Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-04-24
MORE or BUTLER's RECORD-HIS
HATRED OF THE NEGRO.


We have already given a portion of
the record ofthe Rebel Radical candidate
for Congress in the first district, who is
also chairman Of the Radical State Cen
trail Committee We now propose to show
that he advocates the acknowledgements
forever of negroes in this State, to de-
prive them of the right to hold Office, and
to declare them incompetent to serve on
iuries or give evidence against white
man He made this bold move only a
little over two years ago, after il had be-
come a fixed fact that slavery had per-
ished forever in this country. Mr. But
Ter was a member Of the contention, or
primary meeting, as he called il which
met in this city in January, 1867, and
proposed the amendment to our constitu>
ton by which slavery was abolished in
this State On Friday, the 18th of Janu-
airy, Mr. Bingham proposed to take up
the report of the business committee
Che proposed amendment and sehedule)
by sections. The report of the proceed
ings of the convention then proceeds:
" Mr.. Bntler asked leave to make few
remarks and to offer an amendment. They
had made a hard fight and been fairly
beaten, and he now proposed that members
should harmonic. The amendment he
had to offer was for the purpose Of forever
depriVing negroes, Indians, and those Of
mixed blood, from the right Of voting,
holding Office, or being competent witnesses
in a court of justice against white man."
Judge Butler was opposed to this meet
ing resolving itself into constitutional
convention, contending that the members
had no right to assume such power, but
he was defeated, and that IS the fight to
which he refers
Subsequently the report of the BUSH
ness committee was taken up and acted
upon by sections The ninth section of
the schedule is as follows
"Section 9. The qualifications Of voters
and the limitation of the elective franchise,
may be determined by the Legislature
which shall first assemble under the
amended constitution"
When this section was read Mr. Butler
offered the following amendment:
"That we, partofth people, in primary
meeting assembled, have ordained and es-
tablished the following amendments TO the
constitution Of the State, which we recon-
mend to the people for their ratification:
That no negro, mnlatto, Indian, or person
of mixed blood, descended from negro or
Indian ancestors to the third generation,
inclusive, though one ancestor of each
generation may have been a white person,
shall exercise the elective franchise or hold
any Office Of honor or profit, nor shall they
be competent jurors in any court of justice
in this State, or give evidence against
white person."
After considerable discussion, this
amendment was laid upon the table.
The negroes in the first district are now
called upon to vote for this man as their
Representative in Congress, and yet if he
could have had his way, he would have
had engrafted upon our State eonstitu-
ton an amendment depriving them for
ever of all political and civil rights Had
the convention needed him, not a negro
in Tennessee could to-day have voted, or
appeared in court against white man.
Governor Brownlow was "A member of the
convention, and knew the position of MIR.
Butler, in regard to the negroes of this
State, and so fully did the Governor en-
dorse his position, that he appointed him
Judge of the first Judicial circuit only u
few months afterwards Let the negroes
in Tennessee look at the record Of this
put Of Governor BrOwnlow, and reflect
what would have been their condition to-
day could Butler have succeeded in his
design