Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-12-12
u aiOn aud 9ispatfh.
Largest CircalAtien in City and State.
A SOUTHERN UEiONIST ON THE
-. SITUATION.
aletfer fr8m Hon. Robertson TOpP-
The Prospects ofthe Country Under
Eear0 nouRfmaffon

atettRF from u lon. Robertson ffOBp-
Fhe Prospects ofthe Country Under
Eegra Domination.
"A correspondent of the Memphis BiaIe-
tiH, having presented the name Of Hon.
Robertson Topp as suitable candidate for
the Msyoralty Of that city, he replies at
length, through that paper Of the 10th,
saying the election would turn on political
considerations, and that he would MOI saeri-
Zee his opinions Cor any office whatever. He
thus gives his:
am Of the opinion that the leaders Of
the people IN the South, by advocating
secession, by Withdrawing their representa-.
tiyes from Congress, By very silly clanor
about rights in the Territories" by firing
upon the flag AZ Sumter, by rushing un-
prepared into war, acted unwisely, not to
ise harsher term, as they fell into the
pitfsll that was prepared for them, and by
80 doing they have brought ruin and DESC
lation upon the land and at the doors Of
every household.
am of the opinion that these unwise
acts on the part of our secession leaders
was the greatest God-send TO the psalm
singing, Puritanical, negro-worshippins
leaders of the North, that ever befeil any
party on earth.
Before 1860, for more than a quarter of
century, they had Glamored about slavery,
State institution with which they had no
concern, guaranteed by the constitution,
without which there would have been no
Union, no constitution. / believe it was
this party and no other which caused the
late war, by driving the men Of the South
into madness, folly, secession and rebellion;
andthe very moment they seeded, "Union,
Union, Union" was the shout of that very
party which, for quarter of a century,
had been endeayoring to destroy the Union,
by overturning its compromises, and by
poisoning the minds of the people against
the constitution, as "a league Nth hell and
a oOuenant sCih The deua," because it tolerated
slavery.
] believe that the leaders of this party
at Washington, by. their uniustifable. war
on the President, by their war on the South
ern States, by their distractions to recon-
siruction,- coneiiiEsUf and peace, are the
most corrupt and 6isloyal party on the
earth and that so far from seeking a re-
storation Of the Southern States, all they
have done and are now doing is intended
20 prevent that object, unless upon such
terms as will perpetdate that party in
power, by DISTINGUISHING white men and
combining with the negro
As to the negro race, | know them we'll.
was born and raised with them. l have
no unkindness towards them. Nothing
could be more natural than that they
should seek TO be free; it is human. /
have owned hundreds of them. Whilst
mine, none ever went TO bed hungry; the
old and young, in sickness and in health,
were cared for and protected. None that
belonged to me have the mark of the over
| seer's lash. 1 would not re enslaye them
if ] could. Now that they are free, would
| protect them in their liberty and property,
and would have all who would wrong or
injure them, deprive them of their rights,
or defraud them, punished severely. Whilst
i admit that slavery had many revolving
features, must be permitted to say, I fear
their freedom will prove curse, when |
see the uses that bad and mean white men
are seeking TO make of them.
1 regard the negro and Indian as wholly
incapable of self-govemment. With my
consent neither should ever exercise the
elective franchise. If they must vote and
exercise a governing power, like the In
dian, let them go TO themselves and work
out their own salvation. But with and
amongst us never. For the most obvious
of all reasons, that we can do better with
out their 1eiSdom and ddUice than with it.
If any of our race think the negro wise
and great, by all means they should go
with them. While look at the little wis
dom with which this country has been
governed for the past few years; when
see what terrible war has been waged upon
frivolous grounds, and so unjustifable /;
when | see how easily great numbers of the
whites are led about by designing dema-
gogues, duped, deceived, humbugged,
must be permitted TO doubt the capacity
of some men for self government, and for
one / must be permitted TO decline making
the matter worse by adding the negro.
This republican government of ours is
but an experiment. 1t has failed every
where else. Ii will fail here if the mass OF
our citizens are ignorant or corrupt.
| lf the ignorance, and not the wisdom OF
the country is to control, can folly be wis
dom?
II the majority of those who vote and
govern are ignorant, can we expect wise
and wholesome laws or Just measures
Can the fountain, so often polluted, re-
main pure?
| lAfter referring at some length TO mu-
nicipal affairs, he concludes as follows:l
was about TO conclude by saying |
would cheerfully act with any party who
entertained my views with reference to
| the policy of the CITY, when / remembered
] had not voted since the war. In 1890
when | applied for license to practice
law in 1885 and in 1887, when l took my
seat as a member of the Legislature, | took
an oath 20 preserve, protect and defend the
constitution Of the United States. Not hay
ing violated that oath, have not felt con
strained to take any other, especially wher
it was thrust upon the country by party
that has habitually trampled the constitu
ton under their feet.
RnprnTsna- TOpp