Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1867-07-05
From the Nashville Gazette.
SELF DEFENSE, VS.. PRESCRIPTION

EDITORS GAZETTE; Having noticed seve-
raj articles in the city papers, relative to the
patronage extended 10 the Radical tradesmen
and mechanics in our city, by the Conserve
tives, ! hope you will give me space to urge
upon our friends the Importance Of this mat
ter.
II Is fact too we'll settled for controversy,
that a. least four-fiths of tie white popula-
tion Of the State of Tennessee we're either in
the Confederate army, sympathized with the
rebellion, or are now opposed to the Radical
party. This large majority Of our people,
composed of almost the entire wealth, intel
hgence and refinement Of the State are as It
were "iving out miserable existence" de-
prived Of the greatest aud holiest privilege
ever due an American citizen, abused, tra-
duced and villfed by set of interlopers, ad-
venturers and blaekguards, who through their
own villainy and degradation, have obtained
the possession of the State Government.
Immediately after the election of Mr.. Lin
coin, the people of the State Of Tennessee
feeling that their rights as citizens were no
longer safe in the hands of the United States
Government and seeing that another Con-
the institutions of which were more in keep
ing with their own, very naturally almost
unanimously decided to cast their lot with
the latter. Whether this course was right
or wrong, it is not material now to discuss.
We transferred our allegiance from the Uni
ted States to the Confederate States Of Amer
lea, and adopted the "Stars and bars with
as much unanimity and enthusiasm as If it
had been our first choice, and with as much
good will and determination as il we had
been the iraugurators of the same. We
were represented, upon every battlefield Of
any Importance during the contest, and the
headstones recording the names and States
of the buried heroes, speak byt too plainly
as to how we performed our duty to our
selves, our country and our God. The con-
test waged for four long and bloody years of
carnage and destruction. Our wives and sis
tiers and loved ones were insulted and driven
from their homes. The most horrid crimes
known to barbarism were heaped upon our
defenseless women. Our Oldest and most re-
spectacle citizens were incarcerated in dun
geons and left to die in filth, with no solace,
save that Of having committed no CRIME,
known to God or man. And our property
was destroyed by millions upon millions, in
their rear. Yet Notwithstanding all this and
although we had already borne more than
any other people under the wide canopy Of
Heaven, when the war turned against Us, and
when the appeal to arms had decided that
we were weak and our enemies strong, we
submitted without a murmur. We returned
to our homes with our minds fully made up
to accept the issue in good faith, and with
an honest determination to work day and
night for a full and complete reconstrpction
of our once loved country.
We had been promised fall pardon from
the commanding officers, to whom we sur
rendered, and well does the writar of this ar
ticle remember bow the briny tears chased
their way down many sturdy war yoru
face upon the morning Of the "grand surren.
der" not from griefat the compulsory capt..
ulation, but in admiration for the hero who
had extended to them such honorable term:
of surrender. The United States Govern.
hearts Of those brave men, and each one o.
them returned home determined to fight il
battles in future; but let US in iuire for a mo.
ment how they were met.
A few bad men and degenerate sons of oul
illustrious Stale, who accompanied US to thu
drill camp, and who lived upon the fat Of tn,
land supplied by our noble women, but wht
in disgrace, shame and degradation, had de
serted our ranks upon hearing the first SOUND
Of the Union artillery, had preceded us tC
our homes, and by their extreme loyalty haC
been placed in possession of the State Gov
ernment. Their first ect of cruelty was Il
declare by an Act of the General Assembly
that we should be deprived of the electiy,
franchise, and though hard to bear, to thi
we submitted without murmur, knowing
as We did, that enough Tenpesseeans had re
mained at home and had not participated il
the rebellion TO oyerbalance the deserter
from our own ranks, and the Northern vag
abonds who had settled in our State. Thel
came an amended s'franchisc law" which a
the time of its passage was thought to b
sufficient to retain in power these rebel de
serters and interlopers. Fearing, however
that this Was not strong enough, and believ
ing that they could manage the "ignoran
niger" next came the negro suffrage Bill
and now we are threetened With confsca
tion.
! These, Messrs, Editors, are only a few Q
the insults that have been heaped upon u'
and If ! were to communicate half of theI
it would more than fll your entire PAPER an
have merely mentioned these to show hov
we have been treated by these people, 4
they are entitled to tha. name) who are no,
pradng about persecution and prescription
because we do not wish 10 extend our patron
age TO them to the detriment OF our friend
II has been stated by the Radical organ
OF our city, that an organized effort is rein
made in regard to this matter, but yer
fmuch fear that such is not the case, and feai
ing this, ] have written this article, hopin
thereby that my feeble efforts may, In SON
degree, wake our friends TO the importanC
Of this subject. Let Us determine fully Ga
unequiyocally, come veal or woe, that W
will not buy a cents worth Of goods from
Radical merchant have our boots manufaS
tured by a Radical shoemaker, employ Rad
ical mechanic, ride in Radical colored hael
shave in a Radical barber shop, send ou
children TO Radica. teacher, attend Rad
cal church, employ Radical servant OF /
fact have anything whatever to do or 70 81
; to any one who is Radical or who refuses U
p equal rights with himself in she State an
General Government The money Ia th
country Is in the hazds Of the Conseryatiy
men, and by all means let them keep
: amongst themselves; and ii there is or
amongst u who is so cowardly and so vol
OF manhood as To be unwilling 10 enter int
the determination, let the balance OF US loo
down upon him as too mean and too coI
tenptible for our association, aud elass hi
also with the yilest and the most degrade
and Infamous associations on earth-tl
Radicals PlfR PAY