Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-08-20
Antuu aud gispatth.
largest Circulation in city ana state.
RADICAL OPPOSITION 10 NEGRO
gTrEsrsEx efsEs ~ - aA faaA

4
RADICAL OPPOSITION 10 KEatss
SUFFRAGE. ~.
The fourteenth amendment to the COsl
stitntion was adopted in order that ne
groes might vote at the next Presidential
election. Hence the tremendous penalty
no less than the reduction Of the basis o
Congressional representation, attaching
TO the denial Of the right pf suffrage, h
negroes in any State Hat any election. .lol
the choice of electors for President and
Vice President OF the United States
Should Georgia or Serth Carolina o. ans
other Southern State, with a population
about equally divided betweep, whites
and blacks, deny the ballot to tiie negroes,
that State would lose half of her Repre4
sentatives in Congress. No 'stfoneer IN
ducement or threat, says the New York
Joarnatcf o5mmeresy, y could have been
held out to the South to share the ballot
with the freedmen, ana al to secure the
next President for the Radicals, Fer at
the time this amendment was prepared
and submitted to the approval cof the
States, no Radical dreamed that the
blacks woulddo aught than follow like q
flock Of geese the noisy file-leaders ap-
pointed under tie various reeonstruc-
tion acts To give the negroes votes
was as good as stufing the ballot.
box before the pollsg were opened
"a dead sure z thing This was
the theory. But facts soon began to
throw doubt upon IT, Conservative ene-
gro clubs were formed in all the princi-
pal Southern cities; Conservative coll
ored orators used a rough but effective
eloquence upon their fellow-freedmen;
and at the polls n formidable crowd Of
blacks made their influence felt on the
Conservative side The anti Radicals
kept their temper and encouraged re-
vival of ancient good feeling with their
former slaves. The white Radicals lost
their temper, abused the freedmen, set
on quarrels between The black Radicals
and Black Conservatives, and every day
widened the breach between themselves
and the negroes whose confidence they
had lost For more than year past the
Conservatives have been gradually VIM
ming over adherents from the blacks, un-
til tosday the Radicals themselves se~
riously doubt whether they can carry a
single Southern State in November.
Their calculation upon the combined ne@
gro vote is proved to have been un-
founded. .aE
What they propose to do to correct |
their blunder is deed quite without par
aIlel in the minds of political fickleness
and audacity They intend to nulIify |
the constitutional amendment but re-
Gently adopted and officially announced |
to the world with such solemnityf Lee
gislatures of Southern States elected with |
30 more reference to choosing Presiden>
tial electors than to choosing new Ty~ |
coon for Japan, are advised by leading
Radicals to deprive the people of the
right of voice in that great question,
and TO name the electors themselves. The |
Southern Legislatures being Radical, Of
course would 60 for the Radical candiS
dates, and thus prevent thedreadfal pos-
sibility that a majority of the negroes
will vote the opposition ticket Florida
was the first State to adopt this ini1uitous
suggestion. Alabama has followed suit;
buta Republican Governor has been found
in that State with candor and manli-
ness enough to denounce the outrage and
veto it Several Republican members Of
the Legislature, among them the Speaker
of the House, fought it energetically on
its passage. We wait with curiosity to
see what other Southern Legislatures
will proclaim the fallacy and humbug Of
.he old Radical theory about the. negro
7Ote, and beIdly trample upon the letter,
f not The spirit, of the fourteenth con-
ititutiOnal amendment The plan ap-
'ears to be cut and well dried; but It is
iossible yet that the Legislatures who
Ire relied upon to dO. the work may re-
use to lend themselves to such scheme
If fraud and treachery. EdGM
We are glad to see that there are
Northern Republican Journals of inau-
snce not yet so given over to party as to
approve Of this palpable wrong to the
people OF the South, black and white,
his entire subversion of our republican
traditions and honored policy, this dan
yerous infringement upon the rights of
,itizens which will lead---no one knows
whittier Let Radicalism pause before