Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-01-01
THE KNOXVILLE WHTG
Knoxville, Tenn, January !, 1858.
RECONSTRUCTION.
Extracts from the Speech of Hon.
Horace Maynard In Congress In
VindlCatIOn Of the State Government
Of tennessee.

OF IcHHcsstt'
Mn CuHRuAN: 1 ask the indulgence Of the
/ House 10 yindicate The State government Of Ten
,...sae 10 has been unjusty assailed and should
] be wanting in duty 70 the people represent did
e. ihe assaults pass without reply Ibe hrst 70
+ make an attack was tho gentleman from New York.
r Ar Er,oks1 / give bis words sc length. he is
making objection 10 the admission 70 seats in this
House Of the entire delegation Of the Statea cha-
cnge 10 the array:
NV seeond point s that object to the swear
ing in of tho whole delegation upon the ground
that there does not exist and did not exist at the
time Of this election in the State OF Tennessee re-
publican form OF government such as is required
by the Constitution Of the United States TO enttle
/ State 10 a representation upon the 1ooF OF this
l House. Without entering at any great length into
tbs point nc the present time, the substance Of my
Il argument is grounded upon the elective franchise
/ .sw Of the State Of Tennessee, passed Ia 1885. /
i riiart upOn the ground that the elective franchise
law Of Tennessee under W hch these gentlemen are
said 10 have been elected, disfranchses large por
Il lion of the white populatOn-a majority Of the
uhito population Of the State Of Tennessee that
these members thus elected under the State frhn-
hse law Of the State of Tennessee were elected by
5000 negro votes $4,000 white voters only voting,
u md that there disfranchised in the State of
6 nessee in that election from forty 10 forty-fve
lhousahuf white voters; 100000 voters controlled
that eieci70n $4,000 Of whom were negroes; $4,000
whites being voted down, and 10000 white voters
disLranchised who could not vote at all under the
law of the State. / object 70 them upon the ground
that oligarchy exists and reigns in the State Of
Tennessee and that 10 is not such republican form
of government Hs Tho Constitution prescribes and
or3ains. And therefore object TO the swearing in
of tho whole delegation rpon the principles which
have here alleged
This is the impeachment against our State gov
5rnment and these are the impeacbers. In exam
ming the charges negatively, IL is well 10 remark
that no complaint is made of any social or civil
rights violated Of any person, Of whatever opin-
ION, condition or color unprotected in life, liberty
pcrson reputation property or business OF any
crime unpuni-hed, OF any individual wrong unre-
dressed lt Is q significant fact that with respect
10 these primary and fundamental Offices OF govern
ment il is not aiiaged that the laws not impair
ually made and impartially administered
The organization OF the government TO be found
at page b 3 Report 30, first session Thirty-Rinth
Congress was effected BY certein articles amenda-
tory Of the Constitution Of the State and the sched-
ne thereto aPpen6ed.7 nTePeaea h :, . large and
roepcctabe convention of the free and loyal people
Of the State and ratified by popular vote at the
ballot box 0ne OF these articles provides that
"the qualification Of voters and the limitation Of
tho elective franchise may be determined by the
General Assembly, tho legal name Of the LegislR-
lure of Tennossoo) which shall first assemble un-
der the amended constitution.
Tho Legislature addressed itself very carly 10 the
business thus referred 20 IT, and the result was the
franchise act OF 1865, which the gentlemen from
New YORK l MI nlOekp ucGlhEeh ~ 10 bAt bub-
stance OF his argument against the consttutonality
of our State government To his argument from
This source there is a two-fod reply: the one ad
homiacgs 10 himself already given the other Of fact
that the law of 1860 has since been materially and
rsscntally modified
After the investigation and report Of the commit
Tee, the House. with but twelve votes in the mega
tive passed prosnble and resolution in substance
affirming the cOnstjtuti0nalty and validity Of our
State government and declaring tho right OF the
H1- IN ba ranrazputQd in (Ouurpgg
by her Senators and members elect. OF those yot-
ing in the negative three we're from Massachusetts,
three from Missouri, two from Pennsylvanis, and
ono each from Rhode Island. Indiana, Wisconsin
aud California, whose opposition was occasioned by
the failure of our Legislature 10 enfranchise the
colored mon, lacking apparently the patience pos
iby the prescience 10 perceive that there, as the
whole country over t was bat a question of time.
