Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-04-18
Largest CireuIatiOn in City and State.
THE TENNESSEE OLIGARCHY.

ever, in the mind Of any intelligent and
candid man, that there is no such thing as
republican government in the State oi
Tennessee at present. There is what may
be denominated a Brownlow machine,
which seems to have the State under con-
troll, and to do things pretty much to its
liking, not deriving its power from the
people, and therefore not responsible to the
people for what it does. Those whom il
sees fit to oppress are Rebels, and have no
right TO complain.
II was a great misfortune for the people
of Tennessee that the State was reconstruc-
ted and admitted to its right of represen-
tation in Congress a year ago. The only
good accomplished by that admission ac-
crues TO few men who have been enabled
by il TO draw salaries as third-rate Con-
gressmen the evil is felt by iye-sixths of
the entire white population Of the State,
who were put by it beyond the pale of
Congressional reconstruction, and left at
the mercy of one of Mr.. Andrew Johnson's
bogus State governments, degenerated in
the hands of a worse man than its founder,
into a relentless and systematic persecu-
ton. The difference is this: Under the
Congressional policy Of reconstruction, both
blacks and whites would have been enfran-
chised and admitted TO the enjoyment of
civil and political rights; under the pres
ent regime in this Stat at least fve-sixths
Of the white population are disfranchised,
and public affairs are conducted by one
sixth Of the whites who vote and hold of
fee and the entire colored population, to
whom the egg of voting has been given,
with the meat of ofice-holding carefully
scooped out The negro has the inestima-
bic privilege of helping to elect white men
TO Office, and it may be further consola-
tion to him to know that even that was re-
luctantly dragged out of the white Radicals
by the fear that without it they would be
beaten in the next election.
Here, then, is a most singular condition of
affairs presented by the State of Tennessee
of being the only State in which secession
was attempted whose citizens were pun
ished with disfranchisement for participat-
ing in the rebellion. Under the recent act
Of Congress every Rebel in South Carolina,
Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia,
and the other Southern States, with a few
exceptions, scarcely numerous enough to be
noticed, is enfranchsed; while in Ten
nessee every Rebel is disfranchised and must
so remain until it shall please those who
owe their official station TO his disfranchise-
ment to ordain otherwise IL needs no
political foresight to predict that there will
be no peace within the borders of Tennes-
see 50 long as this anomaly continues; there
will be feuds, andNuarrels andstrifes with
out end in every part of the State while
Tennessee Rebels are the only rebels who
are denied the elective franchise. The
policy of Congress and of the country
is the enfranchisement of all nen-black
and white, Rebel and Union; and wherever
that is departed from, especially for the
purpose Of party tyranny, as in Tennessee,
there will be discord and turbulence, bor-
dering on riot and rebellion.
1t is true that, under the reconstruction
law, Tennessee would have been subjected
for a time to a military government; but l
doubt if any military government would
be more obnoxious than the proscriptive
pretense Of civil government now in force
Ii would be impartial, at any rate-which
those who know anything Of Governor
Brownlow need no assurance that the pres
ent administration of affairs is not
1t is a cheap and ready-made reply to all
complaints against such minority tyran-
nv as the State government of Tennessee
that "loyal men must govern the country"
If some reasonable definition of loyalty
could be agreed upon at this time, think
ID would save 4 vast amount of buncombe.
/ don't know of any better than that given
in the Junius letters" Loyalty in the
heart and understanding of an Englishman
is a rational attachment to the guardian of
the laws" This, changed to suit a repub-
lie, by emitting "the guardian" ought to
do very well and a man ought to be con-
sidered loyal who shows a rational attach
ment TO the laws Of the land and a willing
ness to obey them. "Once Rebel always
Rebel, ," is the Brownlow doctrine, l sup
pose, though il is worthy of remark that
there are special exceptions, as in the case
of Mr.. Stokes, who talked of the tyrant
Lincoln and the patriot Davis in 1861; ; and
more notably in the case of Mr.. Drake, of
Missouri, who wanted the Lincoln hire
lings driven out of Missouri after the Camp
Jackson affair. do not deny the personal
LOYALTY of these men; | only mention them
10 show that once a Rebel always Rebel
is not sound political doctrine. Mr..
Stokes became convinced that he had got
things mixed, and that Lincoln wasn't a
tyrant nor Davis much of a patriot, after
all. Mr. Drake soon learned 10 look upon
! the Lincoln hirelings as a very respectable
| class Of men, All that is asked now TO give
peace and harmony TO the country is that
such men as Stokes and Drake allow those
in whom il took four or five years TO effect
the change of base made by them in few
months a fair chance TO show that they
really have been convinced that the rebel
lion wasn't right As the arguments OF
Shiloh and Donelson and Nicksburg were
more powerful persuaders than those con-
tanned in the prospect of political promo
ton, so the conviction will in all probability
| be deeper and more manifest-only give II
/ A fair chance to show itself Therefore, LET
| Tennessee follow the example set by Con-
| gress in the other Rebel States. Enfran-
chise every man, black and white, and LET
| all have an equal chance 70 hold office.
Then there will be peace in Tennessee