Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-07-11
How THE SOUTHERN STATE CON
STITUTIONs WE'RE RATIFIED.

STITUTIONs WE'RE RATIFIED.
The most stupendous frauds were
committed by the Radical bummers and
carpet-baggers in the elections to ratify
the Constitutions framed for the Southern
States Such abuses Of the elective fran
chise as were perpetrated in those States
could not have been carried out except
under a military dcspotism, such as has
existed in the South. The control of the
registration Of voters was given over to a
set Of men who have shown themselves 10
be utterly devoid Of honor, by using the
power they enjoyed to place themselves
and co,workers in fat positions in the
new State governments, and TO deprive
the white men Of those States of the
rights to which they were justly entitled
For instance, Colonel o. T. Hart was the
Superintendent Of Registration for the
State of Florida, by appointment of the
military satrap who governed that
province. Instead of using his position
to secure fair and impartial registration
of those entitled to vote in that State, he
sought to have the work Of registration so
executed as to certainly place the control
Of the State in the hands Of the Radicals
Here is a specimen of the letters this
registration officer addressed to Radical
partsans in different portions Of the
State
JACKSONVILLE, FLA, April 6, 1865
Mr. VIM. G. McMinn, Fort Dade, Herman.
do county, Fla. Ny DEAR SIR: Ii is
plain that the acts Of Congress did and do
put the entire reconstruction of our State
into the hands and control Of the loyalist4
Hence power was given the Registrars,
wilhout appeal, TO be cole Judges Of who,
under the acts, should be allowed 20 regis
ter aud vote and who should not. Thcv are
masters Of The situation, and are fully pro
tected as such by the orders of the Com
handing General. They will have need
to remember this often. The Rebels have
nominated a ticket against us. They eK-
pect 10 register $500 more. Can they do az
Now is our golden Oppor-
tunity. This is the grand final struggle
We must ratily this Constitution and elect
this, our ticket, by an unmistakahIe ma
lOrity, and 60 in now. If we win, all our
loyal men are safe. II we lose now, op-
preston is our permanent doom. Let as
all lay aside until after the election every |
thing that can possibly be postponed, and |
think, travel, canvass, watch, detect and |
sweat for this grand Republican registta-
ton, election aud reconstruction, that alone
can save us from oppression. If we ali do |
this, and gel out our fullest registration |
and our fullest vote, we are bound to sue |
coed. We are nov fully united. We have |
1000 majority now registered. Il shOtid |
nae BE- less.
Is 1t matteE Of wonder that with such |
instructions as these to registration
officers III the various counties, white ]
men entitled to vote were refused regis
tration and the Conatitution thus ratified2 |
This extract viii give the reader an in
sight into the rascAlity practiced by the
tools of the satrAps who governed the |
southern States. and through which th1se
States were tTErned over Go Radical and !
negro rule The manner in which the |
Constitution Of Arkansas was ratified |
furnishes n still stronger illustration Of |
Radical inShAly than that Of Florida |
There cannot &c a doubt that the Con,
ntuuon VIII ch was patched up for that
'tate was defeated by large majority, |
ct throu Ga the cOnniyance Of the mill
airy, the election was 50 manipulated as
o seeUn to give the majority in favor Of
attic alton, and the result was so de-
lar' 4 by the military A gentleman, a
Ia iical in politics, conEersant with the
y amer in which this fraud was con-
animated, has exposed it to the Ma
Eaukee Netrs, which paper gives has YER
ion Of the matter TO the public as fol-
ows
"We received q call yesterday from
gentleman direct from Arkansas, who went
o that State in January, 1867, IS a North
IN Radical Republican, and Who was ap. |
'NAutNA ~ o4hNiAte inert NuucA tisS AcSoA- /
laws as Chairman Of the Board
4 Registry in the county where he lived.
ia opportunities for information were,
herefore unsurpassed, and he makes 10 rs
his plain statement OF facts within his per
onal kaowledge:
The election held here was An utter I
,rce throughout. In making the registry
be registers were expected to reject white
len al option, and to enroll every negro