The Union flag. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1865-187?, 1868-01-10
Latter Nom Cant. NaekNr.

NASHVILLE, Vennessre,
December, 18th, 1851.
BEAa SrRrs: Z viii again trouble yoat6 read.
Rbrlef letter from me, as mn about taking
~ leare Of Nashville on Il short trip TO the
! Baekeye State. lWIll frst tell you how |
| did when / came to the Legislature. At frs,
fijast sat still in my seat SRdeyOted, and J.
stujiously attempted tpi yote right on. al
questions, or at least what i thought. to- be.
\ right. After ! Became accustonitd 10 the
us0seS 0t the Housed began TO pdct in, aud
nov | am vain enough 10 think. thar ! have
aoIae little Rhuence.4 have turned loose Il
few iilnes bit not once have raised my
voice or cast my vote for mrs JlMcsIabs. |
told my constituents, thati ii thtt sent NE to
the Legislature, | would 90. desert the prin-
eipleS OF the party 60 which | belonged, and
thas far | an sure haze not done so, ana
more lhRn that, rather ihaA Prove tnlse 10
The doctrines OF the great Republican party
! will resign my seat and come home. |
know some persons who still cling to their
acknowledgements the negro, VIII object
70 my vote 10 regard 10 TIE repeal OF the 10th
%Eection. submit TO the rlhd OF any SEN
siSlc man, IL that il not the expressed policy
Of the' Republican party as SET forth in IT'S
platform and rs carried out in the legislation
Of Congress, Who does not know, that reads
anything that the Republicans have prom i
uent in their plstlorM, and b~lozoued in All
their speeches, resolutions and newspaper
articles, that noble sentiment in the Declara-
lion Of Independence. we huil THESE truths
To- be self-eyident, that all men are created
equal, and that other %wAlchword, "all
rights to III men and that the doctrines
embodied In these expressions are the doe
trihSs Uf the Republican porty {? Shsl We
Mho claim to belong to this great Republi-
! can party split up into factions ana one TAG
uoa adhere to The doctrines Of Inc party and
the other faction dissent from Them and Join
the copperheads il their pitable how. Of
negro equality? ?
When this question vas being discussed
in the House some East Tennessee constiid-
t.OuSl lawyer took the ground that the 18th
section was a part and parcel Of the conSti-
, tuition aud therefore was no, repealable hy
legislative enartm,ut; bu. pretty sOon thnt
| preie1t was removed by an amendment which
put the law INTO such Y shape that ii Tirtu-
ally repealed the lGt section provided II is
not t. part Of the constitution, buy which In
its terms did not refer 10 the 18th section and
which viii inevitably neceSsitate the decis-
sion of the question by the Supreme Court,
the very thing WHICH they at Brst GHjl they
| wanted, but whrH the direct issue rntne up
they voted against the bill. : viii Just ex-
: plain whit ! mean in regard to the question
AZ to whether the 10th section Is apart eft the
constitution. The convention which aSsvmv
died at Nashville Oh the 2!nd Of Hebruagy,
1865, TO proceed 10 -eorSauizr our State gov
avuu,rpt 1olawatal n Tho uuyf E.N,.rVl A.
ssmuly that Should convene, the power " to
iimit the qualification Of voters and IT gulate
the elective franchise mad that their. action
on that subject should be Il pant uf the cou-
sritutiop of the State; but tina, Legislature,
~ think, ;rausrending the power delegat-
cd 10 It, after il had limited the quail ~icatiuu
Of voters and regulated the elective fran
ehIse, added as | think, an entirely migratory
ptoyilion, which has BECOME famous nS the
J1ious 18th section, - declaring that the act
commonly known ~ the Franchise Act'
4" should not be so construed esto allow ne
g-oss 70 hold office or to sH on jdrjss,' Now
who iocs not Know that the right 10 hold Of
fce or tue right to sit on juries has uUthing
~ 10 With the hmitUtion OF the elective fran
( elise or the regulation bt Suffrage Then
CT course IL the convention gave them no
I power oVerthe subject of holding utEcs or
sitting on juries the 18th section is not q
part Of the constitution rud is therefore
%nothing more than mere legislation, and MS
such is repealable by u subsequent Legisla-
;are. So much for the bubble abOHt the
conStitu!sonality Of the lGth section,
The honest and Cnuuid truth is, these con-
stiiutionpl lawyers opposed the repeal Of the
18Th section because they are opposed TO- that
plank In the Republican p~lStforn which de-
rands equal rights for Ill men without re-
yard TO race or cUlor. The cOlOred man who
esRnotEee that in this vote they link their
shields with the copperhead party, md d.
Iect,y oppose the great Republican purity,
which demands the elevation OF his race,
must be styy id indeed. All the loud prating
sboutthe 10Th section being II part Of the
constitution was the merest J0Ah, Ead was
heralded forth ia long printed speeches in or
Der 10 gull the colorpd man and TINS - pull
the wool over his cTes' so that he might not
understand theirreal motives. ! tell you, they
were opposed on YrHcylE TO according to the
colored man those privileges which the Re-
publican party stands pledged to give to him
! am accountable for my conduct first TO my
God, and next TO my constituents, and beGry-
ing that lie would hold me to a strict acvosnt
should assist in making distinctions among
lis creatures which He did not choose to
make, | voted rs I did.
God will uphold me in the right, and the
sober second thought Of every constituent
have will perceive the honesty Of my mo-
iiv.s aud say men to my conduct. I an Il
Republican, yes, q Radical Rrpublicsn, and
viii stand by the doctrines OF that party rs
long asI have the power ~ write, a voice to
speuk or q vote 10 cast.
Your humble servant,
NEyTuy HACKER,