Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1868-07-03

are about to be forced upon an unwill-
ing people, we may expect them TO
fail as signally in securing and main
tanning those great ends for which
people ordain and establish particu-
lar forms of government, to which
they give their allegiance and yield
their support, as that of Tennessee
has done.
do complain that the State Gov
ernment Of Tennessee represented
now on this floor is not republican in
form that it does not subserve the
ends Of good government; that 1t is
one of force, not of consent; oi1e of
injustice and wrong, not OF justice
and right; one of war, not of peace
and as par excellence just such a
government as Daniel Webster called
IA military republic'-a government
formed ON mock elections, and sup
ported daily by the fores of arms
Social and civil rights of thousands
of her citizens are daily violated. No
adequate protection for life, liberty,
person, reputation, property, or busi-
ness has any existence in many parts
of the State. Crime and 0utrages are
constantly being committed, for
which no punishment Is inflicted and
no proper redress attainable.
The laws are unjust and unfairly
administered. Founded upon a de-
parture from the great rule of right
and impartial justice, this govern
mef1t has been an outrage and q re-
proach to the American system from
Its conception to the present hour !;
not the creation of peace, careful
thought, calm deliberation, mutual
cancellations, and nice adjustments of
it's parts to the wants of a suffering
population, and interests the most
conflicting but it sprang from the
very lOins of war, and was cradled in
the hour Of passion, prejudice, and
oppression. Put suddenly in opera
tion over territory still vibrating
from the tread of mighty armies !;
still white with the ghastly skeletons
and yet red with the blood of slaugh-
tered men, and inhabited by a people
torn with civil dlssensions, thousands
of whom yet wear the ragged uni
form of opposing belligerent hosts I;
thousands of whom were wandering
amid the ruins of once happy habita-
tions, and the dead but happy memo
ries of a glorious past, while thou
sands of Others wept in agony for the
loss of dear departed ones, many of
whom, scattered over half a CONT.
nent, as they were by the fatality of
war, filled unknown and unhOnOred
graves; with the accumulated wealth
of long years of toll swept away,
their labor system totally destroyed,
and in their midst once servile and
docile race now drunk on the sweets
of its first taste of liberty; perfect
results were not to be expected out
of such q chaotic condition of things;
but for Gods sake insult not the
memory of our forefathers by calling
such a governmental fabric as the
Radical loom sent to market from
Tennessee, republican! Let us look
into its history.
Supplied with the luxury of mill
tary governor during the war, or, at
least the greater portion of 1t, with
all the spirit, If not the very forms of
civil government overthrown and up
rooted by the presence of cOntending
armies, and the absolute supremacy
of military power over the soil, the
property, the business, and the inhab-
itants of the State, the war left Ten
nessee in very singular and anoma-
lous condition, regarding not alone
her relations to the other States of
the Union, but her form of govern
metit, or rather Its want of form, as
applicable to her own population
During its progress the Presidential
election of 1864 occurred. Preceding
that election an electoral ticket favor
- %ha al nj, % NnfvIalI ond Dar,
dletOn was put in the field.
President johnson, then mlhtary
governor Of Tennessee, issued q pro-
clamatiOn governing said election,
and prescribing conditions then un-
known to the constitution and laws
of the State. Among Others, all vo-
tiers were required to take the follow
ing oath:
! sulemnly swear that will henceforth
support the Constitution Of the United
States, and defend IL against the assaults OF
its enemies; that am an active friend OF
the Government of the United states, and
the enemy of the so-called Confederate
states; that ardeutly desire the suppress
sion of the present rebellion against the
Government of the United States; that
sincerely rejoice In the triumph OF the ar
mics of the United states. and the defeat
and overthrow of the armies and navies
and all Grined combinations in the interest
of the so-called Confederate states; that L
will cordially oppose all srmistices or ne
gotiations for peace with rebels In arms,
until the Constitution OF the United states
and all laws and proclamations made In
pursuance thereof, shall be established
ritorY embraced within the National Union
and that will heartily aid and assist the
loyal people in Whatever measures may DE
adopted for the attainment OF these ENDS
and further, that take this oath freely ana
voluntarily, and without mental reserva-
ton; 30 help me God.
This attempt of Governor Johnson
to control the elective franchise in
the State, in manner different from
that prescribed i'm the Constitution
was met by a very earnest protest from
the Mcclellan electoral ticket in the
State, which was delivered to Mr..
Lincoln by Mr.. John Lellyetti OF
Nashville, on the 10th day OF October
1865. The protestants, among others,
made the following declarationi
We soieuinly protest against these in
| fringements OF our law, conflicting as they
do with the very letter OF the federal Ion
stitution, because they are without author
| ity, and because they Will prevent iIyel
| fair, and true expression Of the Will OF the
loyal people Of Tennessee! -
| The military governor expressly assumes
by virtue of authority derived from the
President, 30 to alter and amend the eiec-
tion law OF Tennessee, enactcd under au.
| thority of the Constitution of the United
States as above set forth, as to make the
same conform to his own cdict in the pro-
clamation aforesaid. He assumes So "a
modify our law as 10 admit persons 10 vote
at said electiouwho are not entitled toyote
under the law and Constitution OF Ten
nessee.
To this protest against the action
of Governor johnson, Mr.. Lincoln
replied verbally on the 10Th Of Octo-
Der, 1864; TO Mr.. Lellyett:
Iexpect 10 let the friends OF George H.
Mcclellan manage their side of this contest
In their own way, and will manage my