Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-06-30
SHALL THE Law BE sUsTAINED ?.

SHALL THE LAW BE SUSTAINED p
In their efforts to rob the people of their
rights and liberties, the Radicals, through
their stoiid ignorance and incapacity,
have failed to perfect their means in the
enactment Of laws. To cure this defect,
they are endeavoring to make law unto
themselves, and to force it upon an un-
willing people The Press and Times
quotes a garbled extract from the law,
and says that Brownlow viii enforce that
part of it, if it takes thirty thousand
instead Of eight thousand trOops to do it "
This is simple declaration of usurpatiOn
and tyranny The people have asked
nothing Of the present authorities but the
execution Of the law, the whole law and
nothing but the law. They are met with
defanc" denounced as seditionists, and
threatened with force.
What is the remedy? How can the
people assert and maintain their rights 2
The reply is, by and through the ballos-
box. But suppose that is seized, and held
so that no man is permitted to approach
it but for the purpose of rivetting the
chains upon his own limbs What re-
dress is within reach A? In ordinary times
and under different circumstances, the
accepted truism that resistance to ty-
ranny is obedience to God" would offer
the readiest defense against oppression.
That it is the deliberately formed inten-
ton Of the Brownlow dynasty to take
the ballot-box out of the hands Of the
people, and TO use it corruptly and forci-
bly, for. the sinister purpose of perpetual
ing the most infamous and attrocious
despotism, there can be no doubt These
selfconstituted oligarchs mean to make
law unto themselves, and execute
that law They neither admit the
binding force of the constitution,
the laws, nor the judicial Interpretation
ofthem. The infammatory denunciations
of the Press and Times, is only an evil
dence Of this purpose. InJunctions have
been issued from the courts 10 restrain
the collection of certain taxes in Mem
phis A few days ago, it is stated, let
ter was received in that city from Nash
vile, which declared that the courts
should not interfere, and if they did the
taxes should be collected in appealed
cases, if it had to be dore by bayonets
and torches and the writer added that
che preferred that mode of collecting, if
a good excuse could be made. For this
general purpose of overriding the laws
and reducing a submissive people to the
most abject and degrading slavery,
Browulow is, through secret orders, dis
tributing his militia over the State.
Where he is unable TO station these, he
is, through his minions, preparing the
Loyal Leagues to serve in their stead OF
this we have undoubted information
Within the last few days the press has
been Threatened, and every preparation
is being made to convert the existing ty-
ranny into a reign of terror
These dangers threaten the peace as
well as the liberties Of Tennessee. 1t
would seem that in such an extreme case
as this that the Federal government would
be justifable in stationing force in this
State to keep the peace and secure to Us
a free election. There is but one other
recourse that is practicable, and that is
for the people to put forth renewed ener
gy and industry in apprising ell classes
Of voters Of the peril which surrounds ne,
and to impress upon them the madness
and criminality of voting for the Radical
ticket Warn them against being forced
to vote in a particular way To vote un-
der eonstraint, rather than that of con-
se'entious judgment is to be a slave.
With energy and activity on the part of
the friends Of liberty and law, and with
the assurance Of a free and fair election
nRder the franchise law, as it is, the PEG
pie viii do right We viii trust them
but we cannot the usurpers of power
the despisers of constitutions and laws,
and the violent enemies of both. Let the
people, therefore, be aroused to q true
sense of the danger ami let US have the |
protection Of power superior to Brown
low militia and his leagues, and the law
viii be sustained, and Tennessee viii be
free.