Among the affirmative voters l tnd the suggestive
names Of the gentlemen from Wisconsin Nj Ed
rl-el and one Of the gentlemen from Illinois, Mr..
Ross the other Mr.. Marshall was not in his seat,
and The gentleman from New York Mr.. Brooks
ud ceased 20 be a member Of the House. So far,
..cn as three, at least, OF the gentlemen are con-
..rued the time for challenging our State govern
ment Is obviously passed. and they are concluded.
As l have Just observed, the franchise act OF 1853
has undergone important notifications. For bet
Ter comprehension Of the present state of the law,
viii cite two supplementary acts passed the one on
The 18th of February and the other on the sth Of
Neroh, 1867
Tho principal change from the act Of 1855 will be
10 have been the admission 20 the polls OF two
new CLASSES of voters-colored men and unnatural
l-cd foreigners. Previously, need hardly say col
ored men We're entirely prohibited from voting and
Foreigners until si months after they had been nat
uTal4ed uRdcr the laws Of Congress. II may be
proper 10 add that our law makes provision for
having the qualifications of the voter iudcially as
Jcrtainod and his name registered
From this exposition Of the law il is readily seen
HssHH. 4 Al. = Al A
supremacy that the black is made 10 take pre-
Acdolco Of the white man, or whatever more ohen-
"a. - form of statement can bo devised 10 perveri
IA ~sreprosout The odious fact that black pa
trel l. lowed 70 vote and some white traitors ar'
M ~stions prescribed Tor the voter IN Ten
WS AHo ~, nc or indication Of the complexion
= " 60 A. may be all white, all black
aH5f hU people Ahe9 s,SSak. N0thng is anywhere
or neither White nor DiA one is eniranchised a. I
.a!l about their color No-N.,uchised for being ol
'',ioro8 man; no one is unentra> ~shis i but a re
-, beins, a white man. And YET ~-as n, thal
-n 40 the irgt state constitution Oh k,,Ir or race
iUtrumont ne reference IS made 70 t.fisSs men and
f tbe voter, and az historic tact Wn,s- WIZ - II
-, n. ,,,er, voted side by side for toTig = -,
Iii renlaiu with the great nsme ot Auule. ,,,s,,u
Wli' -;t,1 among rs chief authors ~ 49, tes
t f eaua rights, let by me iataeI " ee- ,Li-tv
,le'. - ,5i8ance Of their children AIsot W, =
lcT 'no aiAerent policy the presoal l5eAeIH
year, @ - sblthed the original praelloe sse
uoh nay e,3 adoptoi the simple ana ssSullu
,Os,iarv All civil iiberty--the cl"'''' ~ @
7uiore the Jaw. ~, has beeu invited D,
nieman from New York Nt o.SoNs ~ a.
80 ~ irllres designed 10 show s' '.S 49,.
,yi ,f tho State Is in the hahus :. tnS va e-aSls a.
In. af,y-ive thousand votes sh1 lo5'y-Ls ~.
t,ssnd white votes, leaving iofty 'aousHaI "Ily ,
t,rs- who could not vote under ths .AN, - -
VIZ. ,,isl the state Of the case 4 IL not easy =
Ncle t,.,, Il would affect Tho character oi "a
..,,--rr,@nt ar rlplbIcauism. am not s|STe ina
80 ,t, fathers of the republic, the trainers 9
any Gs,itsion or the writer's in the FedersllsS &c
'No ~ ne form %! our government as M any &c
easeted by tho complexion OF the voter 1be
-, 40 have regarded that 2 republican govern
.-t in which The rulers are choeen oy coh,lael
le body u voters representing The dinerenl elA,e
'nd interests Of the community But the gehtle
80 ssetaiics are wide OF the mark BY lhe "a
~ A-.eol tho blacks constituted mol lar lfoi
4. ~ 1<.tk, the entire population Of the stat
s.se capabllity Of the State al on
.hs,s Thousand votes az tho gcntlema
= f. |.E 81 h..,,...sr .sr out Of tho way the co
E1t sii " % re thoasana, very .uos Il
8 ~ ~ Pp,ie4 ~ She ia y eleallar
itB hhOus one hundred tdoas,.r
- vote numbering sixty-Avc thoosar
sefnors majority being upward e as
q' i follows thal he was elected Is the vi
one and would have been elected had !
''e been extended toRhe entire male porl