Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-12-04

of their liberties and reducing all their peo-
pie, without distinction, TO a condition oi
slavery. II deals separately with each in
diyidual. confines itself TO the forms OF
law, and vindicates its own purity by an
impartial examination of every case be-
fore competent judicial tribunal.
If this does not satisfy all our desires
with regard 10 the Southern Rebels, let us
console ourselves by rejecting that free
constitution, triumphant in war and nn-
brokeRin peace, is worth far more TO ns
and our children than the qualification of
any present feeling.
DURATION OF THE EVIL.
am aware it is assumed that this sys,
tenn of government for the Southern States
is not 10 be perpetual. Ii is true this mili-
tary government is TO be only provisional /;
hut il is through this temporary evil that
a greater evil is TO be made perpetual IL
the guarantees Of the constitution can be
broken Professionally ia serve temporary
purpose, and in part only of the conn
try, We can destroy them everywhere, and
for all time. Arbitrary measures often
change, but they generally change for the
worse.
II is the curse of despotism that ii has no
Mailing place. lntermitted exercise of its
power brings no sense of security 10 its
subjects for they can never knoy what
more they will be called to endure when
IFS red right hand is armed to plague them
again. Nor is it possible to conjecture how
or when power, unrestrained by law, may
seek It's next victims. States that are still
IN the Union may be enslaved at any mo-
ment; for if the constitution does not pro-
tect all, it protects none. 1t is manifestly
and ayOWedly the objects of these laws to
confer upon negroes the privilege of
voting to disfranchise such number of
white citizens as will give the former
clear majority at all elections in the South.
ern States. This to the minds of some per-
sons is so important that violation of the
constitution is justified as a means of bring
ing il about. The morality is always false
which excuses wrong because it proposes
TO accomplish a desirable end. We are not
permitted to do evil that good NAV come.
But in this case the end itself is evil az
well as the means
NEGRO SUPREMACY.
The snbjection of States to negro domi-
nation would be worse than the military
despotism under which they are now sui,
fering. 1t was believed before Congress
passed the act that the people would ems
dure any amount of military oppression
for any length of time rather than degrade
themselves by subsection to the negro race.
Therefore, they have been left without a
choice. Negro suffrage was established by
act OF Congress, and military officers were
commanded TO superintend the process of
clothing the negro race with the political
privileges formerly belonging to white
men. ss .rn
The blacks in the South are entitled to
be well and humanely governed, and to
have the protection of just laws for all
their rights OF person and property. fit
were practicable at this tiRe to give them
government exclusively their own, under
which they might manage their own af.
fairs in their own way, it would become a
grave question whether we ought to do so.
or whether common humanity would not
require us TO save them from themselves.
But, under the circumstances, this is
speculative point. 1t is not proposed
merely that they shall govern themselves,
bui that they shall rule the white race,
make and administer State laws, elect
| Presidents and members of Congress, and
| shape, 10 greater or less extent, the future
destiny of the whole country. Would such
trust and power be safe in such hands
| The peculiar qualities which should char
| acterize any people who are fit to decide
upon the management of public affairs
| for a great State have seldom been COM
hined in any race. 1t is the glory of white
men to know that they have had these
| qualities in sufficient measure to build upon
| this continent great political fabric and
preserve its stability for more than ninety
years, while in every other part of the
world all similar experiments have
failed. Bnt if anything can be proved
by known facts, if all reasoning
| upon evidence is not abandoned
it must he acknowledged that in the pro.
| gress of nations negroes have shown less
| capacity for government than any other
race of people. No independent govern
ment of any form has ever been successful
/ in their hands. On the contrary, whenever
4 they have been left to their own devices
they have shown a constant tendency tC
| relapse into barbarism. In the Southern
States, however, Congress has nndertak er
TO confer upon them the privilege of the
| ballot. Just released from slavery, it may
| be doubted whether as a class they know
more than their ancestors how to organic,
and regulate civil society. Indeed, it i;
admitted that the blacks of the South ar,
not only regardless of the rights of proper
", but so utterly ignorant Of public affair
that their voting can consist of nothing
more than carrying ballot to the plac'
where they are directed to deposit il.
need not remind you that the exercise o
the elective franchise il the highest at
tribute of an American citizen, and wher
guided by virtue, intelligence, patriotism
and proper appreciation of our free insti
tntions, it constitutes the true basis of th,
democratic form of government in whicl
the sovereign power is lodged in the body
of the people. A trust artificially created
not for its own sake, but solely a. a mean
of promoting the general welfare-its in
faence for good must necessarily depen'
upon the elevated character and true allie
glance Of the elector. 1t ought therefor
| to be reposed in none except those who ar
6lted morally and mentally TO administe
| il we'll for if conferred upon persons WHIT
do not Justly estimate its value, and whC
are Indifferent as 10 its results, il will onl
serve as a means of placing power in th'
hands of the unprincipled and ambitions
and must eventuate in the complete dc
struction of that liberty of which it shoul
he the most powerful conservation.
| have, therefore, heretofore urged upo
| your attention the great danger 10 be ap
pretended from any unlimely extension o
the elective franchise to any new class i
our country, especially when large major
ty of that class, in welding the power TIM
placed in their hands, cannot be expecte
to correctly comprehend the duties and II
spOnsibilitieIwhichp pertain to suffrage, Iei
terdsy, as it were, 100000 of persons wer
held ia a state of slavery that existed 10
generations. To-day they are freemen, an
are assumed by law to be citizens. Ii car
not be presumed from their previous cond
ton of servitude that as a class they are a
we'll informed as to the nature OF onr gov
ernment a. the intelligent foreigner VII
makes our land the home of his choice. /
the case Of the latter, neither residence
five years and knowledge OF our lnstItu
tions which it gives, nor attachment 10 "a
principles Of the constitution, are the onl
conditions upon which be can be admltte
to citizenship. He must prove, IN add
ton, a good moral character, and thus giy
reasonable ground for the belief that /
will be faithful to the obligations winch b
assumes as a citizen Of republic.
Where the people, the source Of ali p
litical power, speak BY their suhraE