Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-11-08

racy correspondent Of the Cincinnati Com
meTciai, reappears under date Of 2nd inst.
and gives the substance Of Conversation
with acting Vice President Ben. Wade, OF
the political situation, As the expressions
Of one Of the most positive and least hypo
critical Radical leaders, his views will
prove of general interest. We extract a.
follows from Mack's" letter.
THE DEFFAT-ITs CAUSE AND RESULT.
salntea the old gentleman, ! q the Ian
guage of Artefnus Ward, How do yon
ike it ~ far as you've got? ~ It's the
fate Of war" said he, we're id badly
whipped, but il can't be helped. We must
get ready for another round at 'em."
"The nigger whipped u.s." said Mr..
Wade. Owe went in on principle, ana got
whipped. We should have carried the
State by a good majority if it hadn't been
for the suffrage issue. Still, | am not sorry
we made the issue. If it was to do over
again I'd be for putting it again, and Pll
be for keeping it up until we do win, for,
by the eternal God, they can't beat us all
the lime on 4 question like that. had no
idea that there were 80 many Republicans
in Ohio who were willing TO see negro suf-
froge in the South, bnt wouldn't let the few
niggers Of Ohio vote. That's what got me.
They all seemed TO be in favor of it "a a
measure Of reconstruction, Just as much as
was. didn't dream that they'd be mean
enough to vote against ii here"
In answer to question as TO whether he
thought the greenbaek issue had any thing
to do with the defeat, Mr.. Wade said he
didn't think it had. 1t was nothing but
the nigger. The greenback issue was not
fairly before the people, for when you come
TO siit the matter the Democratic speakers
made very little of an issue on the green.
backs The niger was the only strong
point they had, and they beat us on that,
fair and square; bat they'll have to keep
on beating us, for we'll give them no peace
till we beat them.
"Now," said Mr. Wade, "because we've
been whipped on the first trial, suppose
some of the weak-kneed brothers will he
for hacking ont on that question. But l
won't back id inch. Pm for il now as
strong as | was before the election, and
stronger, too, because there is more need of
being strong for il, 10 conquer a mean
prejudice. But you'll see men trying to
hush the thing up, and TO smother il and
to dodge il in every way they can, and
men who call themselves Radicals, too.
Hell's full of snch Radicals as we'll have
now. Pm for il because | think it's right,
and know it's right; and, if a thing is
right, the only way is to keep at it till it
wins, for it's sure 10 win sometime or
another. There is not great reform in
the history of the world that wasn't un-
popular at first. And not one of them was
ever carried by dropping it, and running
like scared hounds from it, after It was
beaten once. No, sir; we are committed
to the doctrine of universal suffrage, and
no man is a Republican who would desert
1t now. But, although that's my belief,
mark my word, there'll be the damndest
crawfishing You ever saw from this time
forward. Well, let them go. We can win
without them, and we will win, too Just as
sure as the AIaighty is Just and heaven
above us. 1t will become harder every
year for the Copperheads TO beat us on thai
issue, and they won't beat us very often
either, if we only make bold front, and go
at Elu WIN AAANA ba1 OiNlo SNEAg tAA4Cs
IMPEACHMENT-wHY IT FAILED LAsI
WINTER.
On the subject of impeachment, Mr.
Wade said he wished to be distinctly un.
derstood as expressing no opinion so far a;
Mr.. Johnson's guilt or innocence was con-
cerned He would, however, answer my
question as TO whether the late elections
would have any affect upon that matter
He thought they would. "You see" said
he "these weak-kneed brothers are taking
the back track already" Well now, what
the devil has an election in Ohio got 10 dc
with the matter? IL Andy Johnson i:
guilty, put him out; il not, aequit him
that's the way TO do il. They ought tC
have pressed the investigation right along
after they started it. And so they would
have done last winter, if there hadn't been
80 many men in the Senate and House who
wanted to keep on good terms with the
White House. There were too many mer
from Ohio and other States, who wanted
their brothers and friends appointed Il
Office, and knew that Andy was bidding
high for votes. 1t was one of the mos
shameful speciacles in the history of thi
or any other country, TO see men sellins
themselves and their constituents for Offic,
last winter. You pitched into a few o
them, in the Commercial, but Won only tolC
hnndreth part Of the truth. | wish tht
papers would take up every devil of 'en
and 60 after 'em. That thing will ruin th'
country vet if the people amt careful.
Some of them denied having made an,
effort to get these appointments, but know
how il was know that Andy was might,
particular to make his appointments to tn
best advantage, and he didn't give an oflic
where il wouldn't connt. Ii it hadn't beef
for thai internal thing of Office getting, tn
Impeachment would have been settled las
winter, as il ought 10 have been. don
know whether Johnson would have beel
turned out or not, but the thing would haS
been determined, one way or the other.
4 SUMMERS SUFFRAGE BuL-STATE RIGHT,
He believed that under the last clause c
the thirteenth amendment, giving Congress
power 20 enforce the abolition of SLAYER,
hv appropriate legislation, there was am
pie authority for the passage of the bill
ior no man was really free in this countr
unless he had the right 10 vote. But h
was a believer in State rights in a prope
and legitimate way, and did not know bu
that this hill was in violation of the righ
Of each State to regulate suffrage Some c
his party, he said, were in favor of whs
they called consolidation, bat he never wal
lie believed Is was necessary TO the prope
administration at the affairs of the govern
meni, that the States should have ceriai
rights, and he did not believe that Stat
rights should exist only for the purpose
representation in ihe Senate, and be
nullity for all other purposes.
GENERAL GRANT
Referring to Presidential matters, NJ
Wade said it had looked to him for a yea
past as if the Republican party would TAX
Grant up for President, and run him /
with n hurrah. He was sorry TO see tbs
disposition, and believed no good woul
come OF it. The trouble with Grant is,
said he, you don't know where he stand
II seems very singular that a man coul
have lived through this terrible war will
out identifying himself with any part,
and that men pretending TO be Republican
should try 20 rush him into the Whit
House without asking him a single Que.
tion AZ to where he stands on the eret
issues now before the country. still, hav
felt it in my bones that they would do tn,
very thing.
| asked SIR. Wade IL he had ever cor
versed With General Grant on politics
topics sr..
ssT hsvc tried n 40 itr said he q buf