions by one OF
the People.

the People.
To the Editors Of the Union and Dispatch.
CLARKgv11LE, TExS., August 6, 1861
The c0lored people of Tennessee have vol
untarilv released the whites Of the State
from all responsibility for their political,
social. or moral we'll being indeed, they
K have insolently demanded the noD-inter-
I rneddling of the whites in everything that
COT Germs them. Their almost unanimous
| support Of a black mans party IN the late
! election. cannot be otherwise construed. 1t
is contended by some, and amongst others,
By very able journal Of your own city,
| that we a e not discharged from this re-
sponsibility, because the negroes gere diiped
by designing knages and knew not wisal
| they did, Let us see how this is. No one
who thoroughly knows the negro, doubts he
can be led en- saasse like hOck Of sheep.
But why should he be led by bandfnl Of
wretched adventurers against the earnest
persuasion of a million Of substantial clti-
lens9 shali We conclude this corporaRs
guard OF unscrupulous men possessed more
tact, eloquence, and brains than the whole
State? /. for one, cannot admit II, and
therefore find the reason Of the aegro's
ready response to a few scheming place
hunters in other explanation than that OF
the superior tact and eloquenee with which
falsehood and deception were presented
him. find it in that selfish and depraved
nature, more or less common to all unlet-
tered races, and which, in the case OF the
negro, has doubtless been peculiarly inten-
| sifedby the demoralizing influences ofslaV-
cry. From this corrupt standpoint, he has
| heard therespective eargumentsof Radicaiism
Il
| and Conservatism. Both offered him fullpo-
litical right butthe heformertempted him with
much more. 1t held out brides to the
| qualification Of his revenge, Incidence and
cupidity. II offered to oppress the race
| that had held him in bondage, TO elevate
him above il, and to bestow its property
upon him that he might live in idleness
and opulence. These were the base re-
wards that inclined his willing ear to the
counsels Of few men, he knew were bold
and bad, in preference to the advice and
pleading Of almost the entire white popu
iat;on IT, indeed, the latter had stood idly
by and permitted these misrepresentation
| of few Williams to pass unexposed there
might be some Justice in that defense of
the negroes conduct, which makes him a
| mere dupe and tool But there has never
been canvass in this State, in which the
whole people, both upon the stump and in
| private talk, were so earnest in discussing
It's issues before those who could vote, as
in the one Just past In defiance Of the
most unanswerable arguments, the negroes
] Of Tennessee have, without deigning
| public reason therefcS allied themselves
/ With the relentless en4mies Of the whites.
/ The paper of your city before alluded to,
/ intimaies that any retaliation upon the
! negro would be unmanly, because it would
not reach the real authors Of the hagrant
outrage he has been induced by them to
| perpetrate. contend the negroes are most
| to blame, because they have heretofore
had some claim 10 common deceney and
honor. and these white leaders never had.
We had no right to expect anything better
Of the latter, but were entitled to look for
some fairness and justice from the colored
people. Nor is it ont ofour power to reach
these leaders through their followers. In
deed, II is now the only way left us to
reach them BY striking at those who have
placed them in a position to injure us, we
strike at the very source of their power for
future mischief. BY disehargiRg from our
employ the race that sustains our oppress-
ors. il becomes impossible for that race to
find a maintenance in our borders, and
therefore il is necessarily forced elsewhere.
If in the condition Of idleness, consequent
upon such discharge, this race should in
augurate those disorders to which they will
be encouraged by the Radicals, then in all
probability their exit from the State viii
be much sooner accomplished.
But / do not put our future considera-
ton of the colored element upon any
ground of retaliation whatever As stated
in the beginning Of this article, the negro,
by his vote in the late election, has not
only voluntarily abandoned our protection,
but peremptorily demanded our entire abb
slinence from all concern il his affairs. He
has placed il out Of our power to aid him
if we ever so much desired it. Therefore,
in all that we may do to improve the po-
litical moral, social and industrial inter
ests Of the State, weare now forced to do 1t
without reference to the negro, except so
far as he is the enemy he has pronounced
himself to be Of all these interests. So far
as he, for the present, opposes these in
terests, we are bound to regard him, but no
farther If our entire people would at
once resolve to dispose of this opposition,
by resolving to do ftheir own work until
other labor could be procured, the best
interests Of society would be efiectually sub
served So far as this may be partially done,
lust that far will they be benefited. There
is no power on the Republican soil that can
force men 20 employ others to do the work
which they themselves may elect to do.
But in accomplishing any great reform
against serious obstacles, we must take hu-
| man nature as il is into the account. 1t is
not probable that the great advantage Of
an immediate and universal discharge Of
employees who have shown themselves
willing and capable OF rushing the State to
destruction, will outweigh our temporary
pecuniary interests. Such needed discharge
will not be effected to any considerable ex-
tent until other labor can be procured.
Therefore, think our action should be al
once directed to its procurement. On this
point il has been well and wisely suggested
that the most practical, expeditions, and
economical method of comprising this end
is through the concerted action OF all tbs
white people of the State. And, 10 obtain
I this concert, there is no better way than
through n general convention of them at
( some point in Tennessee. In this way, q
society could be organized that might be-
titled A society for the encouragement oi
immigration and the promotion OF industrial
Interests" With a Central State Commit
tee the purposes ofthe association could bt
carried ont far more economically and ct
fectually than if lefl to the efforts of mum
berless different societies. In encouraging
immigration, We need not care where i
comes from, or whether Radical or Con
2 servative, only that il be lrhjte, so that j
NAV constitute political element suscep
tible ofreasoning and argument. Let n
invite white people 10 oeomeeither slaborer
or capitalists, offering the former eonstan
and remunerative work, and the latter par
of our lands for homes. But it is not ml
uurpose 10 discuss the details of such al
! argsnization. they could be 30 perfecte,