Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1869-10-21
FAYETTEVILLE, TENNESSEE:
Thursday Morning, October Fl, 1869
Governors Message.

Ane message OF GOV. Senter
to the General Assembly of Ten
nessee, was delivered on Tuesday
We would be glad, had we the avail
able space, to give it to our rea
ders in full. but are only able tC
give some extracts. First his views
upon the subject of
THE ELECTIVE FRANCHISE.
OF the particular subjects to
which feel it my bounded duty tc
direct your attention is the fact
that while the property of all the
people is alike taxed for support
OF the Government, a very large
proportion of them are without q
voice in the selection of the officers
who either make, administer OF
execute the laws by which they
are controlled. Necessity for
this unhappy condition, even if it
has been, time has revealed to no
longer exist.
Reason, justice and the mag
unanimous spirit of our law, which,
though it may adopt punishment
as a means, nowhere gives it the
dignity of an end, demand that
those who are in quiet submis.
sion to the Government without
other interests save such as are
in common with more favored cit
liens, and bearing equal their por-
ton of its burdens should, without
regard to anteceGents, have full
and equal rights as citizens of the
Government. For as atoms of for
eign substances tester in the nat
ural body, until expelled or ap-
propriated by absorption, SO, while
a large portion of the States pop
ulation occupy the anomalous re-
lation to it of being compelled to
all the duties and obligations, and
are yet denied the rights and priv
ileges of citizens, will they, in their
discomfort and restlessness, not
tester as foreign substances in the
body polite, until expelled or alb
sorbed? Expulsion is impracti-
cable, as also inconsistent with
the genius of a Government,
whose capacity to bestow its bles,
sings is increased in the proper
ton that willing recipients of them
are multiplied. Wisdom, states
manship demand that such pop
ulation should be taken up, and,
by absorption, appropriated to the
lite currents OF the body polite.
With all earnestness, then, I re-
peat to you what has been pub
lished and declared by me on many
other occasions that in my judg-
ment the time has come and 'aoao is
when all inequality of privileges
for political causes, among the peo-
pie of the State, should end and
for this | recommend the prompt
est and most efficacious means,
directly or indirectly in the reach
and control of yonr honorable
body.
The FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT.
The Governor recommends the
adoption of the Fifteenth amend
ment in a lengthy argument, and
says that under the dictates of
public intelligence, honor, justice
and reason, the colored mans
suffrage may be safely reckoned a
fixed fact in Tennessee, and closes
this subject by saying that he
would be recreant to his own co.,
science and to his convictions of
the public interest, did he fail TO
earnestly, yet respectfully, rec
ommend the proposed amend
ment for ratification by the Leg
islature.
IMMIGRATION.
From the fact that our inter-
ests have suffered, thus far, from
exaggerated ideas, abroad, of our
unsettled condition and because
you will be regarded as fairly rep
resenting our public sentiment, |
earnestly recommend such action
with regard to the important sub
ject of immigration, as will assure
all who desire to join their for
tunes with us, and, by their indus
try and enterprise, to aid us in de-
velopment and progress, that to
the inducements offered by our
soil and climate, will be added |
that of cordial aud friendly well !
come from the he arts of our people. /
OUR FREE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
The popular appreciation of
free schools as the surest means
of afording to ell the benefits of
education, has grown so rapidly
IN all p arts of this republic that
it is now freely accepted with
the people most enlightened that
the children Of a State, as the