Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-12-05


intelligence among them TO qualify them
for Legislators. The result of the repeal of
the sixteenth section would inevitably be
to fill the halls of legislation with colored
men, and the interests of the State would
be left in the hands of those who were not
competent TO take care of them.
Mr.. Williams addressed the House at
length in opposition to the bill. e..
Mr.. White of Greene, in the afternoon,
spoke in advocacy TO the bill.
Mr.. Taylor, of Carter, made speech in
opposition.
Mr.. McFall concluded Tuesdays dis
cussion in opposition to the repeal.
DEBATE IN THE SENATE.
On Tuesday, the Senate took up its bill
TO repai the sixteenth section.
Mr.. Cary discussed the bill at consider
able length, in a calm but decided spirit,
the substance of his argument being as fol-
lows: / am bound by the pledge Of the
convention which nominated me, and We
are all bound by the pledge of the February
convention which nominated Gov. Brown
low, and by the course and pledges of our
party and its speakers during the canvass,
WHICH Itetlllttl HI vi thAh
$4,000 votes, togiye our votes and influence
for the repeal of the sixteenth section Of
the franchise law. 1t was one of the prin-
cipal issues in the canvass, and we are I'M
der instructions from the people TO re-
peal it.
But, without such pledges and instruc-
tions, / would favor the passage Of this
bill on the solid ground work Of reason
and Justice. If | were to regard 1t as a
mere partisan measure, | think | could
show that the unity and success of the Re-
publican party in Tennessee depends upon
its passage-that in it is bound up the
life of the party, and that party will sur
vive or perish, az it onght to do, as the prin-
ciples of this bill are adopted or rejected;
but when the rights of men as men are con-
cerned there should be no thought of
party. do not, therefore, support this
measure as a stroke of party policy. The
Conservatives or Democrats in the last cam
vass were not opposed to this principle and
their orators and candidates sought to be
more eloquent than ours in their denuncia-
ton of the disabilities resting on the coll
ored people and in their promises to re-
move them if placed in power, and hence
we may say that the principle was in
dorsed by the great majority of the peo-
pie of the State without distinction oil
party.
Mr.. C.. then proceeded to review the OBJ
ections to the bill, the first being to the
constitutional power of the Legislature in
the premises He reviewed the history OF
the convention, the ninth section of the
schedule, and argued that the power of the
Legislature was limited to the matter OF
the elective franchise, and had no relation
to the other franchises of holding Office
and sitting on .iuries that the franchise
act was the result of "A union of constitu.
tional and legislative powers; that par
relating to the voting franchise being con,
stitutional and all the resi- legislative, and
the sixteenth section fell under the latter
and was as repealable as any other statute
He fortified this position by referring tc
the history of the legislation and the pro
visions of the act, ard especially to th'
clause that it should take effect from anC
after its passage provision never ap
| piled to constitutions, but exclusively u
statutes. All of the act which was ex
pressiy authorized by the ninth section 0
the schedule was a part of the constitution
| the remainder was merely an act of AS
sembly, and repealable at the will Of tn
Legislature.
He next discussed the objections to tn
merits of The bill, saying they were th
same that Kings, Emperors, oligarchs
usurpers and tyrants always used, 'ths
the people are not fit for self-goVernment
/ IL =. = i.
that the Declaration.of Independence is
falsehood, that a government of equal law
and equal rights, government of the PEG
pie for the people is false in theory and in
possible in practice, and true republica
government failure He then advocate
the perfect equality of all men before tn
law, saving he wished to live in a govern
ment where no child can say to anothe
"My parent is better in law than thine, stan
thou aside-Where no man can say To al
other, 'the government has clothed me wit
greater power and dignity, therefore d
reverence and bow down but whel
every free, innocent man may feel tt
encouragement of recognized manhoot
and the dignity of citizenship, and that
| il. in the eve of the law and the favor
the government the peer and equal
every other man. Where is the room in
republican government for inequalities
How can they be justified? Do yon sa
that nature has fixed the inferiority of ii
colored man by giving him a blaC
skin? He can tell rs that the Almigh
| gave us pale faces. as a badge of our inf
riority. We can say nothing to them tn
they cannot say to us. They have Just {
much absolute authority TO say that tn,
are our superiors as We have to say We a
theirs. The range cf difference of men
this regard is so great that no fixed stan
ard can be raised as a measure 10 the di
tributiOn of rights, save that of manhoO
He then passed to the subject Of soci
equality. There is no free citizen in III
country, whatever his color or howev
humble his condition, who is not 20
social equal, my social equal, and the soci
! equal of every other man who walks I
: | sod. We have the right to invite him in
, ! our society, to our homes aud our hOsI
I tality, and he has the right to refuse
I accept. He, too, has the right to inv
, | rs TO his house, and we the right to acce
, or refuse. He has no right TO demand I'll
/, we shall invite him to our homes and il
, our society, and we have no right 10 {
I. mand admittance into his. In our hon
/. we are masters, kings and whether 10
or lowly, no man has Alright to disturb
> The man in his house is supreme mast
r and though he may not be equal by actl
A association, vet no man possesses a soc
i right which others do not possess; a
/ whatever laws we may pass in refereT
# to the political rights of men, this soc
A law, this social equality will not and G.
not be disturbed.
"a But it is urged that the colored peO
are ignorant Ifso the whites are respt
A sible for il, and cannot take advantage
2 their own wrong; and We cannot ask Il
p the punishment of our sins should be visit
=. upon their heads. If ignoranceshould d
10 quality, why not raise standard
- black and white alike, and let educate
!. be the test for all 1t is afso said that
a blacks are poor. That is generally tr
n bat their toll has been unrequited, and q
N could not be rich. We are told that Il
A. are worthless vagabonds. This is
70 true. They have displayed courage,
n thence industry and worth since they W
10 freed, that has disappointed and anna
N their enemies. Take the white sons
@ daughters Of Tennessee to-day, with
w their boosted superiority, with all the
m vantages they have had, with all their
Id ucaiion and intelligence, experience
ne selfrelisnce, and turn them loose M
the world, without homes, without mon
ho without lands without friends and ain