The Union flag. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1865-187?, 1867-12-13

4-TeHTeI u exceedingly ) out uremeQ
it my dtty 10 reply TO the charge
which was made against me here, and
that. tOo-Ata timo when the delega-
tion-had no opportunity Of reply, not
even the privilege Of asking one ques-
tion or making an explanation.
Ayto'the other members. of the
delegation, ! shall say very ,lillle.
The case of my distinguished col
league, Mr. Butler, has gone. to the
Committee of Elections, who will do
him justice. But let me say that there
is q diFerepce between his case and
the case fGf the Senator from Tennes.
sec who was alluded to the other day,
and who was sworn in the Thirty
Ninth Congress If Mr. Butler was
in the Legislature and voted as is aI-
legged he came forward afterward and
served as Federal soldier and as cir
crit judge under the reorganization of
the, State government, and tn day l.
chairman ofthe central radical Union
committee of the State but us for
Judge Patterson, he ran for the Office
of Judge aud was elected by the peo-
pie, and he was sworn in, and took
the oath Of Gllegiance to the Confedc-
racy he presided as i Confederate
judge, administered Confederate laws,
charged Confederate jury, aud was
TO all iitenta as much an officer of the
Confederate Government as was BEN
iamjn or JEFF. Davis himself II was
for him oil his eohscience, Before his
God; to say whether he could take the
oath or not. held no office and
songht noncJ was rendered one, but
refused it.
/ cotnb now to the other branch of
tho subject The gentleman from
Illinois [Mr Marshall said, and is SO
reported in Globe:
Another observation and have DONE
The whole State government of Tennessee as
at present organized and administered is a
disgrace to the American nation and TO the
civilization of the age"
Here is u grave charge made in
loud terms, that tho government of
Tennessee is o disgrace TO the nation
and TO the civilization of the age. l
expected to hear the ger tleman speci-
| fy in what particular it Is a disgrace
| Wherein is tire government Of Ten
nessee disgrace to tho nation or to
civilization II is well known that
in 1865 the loyal people of the State
met in convention and organized
government; t@2y amended the con.
stitutiOn and submitted it to the loyal
people of tho State on the 22d day Of
February for ratification or rejection.
The loyal people of Tennessee went to
polls and voted for ratification.
| VS. going on to say that the gov
ernment Of the State of Tennessee
was organized by the loyal people,
who ratified the amended constitution
of that State which provided that
Legislature should be elected by gen
eral ticket, and that the Legislature
which first met should have the right
to declare and regulate the question
of suffrage. The ninth section of the
sehedulegavo the Legislature this right
to regulate the elective franchise,-
The Legislature met and did regulate
the franchise and limit it.
It has been said by gentlemen upon
this floor that tho Legislature dis.
franchised from eighty to one hun
dred thousand finer citizens. ! deny
that the Legislature disFrarliScd d
man. There can he found nothing
in the franchise act to justify such
statement According TO the head Of
the Democratic party to day, Andrew |
Johnson, these eleven States were |
without any State governments -
Therefore all were disiranchiIeG. The |
Legislature then camo forward to
regulate and limit the question OF suf |
irage, and stated who should vote,
hut failed to extend the elective fran
chise TO all persons, ,..
The gentienieh from fllihtis + Mr..
MARSHALL sald that Union soldiers in
Tennessee were debarrca from voting
there, and that if hiS statement was
denied it c6nld be proved Now. all
that l have to say to that ia that | |
have never before heard of that charge
| have asked my colleagues about it,
not one Of whom ever heard ii before.
II there ever was Federal soldier
debarred from voting there | want
the gehitleman from Illinois to state
to this HoHSS his name, so that We
may know who he is.
Sir; the contrary is true; the fran.
clIise law provides that when n soldier
Of the United States has been honor
s6iy discharged his certificate of hon
orable discharges shall ,be of itself
sufficient to entitle him to all tho
rights of a citizen The soldiers vot.
ed every where over the State, the
Conservative or Democratic ticket
receiving some twenty thousand votes
of which some were soldiers There
was no disturbance at the polls; every
man was allowed to go TO the polls
and vote as he chose. The gentle
man from New York (Mr. Bronks)
alluded to the colored vote of Tenn.
essee.