Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-11-18
WILL THE LEGISLATURES DO JUS

nc demand with this declaration
"The citizen who is a man has all the
ghts Of man. If they are denied him,
1stice will clamor for redress until they
re granted. We must grant justice
ONE time. Let it be done now"
The Memphis Bulletin, a Radical or
an, copies the above with this
"Let every Republican
cad these words again and again,
until they are burned into his very
soul" This is strong and emphatic, and
shows that "the memorable logic Of |
events is at last opening the eyes Of |
the men in the Radical party in this State
who feel that there is political hereat-
ter. "The citizen who is a man has all
the rights Of a man. says the De-
troit Radical organ, and the senu-
ment is echoed by the Memphis paper
whose devotion to the Radical party
cannot be questioned From eighty
thousand 10 one hundred thousand clti-
zens Of Tennessee, who pay more than
three-fourths perhaps as much as nine
tenths-of the taxes levied to sustain
the State government, are DISTINGUISHED
for no other reason than that they are
opposed 70 the Brownlow despotsm.
While the radical wing Of the Republ-
can party in the Northern States are de-
handing that the few negroes among
them shall be enfranchised, and while
Congress was passing a law which gave
the right Of suffrage to all but few Of
the late Rebels" in the States South OF
us, we have been subjected in Tennessee
to the most sweeping disfranchisement
that has ever been attempted in civil
lied government, save only in West NIr-
ginia and Missouri. Since the passage
by Congress Of the reconstruction acts,
the Radicals have felt that the exclusions
they have made in this State are wholly
indefensible, but so tenacieusly have they
held on to place and power, that the Legs
lature has turned deaf ear TO the appeals
made to that body TO relax the rigorous
dislranchisement which excludes from
the ballot-boX so large a number Of the
best-and truest citizens Ofthe State. Blu
the demands which come up from thu
East. and the North, and the West: 70,
the passage by Congress Of an amend
ment to the constitution OF the United
States establishing universal suffrage Il
all the States, and the alacrity witt
which it is understood Congress vii
acquiesce in this demand, IS proof to tn
Radicals Of this State that a new era Wi
shortly dawn upon US. The Legislator
has vet a chance to make virtue
necessity and show . little liberality b.
taking steps to strike from the citizens
Tennessee the shackles with which the
have bound them. Some Of the Radical
in this State, approaching the situation
are urging this policy. The Memphi
Bulletin has pretty strong appeal f
Justice in this behalf Wecopy from i
issue Of the 10Th inst. as follows:
Except we do justice to all men, OF
triumph is not real and viii easily pa
away. We have won thus much, becau
we have been right. We have subdue
error. because we have been upheld
prjnciple. To stand from that princlp
now. is to resign the substantial fruit
victory, and henceiorth to align ourselv
with the enemies Of truth and to inaug
rate in behalf Of injustice new war uPt
all good men.
Republicans Of Tennessee, you a.
have voted for peace, impartial treedo
and equal rights. Now you must sta
M like men and face the issue. it
neither democracy nor rebelism that y
need fear to look it in the face. 1t
your own doctrine, your own phllosopf
the one, sole, uRcOGquerable wcap
wherowith you have put down
enemies"
This is putting it to the Leglslatu
quite pointedly, but perhaps not more
than in the following extract touchi
the meaning and extent Of the fourteen
amendment to the constitution Of {
United States
"The following is the true intent a
meaning Of the oath prescribed in
reconstruction laws, as declared oilicia
by the Congress
"'No person who has. been & meml
of the Legislature OF any State, or "
has held any executive or judicial of
in anv State, whether he has taken
oath to support the Constitution Of
United States or not, and whether
was holding such Office at the common
mont Of the rebellion or had held it
fore, and who has afterwards engaged
instruction OF rebellion against
United States, or given aid and COM
TO the enemies thereof, Is entitled to
registered or to vote, and the words "
ecutive or judicial officers IN any Stat
in said oath mentioned, shall DO constr
TO include all civil offices created by
for the administration Of any general
Of a State, or for the administration
Justice, or for the keeping Of the pU
peace
"No Radical can honestly or honora
contend that the loyal people Of
United States, who have by the rec
elections justified and appro7cd the
construction policy ofCongress, have j
tilted or approved any policy more sew
or restrictive, or have by the largest
depreciation pronounced an opinion in
yor of the necessity Of any more
tended disfranchiSement than
deemed proper for the national secur
and enacted by Congress. That distr
chiscmcnt to the extent provided IS "a
permanent, or any longer continued {
Is necessary TO reconstruct the RE
States on the basis Of equality before
law. IS so mauifcst,y contradictory %;
enirit and intent Of the radical policy
set forth in the declarations OF prime
adopted by the Radical party in !,
1889. 1856, 1850, 1864 and lS6S, that
person who ailirms it Is entitled TO
himself Republican or 10 load Gl
that party with the crushing weigh
his anti-republican creed.
"The Acknowledgement to the Inn
extent specified is for the sole purpos'
securing the policy Of equality before
law. whose only essential weapon
absolutely impTeguable defense IS
yersal suffrage. 1t was Gustly) tea
that the defeated Rebels, If PEI mlttel
- IL l.rislatinr Of the SnntL