Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-07-02
ROARING LOUD AND THUNDERING
IN TIL INDEX.

4
Il should not, though, for the Governor
has shown himself an adept in issuing
dull" Of this character On the 10Th
Of July, 1865, he Issued a proclamation,
from which we quote as follows
Whereas, it has been made known to
me that in many parts of Middle and
Western Tennessee, those who have been
lately in rebellion against the United States,
with their friends aud sympathizers-an
with hands yet red with the blood of our
loyal people-are either openly defying, or
indirectly setting at nsnght, an important
law Of the land and, whereas, it is made
the duty Of the Governor, by the constitu-
ton aud his oath Of Office, 10 take care
that the law be faithfully executed
Therefore, ], William G.. Brownlow,
Governor of the State Of Tennessee, do
proclaim, that the act Of the General As
sembly, passed on the 9Th day of June,
1865, entitled an act to limit the elective
franchise having been deliberately passed
under an express authority delegated to
said General Assembly by the convention
Of the 9th Of January last; which delega
Albh VI BghEA WdH bOtNlhhlJ AdblAANN W TIC
people at the ballot-box, and proclaimed
ley the military Governor, on behalf Of the
United States, as the organic LAWS THE
SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND and will be
rigidly enforced and all who shall band
themselves together for the purpose of de-
ieating the execution of said law will be
declared in rebellion against the State Of
Tennessee, and dealt with az Rebels"
Now, what did the proclamation
accomplish? In a message to the Legis-
lature, dated the 25th of November 1865,
the Governor said there had been a great
deal of illegal voting, and how were these
illegal voters-these men who set at
naught /" the supreme law of the land "
punished for their contumacy? In ad-
dition to the franchise law, we have on
our statute books laws for the puuish-
ment Of illegal voting Have you ever
heard Of any man being indicted for
voting illegally under this supreme law
of the land?' Not an Indictment, 50 far
as we have been able to learn, has been
framed not a single name has been sent
to a grand jury for violation Of this law.
Yet it is made the duty of the Governor,
by the constitution and his oath Of Of
fee, to take care that the laws be faith
fully executed " How did he enforce
the faithful execution of the franchise
law, about which he was laundering in
his proclamation Of July 10, 1865 Why
he set down and made a calculation to
ascertain how many votes it was neces-
sary to to take from Dorsey B. Thomas to
elect Arnell, and without the semblance
Of authority, he threw out and did
not take into account, sufficient mum
Der of votes for this purpose; and then,
as if his conscience prieked him with a
reminder of his oath, he added
1 am relieved of much responsibility
by the fact that my decision is not conclu-
siYe, and that the question is still open for
the action of Congress"
He tried the same game as between
Gov. Campbell and Sam. Carter, but even
his conscience could not cover that case,
and he had to give Campbell the certif-
cate
Here was the punishment he inflicted
upon those he declared had voted illegal
ly. He threw out the votes Of whole
counties, yet it was susceptible of proof
that nearly all if not the whole of the
voters in these counties had complied with
the requirements of the franchise law in
the matter of registration. Indeed, there
is a note to his message or report to
the Legislature Of November %, 1865, as
printed in the appendix to the Senate
Journal, but not in the journal itself as
follows:
"NoTE.-Afler the foregoing report was
submitted, additional reports were received
from the counties of Hawkins and McMinn,
which show these counties correctly regis
tered They will, therefore, be 50 regard
ed W. @. BRowNLow."
Now bear in mind that he had thrown
out the entire vote of these two counties
because it was clearly illegal" the
proof Of which he claimed to have in his
possession. Here is a specimen of the
caprice which governs this usurper
And this was the punishment inflicted
upon the men he solemnly declared had
violated "the supreme law of the land"
No arrests no trials, no fines, no impris-
onment ooh most lame and impotent
conclusion p
Let us now see how the Governor
stands in regard to the intention of the
trainers of laws. We do not suppose
there is a man ia the State who entertains
a doubt that it was the intention Of the
trainers of the franchise act Of June 5,
1865, not only to disfranchise every |
Il Rebel" but to render all such ineligi- |
bic to office. IL was the boast Of the |
Radicals that such was the intent and
Of the law, and the Governor, in
effect, proclaimed this as the Interpretation
his proclamation of July 10, 1865. |
In message to the Legislature, dated |
the 18th of April 1866, the Governor
said of the disregard of the intention Of |
this law:
1.-TWO elections have occurred since your |
deliberations were broken up by the action
IF portion of the House; the one a gen.
,ral election Of county officers on the 30 of |
March. the other q special election Of |
twenty four Representatives and two Sen |
,tors. in different parts of the State. The
,esult Of these elections, carefully studied, |
sill furnish you much Instruction. the dis |
,harge of your personalities. twill appear
hat the public safety absolutely requires
thorough revision of the present suffrage |
avs. While il is true that in many coun-
les in West Tennessee a very creditable,
md in some instances, a successful effort
vas made to execute the act of the 9th OF
June last, in some counties Of that section,
md in the greater portion Of Middle Ten
lessee, the law was totally disregarded. In
he county Of Davidson, for instance, where
here has been so much clamor against the
aw, charging that three-fourths Of the peo~
lie were DISTINGUISHED by it, the aggregate
rota avcaeded nv over n thQusand the |