Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-05-03
Nice TimesinIrenDessee.

Nice Timesi I'm Tennessee.
As to the condition Of political matters
in Tennessee, the following, written by
MACK" to the CSnctnnGtt Commercial under
date, of Chattanooga, April 2S, furnishes
something of an idea:
Political affairs wear quite as unpleasant
an aspect here as in Nashville. There is lit
tie else to be heard than complaints against
the malignant. expressions Of Brownlow
and his ciiqueLaIid they do not come from
the late rebels either, but from men who
served gallantly in the Federal army,
many OF them in Ohio regiments One
would thinks,to read the Radical papers Of
the North, that there were none but rebels
in the Conservative party OF tennessee
that it was made up exclusively OF men
who had not only worn the gray in the late
war, butiwere still animated by the senti-
ments that induced themto put it ton in the
first. place. Nothing can be further from the
truth, 80 far as this section OF the State is
eoncerDedaeT The most prominent. workers
In the Conservative cause in Chattanooga
are men who have unequivOcal records as
good Union soldiers, but whose soldiers
sense of honor and fair dealing revolt
against the merciless tyranny of the pres
ent State Government. and drives them in-
to any party promising relief from 1T. They
find themselves taxed as no other people
enable Mr. sBrownlow and his friends to
carry the elections. So 47esa zm yFaias 20
They are obliged to pay their share to-
ward supporting a militia force, which will
cost between eight and twelve millions a
year,, and it has no other object than to
overawe voters at the polls-for there are
United States troops enough in the State
to meet any possible contingency in the
shape of riot. or insurrection. Here, in
Chattanooga, the Legislature has saddled
them with a metropolitan police force, at
an expense of not less than ,$25, 900 year;
while the peace of the city has always been
kept for. less than half that sum. Il The only
object, of course, is to control the elections.
And so of other abuses which might
name, unnecessarily adding to the burdens,
and taking from the liberties OF the people,
in a manner never before attempted OF
heard Of It would be strange, indeed, il
there were not found among those VIII
fought for four years in the cause of civi.
liberty, some who could not cOuntenanct
such measures, under whatever shallow
plea or false pretense they were urged.
The rebels in this part of the State seem
to take little interest in politics. They are
all living peaceably at home, doing their
best to provide for their present wants, and
repair the losses sustained by the war. So
far as can Judge, they ''accept the situa-
tion'' in the true meaning of that hackneyed
expression. They acquieace in all that has
been done to improve the condition OF the
negroes-and even if they look upon coll
ored suffrage as a doubtful experiment,
they are not without substantial reason
for this view of the question, in the failure
of the Northern States to set the good eX-
ample. But if they had the power to-mor-
row, I doubt if they would attempt to take
from the blacks the franchise bestowed up
on them by the last Legislature. At least
the most intelligent of their number have
said so to me. All they ask is that they, =
too, shall have voice in making the laws
under which they live, so that Legislation
shall not be exclusively a system of ex
pensiye oppression for the benefit of a mi
nority. ~ LstSi l'tta i'ttt '7|
In this demand they should be seconded
by the Judgment of candid men, as they
are by the policy of Congress, in dealing
with the other rebel States. was informed
to-day by an influential citizen of this
place, that hundreds of men, against whose
loyalty there cannot be q shadow OF suS-
picioil, have been denied registration, and
consequently distranchised for no other
reason than their declared opposition t.
Brownlow, and the names OF several Union
soldiers who had been treated in this way
were mentioned to me. THERE'S no appeal
from the register. He is appointed by
Brownlow, and if he refuses to put your
name on the books you have no redress. 1t
is worse even than the Napoleonic system,
for under that a man could vote as he
pleased, only it was intimated that if he
voted against Napoleon he'd be shot.
~soE THE NEGROES. reeF +.
There are, 1 should judge, several thou
sand negroes living in and about Chatta-
nooga. Many of them are employed as
laborers on Government work; others are
hired to the farmers, and some are engaged
in the discussion of political topics at the
street corners. Here, as elsewhere through
out the State, the cOlored vote is an object
of solicitude for each of the contending par
ties, and the q. E. %. ofthe canvass is which
party is the better friend of the African
race.
The Radicals. have the advantage, and
will doubtless, get most of the votes. The
Freedmen's Bureau is being used in their
interest with effect. The negroes are given
to understand that the Radical party
is in favor OF contiscation, and that cOnfis-
cation means a farm for every one of them.
This / find to be deeply rooted convic-
tiOn in the coiored mind, and one which
will yet produce incalculable evil.
it has already had its effect in
making the negroes less industrious, and
less thrifty as natural consequence OF
their great expectations, for men who feel
certain of inheritihg a fortune, don't
trouble themselves as general thing with
the labor of earning one. That the North
will ever indorse policy of agrarianism
and robbery, there is no reason to believe,
but in fixing the responsibility for its in
auguration as a political doctrine. Presi- |
dent Johnson should not be forgotten, in
asmuch as he made the first speech ever
made on the subject, when as Governor of
Tennessee he proposed that the large es-
tates of rich rebels should be parceled out
in small farms to the negroes. That speech
is still treasured up, and the negroes gen.
orally mention our respected Presidents
name, when they talk of becoming landed
proprietors.
The Indian War.
The public mind is, we apprehend, con-
siderablys muddled about the "Indian |
Warn Whether we really are at war or |