The Union flag. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1865-187?, 1868-03-27

Il
tioh. This 10 done by interested specula
tors and partiSans to inlure the credit Of th'
State Bonds and reduce theif market value
ana also to bring the character Of the Stat
government into disFepute. For these ru
mora there is no foundation, whatever, u
fact. The State bonds are numbered and
sigrsc BY the Secretary Of State and by tht
Comptroller Of the State, in their own hani.
writing. My name appears to each bond "a
the handwriting Of my private secretary
Specimens Of my signature by him, attestet
by the Comptroller and Secretary Of State
are furnished to the banking houses In New
York The whole story Is a fabFication---tht
work OF spectators aud bad men seeking tC
iniuFe the credit of the State and 10 depFeci.
ate the price of the bonds. 1gais. 7lag
have not hitherto attempted to repel thu
malignant assaults made upon me, In and
out Of the Legislature, by a few pretended
Republicans Of small caiibre. have kept
my eye, rather; upon the more cowardly Jel
prominent individuals who have iasligated
these vile assaults, at time when they knew
! was physically unable 10 reply to them with
tongue or with pen. The time has now ar
rived, when, in my Judgment, should no.
tice them This propose to do by the pen
rather than the tongue. The loyal people Oi
| the State we'll know that from the CON-
meneement Of the late rebellion, have
| breasted the storm, met every issue boldly
and firmly and shrunk from no responsibility
devolving upon me. It is equally well known
| to some that some Of those who hays led OF
In these gross assaults upon me are men who
have sknlked all danger, vacillating between
the coutending armies, to avoid on the one
hand eonscripton by the rebels, and on the
| other TO escape service in the Union army In
defense Of the Rag. Thus they have alter.
nately claimed to be Confederate and Union
men. Some Of them when pressed BY the
conscripting officers, actually applied to the
rebel authorities for commissions to raise
troops for the rebel service. do not pro-
pose to remain quiet and be hunted down BY
that class of men, Iappeal from their envi4
Ous aspersions to another. and better class
Of citizens l submit the facts to the loyal
people Of Tennessee. Let them Judge, and
pronounce between my assailants and myself.
| am willing that the Judgment shall be rem
dered upon onr comparative records. shall
rest well satisfied with their decision. That
decision, am sure, viii eonsign those un-
scrupplous tradueers % neFited scorn and
infamy. ,,V ~ + i.;.-5t.i1,i-
| have seen, With profound regret, a disBo-
sition among some Republicans to form q
party upon the platform that Tennessee shall
be ruled only BY native Tennesseeans, and
that ours shall be "A white mans govern
ment," | cannot bat regard al. such move
ments as alike lueXpedient, unjust and mis-
chievOus, I win enter iato no see:ionalizipg
conspiracy to prescribe Northern men. /
will not consent, for one, that frand and OPP
preston shall be Practissd upon the eolored
man. Nor win I, now or hereafter, lend my
humble influence 20 the support OF Hny man
for Office who may plant himself upon such a
platform: In government like ours, politi-
cal parties only can and only ought to sue
coed, permanently, as they are based on the
great principles Of right and justice. Only
these can give, coherence, stability and sndu-
rance 10 q party. The evil alluded TO out
RACES all those principles. | cannot but
warn my fellow citizens against an error 80
AsRrant and INJURIOUS, 1t will not bear the
light Of honest scrutiny. The colored man
has Vindicated bis right to freedom and 70
exercise the full franchises Of complete man
hood and citizenship, by bis loyalty to the
flag during the dark hours Of rebellion by
bis manly heroic patriotism as soldier Of
the Republic, and by his political allliAtion,
both IN Tennessee and elsewhere-but espec.
tally in Tennrssee---with the loyal men Of the
nation. For Republicans in Tennessee, after
all this, to prescribe and depress him and to
limit his privileges, would be .he most out
rageous Injustice. Negro testimony, negro
suffrage and negro elevation generally, are
the results of The rebellion brought on BY
the Shareholders themselves. Tie ghost Of
slavery haunts. these practical abolitionists-
Southern rebels-at every step 10 the success
awe stages Of the negro's adYancement TO the
rights OF manhood. Upon nothing arc they
mere sensitive than TO see this African Nor
decai sitting in the kugs gate" To the
extent that Republicans can be drawn into
the senseless clamor against "negro equality"
aud 10 favor Of - white mans government,"
so called, TO The same ext, ut are they weak.
eniLg their own psytS aud glViHg AID 10 that
Of the rebels. In every position where we
have placed the eolorsd man, be has proved
himself true and tfusty. We will not now
throw bim of AID aid 10 his degradation.
So in reference to this native Tennessee
D II is no mans right or business TO
inquire Of candidate for Office on which
side Of Mason and Dixon'i line he was born.
This Is nanoW, sectional proscriptioH-tbe
very spirit that animated the cause Of rebel
lion. Verify, We have had enough OF Sec
10 suffice fora century. The cid
tests Of fitness for ddice are all that Is neceg-
lary. /" "Is the candidate honest 2 u be ca
pablep We shall eertainly not commit the
lolly Of adding this {" Was he born In Ten
aessee - sd gil 111i 1d 8dua Nlf
Wben the gallant Union army came South
10 suppress the slaTeholdsrs' rebellion, loyal
hien Of Tennessee EerS clamorons for their
entrance into our state. We did not then
Itop to inquire whether the soldiers coming |
for our rescue we're Tennesseeans Or New
whether they hniled from New
Yorker Minnesota; from Ohio or hlasouri---- |
and surely We shall not nnW, afiefthey have
b heIped uS 10 conquer the right 70 live 10 Ten
nessee and assert ourselves under the forms
of la&, tdfn upon them and deny thanri the
tight to hold Office amodR nt beeEuse they
happen 70 be OF Northern birth. Should the |
Republicans Of Tennessee, as . party, adop: /
1 poiicy 80 narrow, 90 unjdst, thsy would de-
serve tho defeat witch such folly would make
t00Ii 20 bsii8dW gI1H. |
what ss need as paFty "a this staia 4
harmony aud concert Of astien becoming the
rfpat impending contest With these, our
sddessS L assnfed. Il wiii be grand, dseis-
i've. II We suffer bad men 10. divide and de
lract our ranks We Sbkll b defeated Our
defeat On the Presidential election would Be
50 ihslPrsSsibls sAlaniiy1' a almost Ire