Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1868-07-24
TENNESSEE.
MEMORIAL OF THE TENNESSEE
DELEGATION To THE MA.
TIONAL DEMOCRATIC
CONVENTION.
The Despotism Or BrOwnlow and His
vagrant Huns.
A MasterIy Exposition of n Peoples
WfOnGs.

vagrant Huns.
A n"''er', E5ges,sssn gssnks! of !" Peoples
The committee appointed for the
purpose by the recent Democratic
State Convention of Tennessee, pre-
sented on Tuesday last the following
memorial to the National Democratic
Convention
To the National Democratic Convention
assembled in New York July 4, 1888, for the
purpose of restoring the rights of states
and re-establishing the ancient liberties
of the people:
A convention constituted by the peo-
pie of Tennessee, and representing the
great mass of the legitimate body po-
| litic of what should be a free and
equal State of the Federal Union, di-
rected your memoralists to make re-
port to this assemblage of freemen of
the expressions, usurpations and mis-
cries to which this State has been sub
jected by the minions and agents of
the party in possession of the govern
ment of the United States. The ty-
ranny of which we on the behalf of a
great body of American citizens COM
plain, is not the evil supremacy of a
mere domestic faction, maintaining
itself against odds by its own vigor,
talent and courage; on the contrary,
If unsupported by the now misdirected
powers of the Federal Union, the rul-
ing oligarchs of ourunfOrtunate Com
monwealth would not long abide, the
indignation of an outraged people
1t is only because they represent and
are executing the policy of the men
now welding the vast weight of Fed
eral authority, who prostitute the re-
sources of great nation to uphold
and protect these petty oppressors of
noble State, that we appeal through
you to the people of the States yet
free to aid us in the redredress OF
wrongs which are intolerable to
American freemen, and the longer
continuance of which threatens either
renewed commissions of the entire
subversion of liberty throughout the
republic.
THE ILLEGAL GOVERNMENT IN TEN
NEssEE.
IT is historically truethat the pres
ent State organism of Tennessee was
created in violation of all American
precedent 1t was not q government
established by a majority of the citi-
zens or of the inhabitants. 1t rests
on a vote of $1,000 outof votingpop-
ulation of 100000. 1t is likewise true
that the Confederate soldier and his
sympathizer, on the surrender of the
armies of the South, recognized the
State government as an eXigency of
civil war, and were entirely willing
to waive its illegality, believing that
1t would conform in its legislation to
the spirit and meaning of the terms
of surrender by the United States,
and that its administration would be
relieved in the midst of peace of
whatever harshness the military ne
cessities out of which it sprung may
have i'm the first instance required
1t was expected that instead of being
confined to the interests of the few
that inaugurated its existence, Ii
would be generously and wisely ex-
panded so as to embrace the whole
people. Intending to accept in good
| faith the result of the war, as restor-
ing the old boundaries of the I'm
ion, and re-establishing the authority
of the Federal government over the
seeded States, as also the abolition of
slavery, our people did not apprehend
that State government, the found
ing of a military camp, would annul
the settlement of the question at issue
i'm the civil war made by the armies
i'm the field; nor was it anticipated that
harder terms would be eXacted of the
defeated belligerent, whenunarmed,
than had been demanded of him by
his brave adversary i'm the field, when
with arms in his hands, despair might
have renewed his enterprise, and the
horrors of q dishOnorable submission,
more terrible than those of hopeless
war, might have recreated his wasted
rccources. The parole of the Confed.
crate, rs understood among all hon
orable belligerents, guaranteed to
him, on the part of the supporters OF
the Union his pre-existing rights, civil
and political, as citizen, on the con-
dition of obedience to the laws, State
and Federal. 70 place the Southern
citizen on a lower plane of civil and
political liberty than that where
on the Northern freeman stood was q
precedent as rcpugnant to the spirit
and letter of all American constitu-
tions, and so fraught with danger to
the republic that it was believed there
could emerge from the turbulence oi
the times faction so malignant oI
insane as to propose, much less exc
cute SO monstrous n project. Thus
conceiving the situation, the people
yielded cheerful obedience to the
State government inaguarated during
the war, confiendently calculating
that its administration and conduct
would be such ds would shortly legit.
innate it in their respect and afec,
tions.
THE DESPOTISM OF A FACTION.
These just expectations of the peo
pie have not been realized. 1t soor
became apparant that the faction ac.
cidentally in power did not intend tC
recognize the submission of the peo
pie to the arms of the Union unless
for the future they would mortgag,
10 them their opinions and votes. II
, was not sufficient that they had IN
good faith resumed their allegiance Il
Federal authority 40 long as they re-
served to themselves the right tC
think and vote as American freeman
ToeXclude them from all participation
in the affairs Of the government anC
reduce them substantially to a condi
ton of alicnage, while eNacting from
them all the burdens of citizenship
was deemed the only eXpcdiont by
which the men then in office coulC
prolong their power. The amended
Constitution proclaimed by the Mill
tary Governor of the State, Andrew
thomson, and accepted by those hav,
. ing Tennessee IN custody under Fedora
military occupation, granted powel
to the General Assembly To deter
mine the qualifications of voters and
Tho limitation nf thn alantiVn fra a