Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-02-27
Largest Circulation in City and State
ARNELL On THE RECONsrRUCTION


Bill.
The following is a full report Of the re-
marks made by Mr. S. Nj. Arnell, Of Ten
nessee, in the House Of Representative on
the 18Th inst. on the reconstruction bin :.
Mr.. Arnell-Mr. Speaker, at this late
hour midnight-the remarks I make shall
have the merit Of brevity. For speech
making generally have but poor respect.
! belong 10 that class OF men who believe
what man does is infinitely more yalua-
bic than what he SAYS. Yet ] cannot sit
by quietly without expressing my protest,
ave, my horror Of the principles incOrpora-
ted In the liflh section Of the bill before the
House, that makes Rebel electors the basis
Of reconstruction. / do not believe that
the country is ready 20 abandon the doc
trine that loyal men must control. That
such proposition shOuld be even made in
the American Congress strikes me with ap-
prehensiOH. Is this the fruit Of our long
struggle? Can the heart and the brain
and the patriotism Of the thirty-ninth Con-
gress frame nothing better than this? Why,
pass this bill AZ il comes from the Senate
and YOU hand over the South to hopeless
and irretrievable Rebel rule and ruin. 1t
is the iron chamber" ia the Inanisiiion,
seemingly fair and beautiful and inviting.
yet in the end, with closing and narrowing
walls, viii crush is poor victims TO re-
morseless and unavailing death. Say the
best Of 1t, il is a delusion and a cruel snare.
What does this section propose TO do? To
set aside the Rebel governments Of Andrew
johnson and to build up other Rebel gov
emments in their stead that will over
81 a. III 49, 4
ows the dark rock at its base.
] think we had enough Of Rebel rule
acted in this terrible tragedy. But the an
swer to all this is Congress will have con-
troll Of them. DO you distrust the fortieth
Congress- What ought to be distrusted
and Indignantly rejected is Rebel rule. If.
the thirty-ninrh Congress, with the cries of
murder and suffering borne to it upon every
breeze from the South, is disposed to shuttle
off its duty, what right have we TO expect
aid from any future Congress? What is
really the object Of reconstruction To
establish loyal governments at the South
How? This Senate bill proposes to do it
10y giving the matter entirely into the hands
of Rebels. Some one says, except such
as may be disfranchised byrebellion" All
Cunningly devised. Who is to disfranchse
them Themselves Now, considering
their native modesty and backwarduess in
such matters, when is this likely TO occur
la Tennessee il required Union men. The
hlth section 10 this bill gives the entire
power and the leadership to the Rebels
And who ever gets the leadership at the
South will prevail The colored man is
the last reinforcement Of the republic; yet
this bill proposes 10 give his aid 10 whom
To the national cause, to progress, 60 civili-
cation, 10 liberty, 30 human rights Oh,
no but to the enemy, to treason Are we
encompasscd with come hideous nightmare
that men talk so wildly?
Gentlemen tell as that we must not dis
franchise the masses Of the South, or the
intelligence and honor" of the South,
Was itnOt this Intelligence and honor"
that opened your three hundred thousand
Union graves whose occupants to-day are
not safe from sneers in their very collins?
And have these martyrs not died in
vain if our reconstruction is Rebel recon-
siruction Under the mask and claim Of
fairness ] see stalk to the front the armed
traitor. And, Mr.. Speaker, when the ere
7peCtabllitv Of numbers outweighs the |
demands Of worldwide Justice ] tremble |
for the safety of my country. VIII this ma
ton, even by indirection, sci the precedent |
that "hrst-class criminals cannot be pun
ished2 False, hollow paganism pointed its
votarie5 70 a higher idea of Justice than |
this. Apollo was hanished from the court |
of heaven for crime and made 10 keep the |
locks Of Admetus.
Mr. Speaker, what ! rose 10 say particu- |
larry was that IN NV opinion there is no
cure for the evils that alllict the country but |
90 render kopelessly powerless the Rebel |
element at the South. Congress exhibits |
an unaccountable indecision in this matter |
Let il no longer hesitate, but do its duty.
One other thing ! wanted 10 say. In |
every one of the oll-reConstructcd States |
there b. Union sentiment that only needs /
your support to assert itsell-a poor, down
rodden, ostmcised maligned, and perse
cuted class, vet men who hoped on and
prayed ON, and to-day hope on and pray ON,
when seemingly every friend hut God has
left them. appeal TO you ON their behalf
word more and close
pray this House not 20 strike down at
one fell blow the organizations Of Tonnes.
see, Missouri and West Virginia. The
North pledged itself TO stand by the Union
lists Of these States. We ask their repre-
scntatiyes 10 fulfill this pledge Time has
shown the wisdom of the loyalists of these
States. In Tennessee we have planted
ourselves upon the broad platform Of the
rights Of men," All this has been effect
ed by loyal suffrage new civilization is
beginning at the South DO not turn il
backward. We are getting further and
further away from our beliefs and preiu-
dices, and are approaching nearer to new
aud better ones. In Tennessee We are the
skimishers bringing ON the great battle,
and remember il is the nations battle, and
the victory when won, will be the nations
victory Daily, trucl,le, falter in the great
work, and we are gone. We must fight At
close quarters. / hope that the Senate
bill in its present form will not he
agreed 10.