Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-07-26
GRIEVANCES Oh TENNESSEE.

+ GRIEVANCES OF TENNESSEE
Mr; I. W. Brown. OF Tennessee, on behalf ,
i the COMMITTEE submitted the following
- MEMORIAL.
10 To the National Democratic Convention. a,
l. sem bled in New York July 4, ls6s for the pul
, pose OF restoring the rights OF States and II
u pie:
o AUTHORITY or COMMITTEE.
A Convention constituted by the people O
tennessee, and representing the great mass o
Iee ana equal Stale OF the Federal Union
n directed your memorialists TO make report I,
4 inns assenbsage Of freemen OF the oppres
eioHs usuT pallons and misrule 10 which thi
: state has been subjected by the minIons ant
9 ageals Of the party now in possession Of th'
> government OF the United States
= REASONS FOR ADDRESSING CONVECTION.
5 The tyranny of which we, on behalf Of great
o-uy Oh american citizens com plain, is not the
eNlt supremacy Of a mere domestic faction
I maintaining Itself against odds by its own
yigor, talent and courage: on the CONTRARY II
unsnrp ported BY the now misdirected powers OF
tne Federal Union, the ruling oligarchs OfouT
uhIotIunste Commonwealth would not long
abiue tue Inclination Of an outraged people
~ + only because they represent and are exc
I cuilng me policy OF the men now welding he
vast weight OF Federal authority, who prOstl
TUE the resources of a great nation 20 uphold
s ssnu PIYeeeL THESE petty oppressors OF noble
2ist.es mat we appeal through you to the peO-
PIE OF States yet free, to aid in the redress OF
wrongs which are intolerabe TO American
ueeueh, ana the longer continuance OF which
threatens either renewed commissions or the
entire subversion OF liberty throughout the Re
TENNESSEE GOVERNMENT. NOT a GOVERNMENT
OF THE PEOPLE.
IL Is historically true that the present Strfe
organism OF Tennessee was created IN violation
OF ali American precedent. II WIS not a gov
eminent established by a majority OF the Cit
zens or OF tie inhabitants. II rests on a vote
o. t50enty tJUO thousand out of a voting pOpula-
hundred and efrf1f = d
| likewise true that the Confederate soldier and
ms Sympaihizer on the surrender of the armies
OF the south recognized the State govern. ent
as an exlsency o. civil war, and We're entirely
Wiling to waive lis Illegally, believing that It
I would conform in its legislation TO Ihe spirit
an meaning OF the terms OF surrender lender
I ed by The United States and that its ada inis-
trallon would be relieved in the midst of peace
I OF hnateVer mars nneSs the military necessities
I out OF which It sprung may have in the first
instance required. II was expec ed that
/ 1Dst' ad OF being confined to the
/ interests of the few that inaugurated its exist
ence IL would be generously and wisely
| banded, so as to embrace and protect the whole
people. intending to accept IN good faith the
Z result of the war as restoring the d bOunda-
/ rles OF the Union and re-esIablishing the Ru-
| cediBg States as a SO The abolition Of slavery,
our people did not apprshend that State gov
eminent, the founOlIng OF a military camp
would annul the settlement OF the questions al
issue IN the Civil war, made by the armies in
the held; nor was 1t anticipated that harder
Terms would be exacied OF the defeated bellig-
erent when unarmed than had been demanded
OF him By his brave adversary in the field,
when with arms Ia his hands despair might
have renewed MS enterprise and the horrors of
a dtShOnOrable submission. more terrible than
those Of hopeless war, might have recreated h $
wasted resources. The parole OF the COnfed-
erate,ss understood among all honorable beilig-
erents, guaranteed 10 him on the part of TIE
supporters OF the Union his pTe-exisiing rights,
civil and political, a citizen, on the cOndi-
ton of obedience to the laws, State and Fede
raj. To place the $ uthern citizen on a lower
plane OF civil and political liberty than tnat
wherein the Northern freeman st cd was |
precedent 50 repugnant TO the spirit and letter
OF all American Constitutions, and SO frauyht |
with danger to the Reuubiic, that # was not !
believed there could emerge nom the turLu-
lance OF the lines a faction so malignant or in
sane as to propose, much less execu, O. so HIon-
strOus project. Thus cOnceiving the Situa-
ton, the people yielded acheersul obedience to |
the State government inaugurated during the /
war, confidently calculating that its administra- /
lion ana conduct Womb be such as would /
shortly legitimate it in their respect and alice
tons.
These just expectations Of the people have 4
not been re Allied. II soon became apparent 1
that the faction accidentally in power did not /
intend to recognize the submission OF the peo-
pie 10 the arms Of the Union unless for the 4
future they would mortgage to them their
opinions and votes. It was not sufficient that
they had IN good Iaith resumed their alleeianee |
to Federal authority so long as they reserved |
to themselves the right to think and vote as
American freemen. 70 exclude them ftom ala |
par Anticipation in the Ptfairs OF government and
reduce them substantially to a condition of
alenage, while exacting OF them all the duties
and imposing on them all the burdens OF citi-
L7lihL'4pt was NtGAilNl lAiS Ouiy tA pSultDL Dy
which the men then in Office c9u.d prolOng
their power.
