Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1867-07-12
ADDRESS OF THE EXECUTIVE COM
MITTEE OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE.

FELLOW CITIZENS: The crisis now upon u!
is more important than any, except perhap!
one, which has ever arisen in the history O
our State. To glance only at the past, oul
people remember, what is not fully appreci
ated by the outside world, how ardently they
were devoted to the Union and the Constitu
ton, and under what circumstances Of rev.
olutionary confusion they were led ant
forced into the late unhappy rebellion. With
little assurance of protection from the gen.
eral government and overwhelmed BY th,
power of revolution originating in more
Southern States, the State of Tennessee yield.
ed late, and only in part and that after strong
resistance, to the dominion of a government
which successfully excluded the power Of thu
Union, and held undivided sway over thu
entire commonwealth from the spring O
1861 to that Of 1862, nearly an entire year
The power of the general government t.
suppress the rebellion and preserve the Unior
was, during most of the war, doubted by
even its friends; and its success was regard
ed by its enemies and by lookers-on as ut
terly improbable.
Under these circumstances the mass Of oui
loyal people at first acquiesced in what they
considered inevitable; and from this by an
easy step they were led into participation in
and sympathy with, the unfortunate struggle
The inevitable circumstances of civil war
tended also to ALLEVIATE the feelings of the
people from government whose army ira.
versed and destroyed their country. This Il
.he great crime OF wnich our people are
neid guiity. py Whicn hadicaiism says they
nave acquired the legal rlght 10 DC hanged
ana the divine right 10 be damned: Bu'
we know, feiiow-citizens, that thongh many
OF you iougnt gaiianuy, win naked' bieed'
ing rect, ana unciad, shivering limos In ths
service OF cause wnich you mad learned te
regard as holyi yet, when overpowered py
numbers and suodued oy want you laid down
your arms anu returned pennies 70 your
oesoiatea ana Impoverished nomes' you sur
rendered III good iaitn' You were ready to
return 10 your arrogance 10 the government,
OF the onion' You nave since acted IN good
iith. "A more quiet ana orderiy people, AZ
tne enu OF long ana civil war, was neVei
seen on the Iace OF the eartn. fou nave oeen
met IN oad iai'h. your uisiranehisement mas
oeeh maze more ana more absolute Inc
oeeh maue tne most infamous .na' ever uis,
graced statate oook IN america as toward
you WHO participated IA tne reoeiiion, ana ~
VINO ever sympauized WIN you ana yet
IN .ne sumlnistra,ion Oh tnat law, ,he law "
sell Is ualiy violated, ana its provisions wrest-
70 your ulsparagement ana 10 deieat your
ew remaining rights unuer us PROVISIONS
we say TINS, feilow-eitnens oil tennessee,
not 10 discourage you we woaiu arouse
you 70 one more enort--the hrst enort wnich
you nave mad the opportunity 70 make-to
regain your lost liberties. Under the hrsi
FRANCHISE law which the Radical minority
passed, they were beaten, though the hadl.
cal party carried at that time not 1.-THE oil
the iniamy on their shoulders which now
bears them down: They passed another; pu,
under It found their success but partial and
unreliable, auguring certain defeat N the NJ
ture. tnifd in'amy was enacted, ~ sh'cb
they hoped TO succeed. Is their success esr-
tain under the new iawf Why should you
think there is no ehanoef This new law is
but an experiment-an untried experiment.
Fearing themselves i would not saoceedl the
Radicals passed another and fourth act OF in.
fanny, more bare-faced than any which had
preceded II. The Legislature assumed 10
perform the judicial function OF declaring
void the registration OF the single county Of
Davidson "the registration heretosore ha !,
under the franchise law passed June 3, 1866,