Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-09-28
A BLACK MANS PARTY AND IFS
DANGERS

A BLACK MANS PARTY AND ITS
DANGERS.
1.-The whirlegig of time brings its re-
yenges, aud much sooner in this State
than was supposed a few months ago.
When the present franchise law was
pending before the Legislature, we
warned that body that in comforting the
right of suffrage upon the negro they
would introduce a most dangerous ele-
ment into our politics. But it was
deemed necessary to the success of the
Radicals in the August election that this
measure should be cOnsumn.ated, and
under this pressure it was forced through
the Legislature. How true is it that
those who wish to retain power seldom
weigh or take heed of the ultimate con-
sequences to others of the measures they
adopt for the purpose. The Radicals, in
their greed for Office and hatred of the
Conservative portion of the people, seemed
blind to what they were then doing, but
some of them have awoke to a realization
of the fruits they have brought, not alone
upon their political opponents, but upon
themselves. Only few days ago Secre-
tary Fletcher, strongly impressed
with the danger that menaced
one wing of the party with
which he has been acting, denounced a
large portion Of our Northern residents as
Adventures and "bnmmers," and
warned the negroes that if they suffer
themselves to be duped by designing and
unprincipled white men, who become
their candidates and look to them alone for
support white man. party will certain
ly be formed in self~defense, and it will
in the end include all white men" This
could not but be regarded as significant
coming from the man who is supposed to
have exercised a controlling influence
over the Governor This amounted to an
acknowledgment that the Radicals in
their efforts to retain power in their
hands, had invoked an element they
could not control, and which was as like-
ly to swallow up those of the party who
do not belong to the ring" as their po-
litical opponents. But the most signif~
cant wall of despair was uttered by the
Press and Times in its issue of the 9th
inst 1t makes this charge against Maj
Alden and his friends
They have inaugurated an iIliberal and
proscriptive warfare against all resident
Republicans, and we give notice that we
intend to see them through. They have
already determined for themselves who
shall be the next City Attorney, Sheriff,
County Court Clerk, Circuit Court Clerk,
and at the first opportunity they will make
a raid upon the judgeships and Congress.
They do not expect to accomplish their
purposes by white votes, but depend en-
tirely upon their skill in uniting the
colored voters against all old Republican
citizens. They care nothing for Republi-
can principles.
Here is confession that the Northern
wing of the Radical party in our midst
have so managed as to get control of
almost the entire negro vote, by which
they will be enabled to get control of the
county Offices, and thus leave "all resi-
dent Republicans "out in the cold .
Truly "the whirlegig of time brings its
revenges," and it has been speedy in this
case. The trap that was sprung to destroy
the Conservatives, has caught the men
who set it. The Press and Times now
sees that power has been placed in the
hands of the men who control the Loyal
Leagues which they can use effectively
10 their own advantage, and there is, ac-
cording to that paper, every prospect that
it will be done here But it will not be
to Nashville and Davidson
county, nor to Tennessee The same
Influences which the Press and
Times notifies the public are at
work here to give the control of all the
ofhces to that wing of the Radical party
which Secretary Fletcher charges is
of adventures and bum
ners from the North, have also been
put in operation in the Southern States
and like results may be looked for there
The same class of men who control the
Loyal Leagues here, control them in
he Southern States, and as the blacks
much more largely over the
whites there than here, as TO who will
control the offices and shape the legisla-
ion for the Southern people Elections
nave now been ordered under the recon-
3truction law of Congress in four of the
Southern States, viz Louisiana, on the
9th and 2Sth of September Alabama,
IN the lst, ID and Sd of October Nir-
yinia, on the 22d and 23d of October; and
Georgia, on the 10Th, both and 3lst of
October. The official result of the regis
ration is reported as follows
Louisiana-Whites4 "A, 732, blacks 81 ,907.
Alabama-Whites 72,74S, blacks SS,24S.
Virginia--Whitesl liz, Isl, blacks 10l ago.
Georgia-Whites 95, sos, blacks 93,4l7.
It will be seen that the blacks have ma
critics in Louisiana and Alabama, while
he white majorities in Georgia and Yir>
,inia are so small as to give the control
f these States, as well as Louisiana and
into the hands Of those who !
ontrol the negro vote through the |
Loyal Leagues" The registration has
'een completed ia Mississippi, but the
lection has not yet been ordered in that
tate The result Of the registration
hows 1896 white and 60, l67 black /
oters The registration has been
ompleted in South Caroliana, and
f course the negro element predomi-
ates there. There is reason to fear
hat the Northern wing of the Radical
arty, through the Loyal Leagues "