Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-03-28

/ for blacks as well Is whites as a sine qua
/ non, the work of reconstruction may as
well begin In Ohio as in Virginia, in PENN
/ sylvania as ip North Carolina. .....,.
When / contemplate ten millions of our
/ fellow citizens OF the South, withnoaherna-
tive. left but to impose upon themselves
this fearful and untried experiment of COM
/ plete negro enfranehisement and white dis
reimbursement III may be almost completed,
or submit indefinitely to.the rigor of mar
tial law, without single attribute Of free
men, deprived OF, all the sacred guarantees
our federal constitution. and Threatened
with sven worse wrongs, ii seems to me
iheir-eondiiion IL she most -deptoFable 10
which any people Gamble reduced. 1t Is
true that they have been engaged in rebel
lion, and that in their attempt 10 bring
about separation of the States and disco
lutioha6ahe Uaion there was an obligation,
resting upon every loyal citizen to treat
them as enemies and to wage war against
their cause. Infexibly opposed TO any
movement ,imperilling the integrity of
the government / did not hesitate TO urge
the adoption of all measures necessary for
the suppression of the instruction. After
a long and terrible struggle the efforts of
the goyefnmeht we're stfiRmphtly Success
FIJI, and the people Of the South, submitting
to the stern arbitrament, yielded forever
the issues of the contest Hostilities termi-
mated; soon after 1t became my duty to as
sumo the responsibilities of the Chief Ex-
ecutite officer of the republic, and | at
once endeavored TO repress and control the
passions which civil strife had ehgehdered,
and, no longer regarding these .erring mil
lions as enemies, again acknowledged them
as cur friends and our countrymen. The
.wsr, had accomplished its objects the
nation was saved; and that cardinal prin-
ciple of mischief, which from the birth of
the government had gradually but ineyita-
bly, brought on the rebel Ion, was totally
eradicated. Then, it seemed to me, was
the suspicious time to'c6inmence the work
of reconstruction ;,then, when these. people I
sought once more our friendship and pro-
lection, considered it our duty generously
to meet them in he spiritsof charity and
forgiveness and q co2auar lseag more
efiectually by the anfniiF of NE ma
ton than bythe Force of It's 5rms.
/ yet beievesllatif the>pelicy of recon-
struction, Siphugurated, and which con-
templated an early restoration of these
people to alt fkeir polificafrigilta,-had re-
ceiveasfae lppoft' Of Congress, every one Of
theee tea SfaSss and Their. people Would 81
thik mcniet BE anchored IN 8lle UuiBn.
and fsie great pofk which siTs Die war III
its sanesfan; and made IT jus ana holy,
would hages been Iishsda Then
over all theyast and frdi BIZ the
prevailed, w4sile now millio are de-
prived Of rights gaaranfesd IS the consti-
tuition to every citizen, and after nearly
two years of legislation, find themselves
placed under an absolute military des-
potism. "a military republic a gov
eminent formed on mock Ielectio9s and
Supported only by the sword" was nearly
a quarter of a century since pronounced by
Daniel Webster, when speaking of the
South American States, as "a movement,
indeed, but a retrograde and disastrous
rnOveaieht, lrom1he regular andsolds fashs
ipned monarchial system; and" he added,
iif men would enjoy the blessings of re-
publican, government they must govern
themselves by reason by. mutual counsel !
and consultation, by sense and feeling of |
general interest, and by the acquiescenre Of !
themin0Eity in the will Of the majority |
properly expressed, and, above all, the mil |
itary must be kept according to our bib of |
rights, in strict subordination to the civil |
authority" Whenever this lesson is not |
both learned and pracliced there can be no |
poldieA Ireedofn3 Tits absurd, Esprepoqte5 n
ro6s; II f. scof and aasatire on constitu-
tional liberty for forms of government to |
be prescribed by military leaders and the |
right.Of suffrage to be exercised at the !
point Of the sword. rae ass |
/ confidently believe that a time will |
come when these States will again occupy !
their. tr1e positions ip the Onion. Z The |
barriers which now seem so obstinate must |
yield to the force Of an enlightened and |
Just public opinion, and sooner OF later I
Unconstitutional and oppressive legislation
will be effaced from" our Statute books |
When this shall have been consummated, |
| pray God that the errors, of the past be I
fbrgotteny and that once more we shah be /
Happy, united and prosperous people, and |
at hist, after The Bitter and eventfttl' expe-
Iience through which the nation has passed, |
We shalt an come to Know that OR only |
safety is in the preservation Of our Federal
Constitution, and in according to every /
American citizen and to- every State the
rights which that constitution affords, Ia
ANDpE1V IOuNsoy