Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-05-22

The attention Of the country has been
so entirely absorbed for the past few
weeks in the impeachment excitement
and is now 50 engaged in watching the
movements preliminary to the Presiden-
tial canvass, that too little has been OBJ
served Of the infamous Radical work,
called Reconstruction. All know the
vile means by which the things called
constitutions have been cooked up in a
majority Of the Southern States that are
now pending ratification by the Radical
majority in Congress; but they have not
been sufficiently dissected to expose the
monstrous yillainy they contain. We
avail ourselves Of brief review Of the
Arkansas document furnished by the
National hteXigencey, to give the read
er a sample Of the work. Says that
journal
We regret that IL is not practicable in
this issue 10 present ia detail the manifold
objections 10 this Constitution The in
slrument is skillinlly contrived to throw
the present and future power Of the State
into the hands Of the negroes. Every
negro is allowed TO vote freely, unless be
should become convinced that the true in
terests Of his own race demand that the
whites should hold the power, and then he
becomes disfranchised. But there is the
feature Tepndiated e6ith laundering en-
phasis by the white Men of the North, and
so repugnant 10 the South-unlimited
negro suffrage What Michigan and Ohio
reject with loathing when offered in no
meopathic doses, is forced by wholesale
upon the whites Of Arkansas.
But il is not enough TO enfranehise ey-
cry brutal aud ignorant negro. The whites
are not allowed TO vote as a race by this
Constitution. Fally third are disfran-
chised by the terms of the constitutional
amendment, which this Constitution ex-
pressly adopts. They DISTINGUISHED all
who were ever in the Union lines and
there took the oath. but were subsequently
conscribed ia the Rebel army. There are
other clauses Of prescription, but the most
odious and comprehensive Of all is test
oath required of all who desire TO vote
and this test-oath is one Of political Opin-
iOn-aye, Of party political opinion. The
voter, in order TO vote, must swear that lac
will accept for all time the political
equality" OF the two races. lie is to sacri-
fee either his conscience or his vote. The
aim of this is to drive off from the ballot
box ali whites who hold as do the whites
of Ohio and Michigan, that negro suffrage
is a mischief apd degradation TO the white
race.
Under the head Of education. we find
that not only are the common schools 10 be
mixed with white and black, but that the
whites are to be compelled, By lar, 10 send
their sons and daughters 10 these schools, there
10 mar and associate Nth negro children. .
We lack language appropriate to express
our adherence of this vile and detestable
injustice towards people Of our own race
1t is a brutal and cowardly use of the
power of the government to inaict such
constitutions and governments upon these
people, The plan seems to be TO treat them
and the people Of the South ga men who
have forfeited all claim to he held within
the pale Of law, humanity and right. IL
this course were Justified by the acts of any,
is the inhiction of negro rule and equality
justihabie towards women and children
We fear that because these things do not
come home at once ard visibly the North,
they are not appreciated in their full sig
nifcance. They are visible, however, in
the ruin of beautiful country, whichthres
years of systematic agitation has 80 blight
ed that it is worse off than it was at the
close Of the war. We see the fruits ia the
reduced revenue returns, not only Of the
South, but of the North, and the increased
burden 10 the taxpayer. And if there be
those who think that this policy of con-
tinued persecution by which every feeling
of pride and selfrespect is sought to be
crushed, every interest trampled under
foot, until there Is no social order, and
capital flies at the prospect Of negro taxa
ton, can be maintained without exciting
feeling Of enlargement, he is sadly igno-.
rant Of the most ordinary impulses of hui
manity.