The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1869-08-26

rebels. i RY CAunOt OOuSlsEtlNlf uSH1
that Justice. good order aud equitable
government eqolly demoud full civil
privileges for tho colored population Of
the StGlc, nor that these are insecure
uutil that amendment is saliiisd. Moth
ing would do so much to give the
country confidence ia the good faith
of the Southern Conservatives as a
prompt ratification by the Tennessee
| Legislature II they iail to do il, we
may know it is their intention to dnw
the old party lines and keep the negro
question open as a source of strife and
political capital.
Numecous are tho blossoms dawn
from tho Tennessee election by our ex'
changes. each according to its bias or
special view One lesson which ought
70 be we'll Couaed is, that it is bad gov
Crument whose chief powers are rcposed
in one mlu In war necessity has the
supreme rule, and sho knows no law
F6en tho head of government must
WELD dcspotic powers, whether il bo in
a mopsphy or republic. But it is ex-
tremely unwiso, and cannot fell to
yield bad results, in republic, to pro-
ject the arbitrary regulations Of war
times far into period OF peace and into
civil rule, much less undertake TO per
peuuate them. Under the law of Ten
nessee, Gov Brownlow held and Gov
Senler holds unlimited power over the
suffrage Of their people. Having ob
soIule cogtrol Of the officers of tegistra
lion they could make OF uomaks votes
at their unQueslionod pleasure. II is
impossible, in the weakness Of human
nature and in the cxigoncies Of events
that cannot be foreseon or provided
against. that such unlimited and ire,
'spoos;b!c power should Alweys be used
with that scrupulous roctilude which
alone would render its exercise at oil
toerable Reason and cxperienOe unite
in showing that this kind Of personal aud
irresponsible government will not do 10
republic. In truth, il is essentially
despolic, and has DO essence Of rcpu5.
icauism about ii, when it undertakes 10
control jhiugs which The electors have
right under our system to control for
themselves. II cannot therefore BE- very
long maialsioed haTe ia state Of peace
because If It is, the republican system
itself is destroyed and popular gEetn,
nGnt isbut c mockery, There could
be no better illustration of tba work
iugs OF this irresponsible government,
than is oliorded by TeunCsgee-bow it
may be made tr5 toot Of the man who
wields it 10 accomplish a particular pur-
pose by using il one way, aud how an.
other man may accomplish q similar pur.
pose by using il another way. The
case OF Governor Swan in Maryland af
foris another instance Few men fnd
themselves armed with such prodigious
powers have The virtue to re'is, The temp
taliou OF making them serve their per
sonsl ambition or advantage. What
has happened in tho States mentioned
must harpcn to a greater OF less extent
wherever such irresponsible powers arc
put into the hands Of one man, because
human nature is alike everywhere, and
in nine cases nut Of ten cannot Withstand
temptation. II Governor Santer proved
nnfaithful to the party friends who arm
ed him with the power that properly be-
longed 10 the electors Of his State, letus,
while danounciOg his lreachery. not for
get to ceDsure the unwiso and un rePub
lican law which tempted him,
Another lesson may be drawn from
the Tennessee election through the facts
exhibited by the following paragraph,
which we fud in the Cleveland Leaaer
(Repubicau y
The mojoriy for Dewitt C. Senter
fur Governor Of Tennessee, oysr Wan. B
Stokes. is now estimated Mt sixty thous-
and. Two years ago Browulow had
"A. .484 votes AMI his Democratic oppo.
nent 22 .548. The Democratic vote hos
since been increased perhaps fifteen
thousand By registration. Assuming
the Republican vote to be 5000, aud
The Democratic to be $1,000, and Olso
assuming that Seutor received the en-
tire Democratic vote, the division among
candidates would be about as follows: -
For Sentcr, $4,000 Republicans and
81 900 Democrats; for Stokes, $4,000
Republicans. 1t is thus obvious tha,
Senler is the choice Of lwo,thirdS Of the
Republicans Of Tennessee. This should
be suaicicn, guarantee Of his loyalty TO
the principles and policy of the party"
Here it is Geon at & glance that while
Mr.. Sorler received the support Of the
Democrats, he also received the votes Of
t,oo MirIs of tic Republicans. They
we're given 10 him asa candidate aVow,
eily 10 favor of cnfmDchisiOg the ex>
rebels Of the State. That the Democrats
should support him on such platform
u,sn rnaitpr nj cnursp. hut that tWO-