Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-12-20
Radical Appeal for the Re-
m0yaI OF the Restrictions
I q ON the Franchise.
The Mistakes OF tennessee Radi-
Gals Pointed Ont by
q Radical. -
How the State May Prosper I'm
der a Less Stringent
15 3Pelley.
Rloln ths Memphis BalIstin, Dec. IS

1 ~~-AA
mendation of the leading organs OF thu
Republican party Of the nation, tina
their efforts to mitigate the unpleasant
sectional legacies of the war are neither
unobsefved nor disapproved. The IN
fortunate truth is (and the Bulletin al
WAYS prefers to tell the truth without
fear or favor, no matter whom it hurts
that the local prejudices and enmitles ex-
listing yet in Tennessee are far more ex>
tensive in their manifestations and alarm
ing in their tendencies than are those
apparent in any other State, not except>
ing either Missouri or Arkansas. The
number of males of voting age disfran-
chised in Tennessee is probably not less
than fifty>five or sixty thousand.
Wshave within the past two months
frequently pointed to the startling fact
that the result Of the presidential cleo
ton possesses absolutely no significance
in the face Ct such Wholesale disfran~
chisement We have shown the causes
of the national victory; and have proved
beyond controversy that the policy en-
dorsed by the nation is that enacted by
Congress in the reconstruction laws. We
have reprinted the declarations of ma
tional policy made by the party in its
national and State conventions, and have
shown that the party in every section
either does now conform 10 or is rapidly
approximating the national policy That
policy is briefly as follows
l. Disfranchisement for treason is in~
tended for the security of the loyal PEG pie
rather than as punishment for the
crime.
IL. 1t is designed to be temporary, to
be gradually abandoned as fast as the
security of the loyal people will Gdmit.
1t inevitably follows that those Repub~
Leans who advocate disfranchisement for
personal reasons, or as perpetual punish
ment, have dcviated widely from the
party policy, and cannot hope to be re-
ceived into the party councils. Those
who refuse to listen TO evidence that they
are not in harmony with the party, can
not expect to be recognized any longer as
Republicans Those who refuse TO cor
rect thsr course when it is shown to be
at variance with that Of the national party,
necessarily do not expect any further re-
cognition. The question to what party
they propose hencelorlh to belong is inns
material; since no party will tolerate
their support for any great length of
time.
There is reason to fear that some good
men are committing the politically fatal
blunder of placing themselves in antag-
onism with the nation. That they have
q personal right so to DO, we do not say
anything about; but We wish to insure
that they will do it with their eyes open,
not blirdly and ignorantly. This is why
we recur so often TO the point, and re-
peat so much that we have repeatedly
established. The Missouri Democrat of
the 10th has something to say of this
matter. The Democrat literally controls
the Radicals Of two States, and Yields a
vast influence in half a dozen others
Listen to it ::
lone of the most cheering signs Of the
times is the disposition of the Republi-
cans in such States as Tennessee, Ala
bama and South Carolina, to hasten the
return of peace upon the basis of man
hood suffrage. In the first organization
Of those States, some Rebels were dis ,
franchised, but the Republicans soon dis
covered that the class who were excluded
were really better and more trust
worthy set Of men than the sneaking
Conservatives who could not be reached
by any law. .In South Carolina and
Alabama restrictions imposed by State
law have already been removed, and the
Legislatures have petitioned Congress to
remove disabilities from others excluded
by national authority. In these States,
TO all appearance, harmony and whole
some and hearty support of the govern
ment are being rapidly restored, and the
State authorities find it easy to maintain
the peace. With Grant in the White
House, there will be no trouble.
Tennessee was very differently stu
ated. The Radicals there made the mis-
take Of establishing their government
peculiar violence Of tone adopted by many
Of their leaders, they drove away from
the Radical party many men who would
have supported less offensive policy
Presently it became necessary to adopt
negro suffrage, and even then new regis
tration laws were adopted TO place a
nearly absolute power in the hands OF
the Governor. The excitement in thai
State during the last campaign was in~
tense, and the rebel Democracy behaved
very badly in many quarters. But, now
that the election Of Grant gives assurance
Of the permanent settlement Of issues
growing out Of the war, leading Republi'
can papers are earnestly advocating a re
moval Of all local causes of continued
strife, and an adjustment upon the basi:
of manhood suffrage"
In order to "show the spirit which
seems to be prevailing among the Repub
licans of Tennessee" the DemOcra
quotes from the Huntingdon Hest Ten
nessedn and other Radical papers, ant
concludes as follows
"There can be no doubt that the ten,
dency of opinion, throughout the coun
try, is toward manhood suffrage as
basis of Just and permanent peace. II
different States differing circumstance
lead to variations Of opinion as to details
and we by no means wish to imply tina
the precise method urged in Tennessee
generally preferred. But the spirit an
the object. are everywhere the same
The spirit is that of the Chicago platform
The object is to restore peace by obliteT
ating all causes Of continued strife. Tn
rebellion is crushed beyond hope of re
vival, and we may now safely conside
measures for uprooting the spirit Of rebel
lion and removing the issues and dividin
lines which the war has caused"
1t is in this spirit that the DeDsOCTO
is steadily leading the Radicals of Mi;
souri, to the complete removal Of dislrar
chsement. The consequence Of the CT
dent tendency Of Radical opinion in thu
State is an unprecedented influx Of cap
tai and labor, to which the DemOcrC
points with commendable emulation
, Still, it proudly cries, 'the tide come
: rolling in, giving
ITO free Missouri new energy, ne
| industry, new life. OF 46S EN-
, grants who arrived at Columbus la
: week en- route to all points west of tn
0 al were going to Missouri So, by
hundred different avenues, from Europ
e from the Eastern States, from Ohio, Ind
ana, and Illinois, from the Northern ii
of States, and from Iowa, there come pou
4 ing into Missouri active, energetic al
,, intelligent men at the rate of two tho
n sand a month. Twenty thousand ne
e Radical voters every year. What chan
S is there of this State relapsing into 4
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