Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-03-13
OBEY THE Laws.
A Rebel General ON the Duty OF The
Southern People.

4 y y
complimentary letter until the pre-,
sent time. Although you greatly
overrate the importance of my pc.
litieal opinions, yet lest the fact of
my silence in the last campaign, to
which you make allusion, might
lead to misconstruction of my
true position, both by my political
friends and opponents, | have con-
eluded to comply with your request
and furnish you with brief expose
OF my views of the Situation"
did not vote in the last presi.
dental election. / could not do so,
except by taking the oath pre-
scribed by the Legislature. This /
was unwilling todo, because gave
different construction to the obi
cation thereby imposed from that of
most of my Democratic friends,
fearing, if / took the oath, il would
commit me fully and forever to the
doctrine of negro Suffrage doc.
trine 50 monstrous and absurd, that
as much as l desired the sue
cess of the Democratic party, /
could not conscientiously comply
with the prerequisite condition Of
casting my vote. Possibly in this
| erred. But that contest is now
over. The American people have
by their verdict endorsed the prin-
ciples of the Republican party, the
reconstruction acts" negro suf-
frage, and negro carpet-bag consti-
tutions for the South. The South
ern people are utterly powerless to
escape from any of these evils for
the next four years at least. The
Supreme Court, whatever may be
their convictions of law or right,
dare not, / fear, in the face Of the
dominant party, at present decide
the reconstruction acts uncOnstitu-
tional. The Radical leaders have
lost none of their bitter, unrelent-
ing hate towards the South. Gen.
Grant, even if disposed, (of which,
as yet, we have no written evil
dence, to pursue a more just and
liberal policy, could not aid US
without breaking with his party
in which event, Notwithstanding
his great popularity, he would soon
find himself, almost if not quite as
powerless as President johnson, for
at least the coming congressional
term.
The political future of the South
is indeed gloomy, and makes US
we'll nigh despair of the republic.
Free institutions were formerly sup
posed to rest on the virtue and in
telligence of the people as their
corner stones. These have crum-
bled. And now the American
edifce rests on vice, ignorance and
corruption for it's foundation. Our
nation, although young in years,
already gives indication of all the
vices which have marked the de-
cline and fall of all former repub-
lies. The Southern people are
powerless to stay the tide of eor-
ruption which threatens the over
throw of our government. 1t is easy
to see the bane, but difficult, if it is
not impossible, to prescribe the an
tidote. No one in the South is in
sane enough again to appeal to the
sword. All factious opposition to
the government; every lawless re-
sistance of the constituted authori-
ties, State or Federal; every secret
attempt to wreak vengeance on
those who Cypress and enslave Us,
instead of remedying, tends but to
aggravate the ills we suffer.
Our people should not adopt such
a policy. 1t seems to me there are
but two courses for US to pursue.
One is a passive endurance of a
state of things, which, however
| CALLING and oppressive, we cannot
remedy, but must bear with. Do
and act as we were recently advised
in the address to the people of Ala
bama, be patient, steadfast and firm;
true to our allegiance; to principle
and tie constitution true to the
instincts of white men; true to the
proud auspices of Caucasian blood
true to our hitherto untarnished
honor, and in little while we may
hear the Slogan and the heavy
tramp of the great Conservative
| Constitutional party of the NORTH
and Northwest, no longer under the
leadership of Tammany Hall poll
ticians, but headed by her Pendle
tons, her Blairs, her Vallandig,
hams, with waving banners anC
keeping steady pace to the music o
the constitution, coming to our
rescue. Then our deliveranee will b,
sure, full and complete. The othe
course is to join the ranks of oul
oppressors, and out Herod HeroC
in the hope of partaking of tn
loaves and fishes Honor, patriot
ism, self-respect, as well as tn
memories of the past, indicate thu
former as the true policy to pursue
Join them? Never The Radica
party of Alabama, in the opinion o
its leaders, is sufficiently large, o
nearly so, for all practical purposes
Even now they find it difficult t
satisfy the cravings of all thei
hangers on for Office. We see thi
Illustrated in the remarks Of tn
leaders, who openly say to their re
cent converts, that they must b
content TO work in the ranks
while,-or, in the language of thos
unfortunates, who some time az
: advised their Rebel friends to tax
| back seats. These political vault
ers furnish good examples of tn
truth, for Notwithstanding the
. have been long and anxiously wal
! ing on a back seat, none of tt
, masters of the Radical feast hay
invited them to come up highe
In fact, the Radical party are no
: like the managers of some of Of
theaters and halls, who, when the
:, houses are crowded, and all Il
: seats taken, to prevent disapPoin
' ment from those who come late
# the entertainment, put up on br
a letin boards, in large letters, moi
= but standing room left" The Rae
: cal managers, if equally homes
= would announce "None but stan
!, ing room and a few back sea
n left" For one, do not propose