Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-08-30
RADICAL REGARD FOR THE NEGRO
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TLLUSTRATED.
A call is published in the Knoxville
Fhig for a convention Of the negroes in
this State, to be held in knoxville ON the
9th of September This call is made
in pursuance Of the action of meet
Ing Of the colored people of Knoxville
and is signed by seyen negroes, one OF
whom reioccs in the prefix " Dr. two
in that OF Rev three ~ the a'ax
ESQ. and one is entitled The object
of the proposed convention is thn stated
in the call
We have carried the elections by a
vast majority, yet there remains much to
be done, matters connected with our future
welfare and happiness TO be considered, and
we hope and trust that every city, county
and district will be represented by dele
gates
1t will be noticed that great deal of
stress is laid upon the fact that eve,
that is, the negroes, have carried the
elections by vast majority. The ne
groes begin to feel that they are very
important element in the Radical party,
that they gave it the success it achieved
in the late election, aud that they are en-.
titled to some substantial recognition for
the services they have thus rendered.
Before the election there were Numbers
Of blatant white Radicals who expressed
themselves very decidedly in favor Of
repeating " the odious sixteenth section
Of the franchise law This appears to
have been the tub that was thrown to
the whale, for since the election nothing
has been said about this repeal How
was this repeal to be effected, if those
Radicals who expressed themselves in
favor Of it were in earnest? They were
perfectly aware that the Legislature
elected in August could not repeal that
section, for the Supreme Court has de-
cided that the franchise law is part and
parcel of the constitution Of the State.
Did they expect the Governor to call the
old Legislature together for the pur-
pose of repeating the famous
sixteenth section? Ii they did, have
they made any effort to induce him to do
SOP Since the election the Governor has
written a letter in which he expressed
himself entirely satisfied with the fran
chise law. lie makes no exception Of
the provision prohibiting negroes from
holding Office or serving on juries. 1t
must be borne in mind that this prohibi-
ton was the work of Radicals, and not
withstanding certain leading Radicals
denounced it before the election and ex-
pressed themselves in favor of its repeal,
nothing has been said or done since the
election looking to such repeal The
negroes begin to see that they have been
duped in this matter, and it viii no doubt
be one Of the subjects that will receive
the attention of the proposed convention.
The next Legislature may propose to
amend the constitution by repeating the
sixteenth section of the franchise law,
but that proposition, il it should be
adopted by the Legislature, would have to
be voted upon at the election in August,
1869 And suppose it should be de-
feated then, the Legislature would be
estopped from again proposing the
amendment for six years. But it is pros
posed here to take the matter to the
courts, and there test the power of the
Legislature to enact such a prohibition.
The Supreme Court has already decided
with regard to the franchise law, that
the last Legislature had authority to do
Whatever a convention Of the people
could do The convention which framed
our present constitution, prohibited
ministers of the gospel from holding a
seat in the Legislature, and deprived
other parties of the right to hold
once, though all THESE were eliSl-
bic as voters According to the
Supreme Court, this power was del
egated to the last Legislature, and that
body in the exercise of the authority thus
delegated to it, prohibited the negro from
holding Office or serving on juries. Is it
likely the Supreme Court would revise
its decision and say that the Legislature
had authority to do only part of the
work it did? If the negro will examine
this question dispassionately, he will see
that the Radicals regarded him as only
a voting machine and not fit to hold of
fee, and that they have fixed it so he will
find it exceedingly difficult to acquire the
privilege, if he does it at ALL