Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-05-26


pledged to maintain in all coming time
They refused these men the right to vote.
Many of us believed that as they had been
suddenly set free, perhaps some more
knowledge of government was required
before they ought to be allowed to
vote. They then proposed to enftanchise the
eolored men. What for Simply to help
themselves. They had not the man
illness 10 say that you could vote for each
other; that you could be candidates, but
you could hel p them by pulling the wagon
up. the hill, while they drove. Laughter.
Such was the language of my friend Stokes
at Memphis. But you were not allowed
by. them to get into the wagon and ride.
Our platform says that you are free under
the constitution of Tennessee the constitu-
ton of the United States, and entitled to
all the privileges and prerogatives that
every body else is entitled to. A voice:
"That is right" Sirs, the men who are
ready to-day TO sustain that platform have
as much honor, as much truth, and as much
integrity as any of the apostate Rebels who
are to-day in the Radical camps. They
called upon their fellow-citizens TO come up
to the rescue, and l regret exceedingly that
they did not let You run for office, because
if they had we would get rid of all the
Stokes and Brownlows in the State.
Laughter and applause. Yes, sirs, the
last one of them would bite the dust.
But, my colored friends, we have been rails
ed with you, and you are too magnanimous
20 claim for yourselves any rights and priv
ileges that you are not willing to accord TO
people as good as yourselves. But some
thing else mnst DC done
These men saw in the far of rising intli-
cations of public Indignation. The railroads
had begun 10 be repaired; the newspapers
were beginning TO be free; men on both
sides had begun to mingle and cOmmingle,
and they felt that if ever you obtained
office again you would blast them with yOur
indignation. They insulted you by appeal
ing to the basest passions of human nature
by appealing to your fears. They remem-
bered how, three or four years ago, the
appearance of squad of Rebel OF Federal
I cavalry sent CONSERVATION throughout the
country. They remembered how men took
to the woods; how women fell on
their knees, and how children shrek
ed in wild despair. Some of
them remembered how candidates had
been imprisoned, and how the merest
pimps of party had been appointed to high
places by the use of the bayonet They
thought that if men could not be cajoled
into following their wishes, they could be
frightened by the appearance of what they
called the "loyal melissa Laughter and
applause. An army larger than that with
which Gen. Jackson fought the battle of
New Orleans, an army nearly as large as
the Federal army was before the war, an
4I Al L
ington commanded, an army larger than
| that of the Prince of Orange, has been
ordered in times of peace to be fed by
you, to be quartered upon you, and 10 be
used ia the interest of these Radicals,
simply to coerce you into their support by
| the bare show of force and if you to-day,
| sirs. relax yOnr efforts one moment in the
| struggle you are making for your freedom,
on account Of this cowardly effort, YOU are
| tit to be slaves, every man of you. And
/ what is the contemplated cost of this army !?
l Why, sirs, before the war, when We paid
| our troops in gold, Congress appropriated
| every year 81 100000 for every regimet
/ They would raise these eight thousand
troops and keep them at cost of
not less than Sl2O00000 But to the
credit of the people of the State, be
it said, You can hardly find any man so
lost to shame as to assist in raising troops
in times of peace to OVerawe honest men.
/ Applause But they did not stop here.
Now comes the last crowning act Of in
fanny Of this Legislature. And. sirs, | as
sert that in the history of ancient or mod
ern times there is no act OF OfCOWardly tyran-
nv that comes up to it. What have they
done l assert this proposition, that they
have passed law that enables Mr.. Brown
low to pardon two horse thieves out Of
the penitentiary-nOw mark my state
ment-to pardon two thieves from the
penitentiary who are residents of different
counties in the State, and with the aid OF
two horse thieves pardoned by him, he has
| a law by which he can elect himself
| Governor, and elect every Senator and ey-
cry Representative in the State, and every
member of Congress. And no man can deny
il. | speak in the presence of Radicals,
and | will dare any man to deny it. |
will prove it, even if it.is denied. But
there are men in Tennessee who will stand
up before an intelligent audience of white
and black, and justify these things. Sirs
when | get 50 low as this, desire you to
spurn me from yOur presence My colored
friends, when | get 50 low, | ask you tC
| spurn me from your cabins.
Now, sirs, they have gone further
They have passed law by
which Brownlow can prevent the trial of
a single criminal in this State if he be his
friend By this law he can, by a single
| scratch OF his pen, prevent the trial of a
/ single man, or prevent a single law suit in
| the State if he desires. Is there anything
II al Ls-fy~r- E 4 IL
i there ever a revolution in the world OF a
| rebellion, that has ever been followed by
| such acts of tyraany and oppression a.
/ that? Here is the law, and will read il
to you. | will show his action under it
/ and | will show yOu that he will continue
| to act under it, unless he shall do as al
| tyrants do, quail before the intrepiC
| gaze of a firm and law-abiding people
| But counsel obedience to all their law,
and all their DEGREES. ! counsel you tC
submit to every insult and every indignity
offered to you. Bear it like men. Gol
have ilmstrious examples before you in thu
past political and religions history of thu
world. / would not resent a blow, unles
il were a painful one. | ask You, slrs, L
be patient, to endure the wrong, and trus
| To " the sober second thought of the peo
| pie" which will ultimately preserve YOU
| liberties. You need not trust to Radical
| ism. II has no soul, no conscience, no Low,
| of truth, no sense, and no principle
| Laughter and applause. Now they hay
| pas, 4 law which Twill read. They sa,
| that the registration in the county Of Ds
+ wilson has been declared null and void
/ They passed a general law 10y which
r | they put your liberties in the pocket O
, / BrownIow. Yes, your liberties are bot
. | tied up" to-day in Brownlow's pocket, a
closely as Butler was bottled up" at Cit
, / Point.
Mr. Etheridge here read from the acts q
. | the last sessions of the Legislature, lpag
o., as follows:
SIC T. Be it further enacted, That the pre-
, / visions of this Act shall extend TO any 0the
| 4 county in this State, where IL shall be made I
! 4 appear. 10 the satisfaction Of the Goyen1T tha
/ frauds ami irregularities have .nteTvenet m ia
3 registration Of voters IN such county, and "a
J | Governor shall make known such fact, and s,
aside SAID registration, by proclamation.
z Mr. Etheridge resuming: Yes, all yo
e. have TO do is to get a Radical 10 writ
70 to Brownlow that there have been fraud
I | and Irregularities in the registration o
g | voters in a certain county, and to get an
} | other Radical TO sign his communication
s and without a trial, without being hear
s in court, he, exercising judicial power
sets aside every veter IN that count,
e Now | will tell you their purpos
e II is TO ascertain what counties are Col
J. | servative: aud about a week before III
! election, they propose 10 let Brownlow III
e register every voter in these counhe: