Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-09-11
SELF-PROTECTION.
What Aboat Employing Radical Pro-
serlpftOnfstsF.-E efter from Dr Bowen
20 Hon. A. A. steele Osl the Subject

| 1B67--HoE. A. A: SrEELE-MY DRA
SIR Eighty thousand white men, in Ten
nessee, constituting the mass Of the intelli
gence, and large majority Of the tar
payers OF the State are prescribed from
any participation IN the affairs of gov
ernment These eighty thousand men ar
as Loyalty ohedientf0 the laws, and as re
spectful 70 the authority of government
State and Federal, as any equal number ar
in any State in the United States. Thei
exclusion from the right to vote. and from
the consequent exercise Of all politica
| privileges, enslaves aud degrades them
POLITICALLY they are enslaVed and degraded
| Wheiher this political enslaVement anC
degradation is right OF wrong, no man with
the least sense Of honor, or the sma1les
degree OF intelligence, will stop one mo
ments 20 iinquiTe' He who would contend
that i is right is too far outside of the
pale OF honor for even contempt, or sunk
too low in the scale of Intelligence for
notice. This is not question of ordinary
difference Of opinion in which men may
be equally honest and equally patriotic.
which ever side they may occupy. That II
is a fragrant wrong and outrage for one set
OF men 20 enslave and degrade another.
admits of no question. To do 20 in the
light OF the nineteenth century, is to ex-
hlbit the meanest and most cowardly
tyranny. .-
This then is the attitude which the peo-
pie Of Tennessee sustain to each other to-
day; the prescribed and politically en-
shaved, constituting a large majority of the
white race, including the mass of the in.
telligence, and most Of the taxpayers of the
State on the one side, and on the other
their proseribers, and vindietive oppressor5
composed Of a lean minority of the white
race, many Of whom deserted the late
Rebels when their cause began TO wane
and their new allies the negroes. / have
above briefly stated the situation as it ex-
lists in Tennessee, and in language as mild
and as little imbued with passion as
possible. In view of what human nature
is known TO be, with what kind of FEELINGS
and sentiments DO the DISTINGUISHED. politi-
cally enslaved and prescribed majority
necessarily regard that yindicliye minority
of white men, and the ignorant negroes
who thus disfranchise, ensIave, and pro.
scribe them? Is II possible that they should
ever patronize them in any way, or mingle
with them in social life2 Can men. once
free, and with whom the memory of thai
freedom still remains become so lost toihe
dignity OF manhood as not to scorn the
very presence of those cowardly creatures
who IN the hour Of weakness would strike |
them down? Self-respect may forbid any
outburst Of passion; respect for the laws and |
regard for the peace Of society, will restrain |
all violence, but a deep and bitter sense Of
wrong and injustice, and lofty contempt
for the mean and cowardlv manner in |
which this wrong and injustice was done |
will dig an impossible gulph between the |
oppressed and their oppressors. Men who !
have been free, and who are the descend |
ants Of freemen, the memory of whose gal !
liant deeds in freedoms cause still insrires !
them, can never entertain other than feel 1
ings of bitter hate and uncomfortable hos /
tility toward those who Cypress and en-
slave them. This is human nature. as II is /
illustrated on every page which records |
the history Of man.
The natural and inevitable result of this |
state Of things is, that the negroes in Ten
nessee will be deprived of homes and |
thrown out Of employment, 10 the extent of
the power Of the disfranchised and en-
shaved majority Of the people. Political
power they have none, but moral and social |
power, which is much stronger. they have.
the whole Of which will be exercised in
and retaliation Nothreats Of
conhscation, or further degradation. can /
prevent its exercise. The very instincts of !
every true man assure him that there Is
no safety in yielding to such threats. Con
fiscation Of private property in peace
What is it? Ii is robbery! The man
who talks about the cOnfscation of private
property in time Of peace, if he knows
what he is talking about is a robber, and
would steal, If not deferred by fear. You
save your property or your life by
yielding to such a man. The threat Of
coniscation is threat of war. Confsca-
lion is the exercise of a war power and
measure only resorted to in war. Il is
ridiculous absurdity to talk of confscationi
in time Of peace. When that begins there
will be no peace God have mercy on the
cowardly traitors who talk of confseation
If any one dreams that he can save his
property by yielding TO the threats of such
traitors he is wofully mistaken. Having
deprived you of your liberty, which is much
bearer 10 every true man, they will not
hesitate, by any scruples of law or CON
science, 10 take your property if they dare
10 so. Every man worthy the name will
axe six feet by three Of his real estate
ather than resign his right to control IL.
When that hour arrives life will be no
onger valuable 10 every such man, and he
will sell il as dearly as possible.
But then these are only the threats of I'm.
,rincipled towards and would be-rulers
Of IL IL |
iscation of private property in time of
'eaee is an impossibility. 1t cannot be
lone. Let towards and traitors therefore
hreaten and buster; all true men will
tand firm, and simply refuse to prostitute
heir manhood, orsacriice their self-respect
~ licking the hand raised to smite them,
'r 10y harboring their enemies.
My dear siI, | have written as | have |
more in sorrow than in anger You know
hat am not one of the prescribed, so far
IS the right 20 vote is concerned. Il is
we'll known 20 YOU that no man in this
lation sympathized less with the move.
nent TO establish Southern Coniederacy
han ! did; no mans feelings entered
tronger into opposition to that movement
han mine did and no man did more i'm
TO his ability aud means TO pre-
ent its success than did. In taking
hat course ! thought and still think | was
light; but ! never bargained for disfran~ [
Kissing and enslaying a majority of my
who differed from me, and
n doing so were equally honest and equally
'atriotic with myself. l should hate nv
ELF we're / capable of such meanness and
nch malice. -
Towards the poor negroes, who are sim
ly the victims of the times, have enter
aimed only feelings Of kindness. For
hree years, seven families of this now I'M
Drtunate race have bad homes on our s
lace, in preference TO my own race. They
ave done, so FAR as being industrious
nd moral are concerned, as well as I |
ad any right to expect. In renting
hem land and giving them employment as
reedmen, 1 and my family we're the pio-
eers in this country. We exposed our
elves to no little odium, and much severe
r1uclsm on that account They we're in :
'esied with the elective franchise, very
nwisely as / thought but I never attempt.
q 10 use any influence with them. The :
esult OF their action IN their first exercise
I me franchise is before the world. In
tennessee they are unit against the white
nan. They have become nv enemies nv
rRying themselves as the enemies of M