Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-10-07
THE FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT.

1 NnOFAs 10 OesAroy state Rights ant
Establish q Consolidated DespotIsm
From the Paris Tenn. Intelligence, Oct. 2.
| After the organization of both Houses
OF the Legislature, among the first sub
Jeets which it will be called upon {,
consider, will be the all important and
vital issue of the ratification or rejection
OF this proposition to overthrow the re-
publican form Of government in all Of
the States, and erect upon its ruins a
consolidated despotism under the name
and style of the United States Congress
as absolute and imperial over the State
as that Of England over Ireland or Rus>
STA over Poland.
| The fifteenth amendment adopted
and the sovereignty of the States is des.
troyed. IflI& Of
all the outrages which have been done
to the constitution and to liberty-from
the dawn of the late rebellion until now,
this fifteenth amendment, in it's ultimate
results will prove most disastrous to
republican institutions.
From the ClarkIville tTenn) Chronicle. Oct. .
We have been profoundly sstouished
at the indifference and apathy mani
tested by many OF our people in refer
ence to the fifteenth amendment. We
have heard some who ought to be better
informed on the subject say that it
would make but little differences whether
the amendment was adopted or not. as
the ballot would not be taken from the
negro any way. If negro suffrage were
the only thing contained in the amend
ment, there might be some FEASIBILITY
in the above position, so far as the PEG.
pie Of this State are concerned.
But negro suffrage is not the only
thing aimed at by the cunning and un-
scrupulous men who concoeted the fif>
teenth amendment. Ever since the
commencement of the war the party in
power has been endeayoring to DESTROY
the rights Of the States and eliminate
from the federal constitution every guard
placed there by its trainers, to protect
the sovereignty Of the States. One after
another of these safeguards has been
trodden under foot, and now, by the |
htteenth amendment, it is proposed to
give to Congress the right to cont rol
elections in the different States, thus
sweeping away the last constitutional |
barrier to the encroachments of a cen
trallzsd despotism upon the reserved |
rights of the States.
We are not surprised at members of
the Radical party being in favor of this
Infamous and iniquitOus amendment for
they have advocated consistently every
measure Of usurpation and tyranny to
keep their party in power, and will, of
course, continue to do 80 to the end of the
chapter. But to hear a man who pre-
tends to be in favor Of the government as
established by our fathers speak lightly
of the danger of adopting this fifteenth
amendment, exoites only pity for his ignO,
rance, or contempt for his want of princi- |
pie Some tell US that our Legislature !
ought to adopt it in order to coneili- |
ate General Grant and the Radical |
party, and thus induce them to grant /
US favOrs or to keep their hands off of
US. We have no patience with this
political pusillanimity, for it is nothing
else. A sound policy we are willing to
recognize and to practice, but when a
people surrender honor to appease q
party in power, although they may think
it policy, others will esteem and characs
terize it as cowardice and disgrace. After
the adoption of the fifteenth amerdD
nent there will be nothing left in the
of our fathers worth pre-
serving. The government will have
passed from a confederacy to centralized
iespotism. Give to Congress the power
% control our State elections, and we
would not give the snap of our finger
or what would remain Of the old gov
When men advise our Legislature,
hen, to adopt this monstrous amend
nent, they advise them to surrender the
asst vestige Of liberty and to precipitsts
he government into centralized despo-
ism-a vast, boiling sea, without q
Ihore. We would as soon advise
woman to part with her virtue to appsase
md conciliate the lbertine that sought
Ter ruin, as to advise Tennessee to adopt
he fifteenth amendment to conciliate
Grant and the political prostitutes that
assist him in tearing down the pillars of
he constitution and dancing in drunken
'eVelry over the liberties of the
people. Tennessee is State in
he Union. The reconstruct q
ing is not in her nose; and woe betide
he degenerate son of hers who should
.ttempt to disgrace her and her people
y voting in the Legislature to adopt the
UNI of all villainy and iniquity known
8 the fifteenth amendment-Who shall
ote to confer upon Congress the power
o inspect the returns Of our elections, and
tiae the voice Of our people at the ballot
ok, by declaring some such scamp and
calawag as Bill Stokes or Horace May.
lard elected over gentleman, who had
majority of thousands over them. We
az again, the Legislator who votes to
atty this amendment, will bear hence
birth load Of scorn and contempt that
Till hurry him to an early grave.