Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-02-24
EXIT RROwSLOw-xSrER sENrER.

Dy virtue OF MS once OF ppeaker Vi
the Senate he becomes ex oticio
Governor of the State, because of
a vacancy occurring in that Office,
the present incumbent having re-
signed to take effect TO morrow
Mr.. Senter will assume the duties
of the first executive officer of the
State under very peculiar circum-
stances. He cannot be ignorant OF
of the fact that Gov. Brownlow's
administration has been failure,
save perhaps in one thing. Gov.
Brownlow came into power at a
time when he might have made
himself the most popular man in
Tennessee, but unfortunately for
him and the people, he could not |
divest himself Of his bitter personal
and political prejudices. He has
directed the whole of his energies
to the retention of power in his
hands and those of his party, at
whatever cost of justice and of law.
BE has trampled law under his foot
with impunity where that law op
posed itselfa as a barrier to the success
of his schemes or of his partisans.
Witness his disregard of the con-
stitution and the law requiring the
election of judicial officers by the
qualified voters his DETECTION of
the school fund" from the pur-
pose to which it was solemnly dedi-
Gated by act of the Legislature
his usurpation of powers touching
the returns of elections and other
instances which suggest themselves
to every man at all familiar with
the history of the State admins
tration. The most charitable con-
struction we have seen placed upon
these acts of usurpation, and the
vindictive policy that he has pur
sued toward the great body of
the intelligent white people, the
men who pay nine-tenths of
the taxes necessary to meet the ex-
penses of the State government, is
that suggested by Secretary Fetch
er, that he is "weak both in body
and mind, and completely under
the control of designing men"
Mr.. Fletcher regards the Gov
ernOr as but little responsible for
his public acts" This is certainly
charitable; but the State is now
happily rid of this bold, bad man,
weak though he be, and easily
played upon by men who have
thrust him forward to do their
mean, malignant work. His ad-
ministration has been a signal
failure in every attribute that was
calculated TO build up the industries
of the State, to husband the re
sources and strengthen the credit Of
the State, and to make us one peo-
| pie. It's no justification of Brown
lows harshness and severity to
| plead that the Ku-KluX have re
tarded the growth of fraternal feel
ing among the people. They are
the legitimate offshoot Of the policy
he has advised and inaugurated.
However firmly we may reprobato
their acts, we are constrained to con-
fess this much. But for the Brown
low policy, we verify believe we
should never have had a Ku-Klux
in the State. The evils which have
grown out of the Brownlow admin
istration, and which have weighed
down the energies Of as brave, as
chivalrous people as can be found
in this Union, are as patent to Mr..
Senter as to the frmest, most IN
yielding opponent which Gov.
Brownlow has to-day in the Demo
cratic party. We know that Mr..
Senter is firm partisan, that his
feelings are strongly enlisted in
behalf of the Radical party,
but shall we not hope that
he will so far lay aside these
predictions that he will make a
Governor of Tennessee and not Of
the Radical party? 1t is a question
for him TO decide, and it is one of
grave import what character of ad-
ministration he will vouchsafe to
the people he must be aware, he
cannot ignore the fact if he would,
that we cannot drift much further
in the direction which Gov. Brown
low has been carrying the State,
until we shall be swamped in ire
trievableruin and bankruptcy. The
people are grooming under the
weight of taxes, greater in one
year now than in any eight or ten
years before the war, while the
debt Of the State has been almost
doubled under the Brownlow admin
istration. Our bonds, instead Of
advancing as they undoubtedly
would under a judiciOus manage
ment of the affairs of the State,
have been running down under the
calling out of the militia at time
when the laws can be executed by
the civil authorities of tho State.
The Legislature is devising ways
to increase the debt of the
State, while we have only an empty
treasury from which we expect to
| draw the means TO nav the interest