THE DISFRANCHIsING ACTS.
TIE amended Constitution proclaimed nv the
military Governor OF the state, Andrew john
son, and accepted by those having Tenn essee in
custody under Federal mi itary occupation,
granted power to the General Assembly 10 de-
JeTmine the qualifications Of voters and the
of the elective franchise. II was in
the exeri ise OF this power under a Constitution
cOnfesSedty the work OF not even one-third OF
the people. that system Of ]
cOnsummated which has converted once free
ana sovereign State of this Union into an cd
Gus despotIsm The General Assem- bly, first Z
constituted after the proclamation OF the
amended Constitution, when but a few of the
ettiz7ns could vote, enacted three successive
franchise laws, each surprising the other in {
and injustice. The result of the leg
$; on TINS matter has been The disfran- :
;hlsement OF more than tupO thirds Of ttg tChiteS
md The surrender Of the ballot to The negroes
y would be impossible, within the appropriate !
he enormities OF these franchise acts. We can :
Dnly indicate them.
bow MINORITY PERPETUArEs ITS POWER. :
These acts were passed from time to time
's the necessities OF the authorities req uired {
restricted outrage, TO maintain them in Of a
ice- The only exceptions to the rigor OF these il
avs were those who had or were supposed to / q
AVE assimilated with them In political senti- A
nent. Thus political opinion was made the n
onditinn on which American citizens sh mid I "
LJoy that franchise, by which alone theirIfb "
rites can be prsserved-aceess to the ballot o
OK. This principle, worked out to It's ul ex- d
IS rule perpetual, or force the people uIti- al
1stsly to relieve themselves by revolutionary Ct
lolence The majority of today have only u
D md their present supremacy threatened by &c
change OF opinion in the masses hostile to H
ser policy and power, really converting
hem into minority, 10 justify the Ifne-of &c
on pursued in Tennessee. Then the wOI k OF -
xciston from the polls may commence mar | a.
owing in still decreasing circles the Voting W
Opulation by depriving OF the ballot such [ ~
umbers OF the hostile voters rs to leave under te
ne control and for The su.port OF the nary in Re
a nf xT.,f1 Int oil "
significant minority OF the people. Thus is "a
tabhshed an oligarchy, the deadllest foe OF ~
opular liberty. "a
THE TEST OATH. ST
A still more repUlsive and tyraunical feature at
these DISTINGUISHING acts is fOand in those al
roviEions which p-opOund TO the citizen. in pr
-der TO exercise tne right OF suffrage, harsh nj
I'd inqulsltOrlal oaths, reaching not only his se
)nduct, bus his opinions ~ the past and uut- pc
ng upon him the alternative OF committing NJ
7rury, or OF Dscoinlng his own accGssr for o.
le disabling acts aid sympathies which. by IN
le terms OF the law, exclude him from the M
illO'. Thus has been inRugurated amid the lol
viliz Att on OF the nineteenth century, and in SCI
that odtous tnquisitton into the Sc ~
ct thoughts and private Opinions OF men tn
hich has been justly deemed the peculiar dis on
ace of even remote and baI barous pericd-of OF
-en the mot Ignorant and cruel despolism. ms
Ex POST FACTO LAWS AND BILL AITAINDER 70
That provision Of the Federal Constitution en-
hich forbids State 70 pass bill of attainder PEI
ex post JGct0 law has been either audaciOusIy ne
olated, or IL is SO easy of evasion to ut TIN
liens against the madness OF fac.iOn or the An
enttousness OF power; and the intentions OF pes
e frsmers of that instrument have been ut the
-ly frustrated by the ingenious devices of re Wig
nge and hatred For il cannot be denied vii
at under the pretence of fixing the quaihca- / Sha
n of voters two-thirds of the white men of tiol
Is State have been Invested Of the elective w,
nchiss by Ii gis1atiVe enactment as punish A4N'
MT for assumed offenses, for which tney have
yer even been challenged by any process of II
'. sta
NEGRO SUPREMACY. -
Sy virtue of the acknowledgements the great the
IS, OF the white people, Tennessee is now try
letically under the dominion Of the negro. in
was not, however, until it became apparent yer
It no franchise law, however restrictive or mel
rsh as to the white population w uld retain priv
Fsr in the hands Of our dOmes tic faction that pac
negro was end wed with the ballot To coz
We alone their selfish interests, are The great too
1y of the white people OF the State citizens mel
The Republic, long accustomed under an vag
ut usage and the laws of the State to exer- der,
the right OF ufrage disfranebised, and the tegI
ely emaucipated African slave, unified ac- and
ding TO the universal experience OF man in {
Id, for Sslf-government, entrusted with the elias
west duties ever devolved on fresmen. II not
5 legislation resulted from any conviction OF Q
{ universal suffrage, regardless Of race, as a thei
nciple should be introduced into the Amer ana
D sys EN-, however foolish and dangerous on
eight esteem the measure, its projectors thos
uld at least be entitled to that respect which Yet
II attaches TO sincerity. But we are not som
mitted by the facts to accO TO thes
m this consideration. If IL was YER,