Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-01-01
The CITY Au.horlsle. and the city

/ ASCOAs
To the Editors Of the Union and Dispatch.
/ observe the proceedings Of meeting
of the citizens with theFinance Committee
of the city of Nashville, in your paper o
! Sunday. | understand few printed cir
cellars were sent around to few taxpayers
| inviting them to this conference. Why
does this despotie bogus City Council, cali
upon the tax-paying citizens for the frs
time, when they want money? Why
| should citizens be excluded from voting oil
having a voice in electing city ofscers, and
| yet be called upon TO devise the WAYS and
means to furnish money to support set Of
Adventures and bummers." When you
passed law displacing men from Office
who have spent their lives in building up
she city of Nashville, yen did not call upon
she taxpayers for advice Why was it that
you did not call the tax payers together
when you undertook to remove the Board
of Edueation-a board that has conducted
the schools in such a manner as TO give
entire satisfaction to nine~tenths Of the
parents and tax payers of the city (? Why
put in their places men whom the people
do not know, and several of whom have
rendered themselves unpopular to the
citizens, by bringing military forces, State
and Federal, to deprive them Of their right
to self-goVernment? Why was it that you
yourselves, members of this bogus City
Council, were elected without consulting
the wishes of these Taxpayers whom you
now summon to help you to the peoples
money? The people of Nashville were
free people until you came with bayonets
TO forcibly deprive them of their rights.
Why did you not permit the taxpayers
last September to do their voting and refer
the matter to the courts, and not the mill
tary, to decide the rights of free people?
| am impressed with the belief that this
meeting,was called for the purpose of getting
the present bogus, cumming, puritanical,
psalm-singing, nutmeg City Council in
dorsed by them. After insulting the peo-
pie by placing themselves in control of the
city by the bayonet, and finding themselves
in water beyond their depth, it is very be-
coming in them to call upon those whom
they have degraded and deprived of their
rights to lend them helping hand The
question is, do these large taxpayers who
met them indorse this City Council and
do they propose to help them out their
difficulties, and relieve them from the Just
contempt of an outraged people? If so,
these tax payers become responsible for the
tyranny and oppression that is now afilict-
ing this once free and prosperous people.
Again, why did not this negro loving
Mayor and City Council call the large tax
payers together when they were turning
ont the citizen police, F1h5 mad discharged
their duties with faithfulness to the city
aud honor to themselves, and put in their
places men who are strangers to the tax
payers, and who we're imported for the
especial purpose of carrying out the des.
potic orders Of this set of bogus tyrants, who
donotrepresent one-twentieth of the taxable
property of the city. Is it to indorse and
support this Villainous misrule that you
called the Taxpayers together on Saturday
night? You have obtained from the Lee
gislature power to issue $500, 900 of bonds
why did you not consult the taxpayers
when you applied for this power? You
and this Legislature, who seem to think
the white race is extinct, and that the
black is the only race entitled to control,
commit these outrages, and then call the
taxpayers together to furnish you money
to 20 on with your iniquities You would
not only deprive these taxpayers of their
liberties, but you would compel them to
lick the dirty hands that have smitten
them.
/ have nothing to say against the me-
groes. They have been deceived as badly
as the whites have been outraged None
of the promises made to them have been
fulfilled, and never will be. They have
al G. 4 - ~
know it, those who see and know anything.
The dishonest have played upon their Gre
dulity for their votes, and they will coon
find it out
But times are changing, and l hope the
day is not far distant when these usurpers
of power win be expelled by an outraged
and indignant people-when they will
leave our city with their ill-gotten gains
and 90 elsewhere. When that day comes
they cannot expect to be tolerated by
people whom they have attempted to de-
grade and whom they have robbed of their
money and their dearest rights, or to treat
them as friends. l hold that we should
welcome to our fellowship and friendship
the stranger who comes to mix and mingle
his fortune and destiny with us /; but when 4
set of "bummers and adventures" come
to Deprive us of our liberties, and plumber
us of our money and our substance, can
not kindly kiss the hands that are thus up
lifted to outrage and smite US. And l say
to these petty tyrants that they have been
tolerated with forbearance heretofore
unheard of but the day of deliverance is
coming, and the truer we are to ourselves
the sooner it will come. Then shall Ten
be at home in the land of their
birth and their choice, and all her sons
shall be freemen. Till then we should be
of ourselves and our lineage, if
we consent to crawl az slaves at the feet of
those who try to trample upon us, or, as
dogs, lick the hands that smite.
CHERRY STREET.