Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-08-17
A STATE OONVENrION.

The true voice Of the people OF 1ennes-
see has been forcibly silenced for many
years, and now, upon the State becoming
once more free, it is due TO herself to de-
clare her acquiescence in every legitimate
result of the late war, and 10 take measures
which will render forever impossible the
future Acknowledgement of her free people.
ak" of the UNION AND AMERICAN.
A Legislature exceeded its powers. A
Supreme Court erred in its decision. The
Executive has been seen to take adVan-
tage of both blunders and establish des'
potism. The people have corrected all
these errors; and it is their purpose to reg
lister their will in the organic law. The
disjointed times have also rendered neces.
sary other amendments, 10 make clear the
powers and duties of government, and TO
secure the people from Legislative iniquity,
judicial imbecility and executive tyranny.
-UNIoN AND AMERICAN.
We republish these utterances
from this paper of the 18th inst, and
as they have been made the text for
a disingenuous comment in the
Press and Times Republican, of
yesterday, We re-declare them, and
challenge any one who may have
honestly supported Gov. Senter and
suffrage to confute them in fair ar
gument: or to arraign successfully
their catholicity of sentiment.
That certain and grievous evils
exist in the State no one will deny
that they are traceable to the
sources depicted by OK" can not
be successfully disputed. Even the
apologist of the Press and Times
admits there were '4aults in the
Convention Of 1865"
But, it is not proposed that the
Convention now to be assembled
under free ballot, shall undo alto,
gether the work Of that body,
On the contrary, "every Legitimate
result of the war" is recommended
to be acquiesced in. The "faults'
and errors of the Convention OF
1865; and the political crimes which
they have given rise to in the acts
of the Legislature; in the compost
ton of the Judiciary and the SUBJ
serviency of which it has been gull
ty; and of the fragrant license
which the Executive authority ha'
been seen to assume, need to be pro
vided against.
These questions need not be re
argued at length. Every man who
voted for Gov. Senter, intended his
ballot as a protest against the fran
chise law as wrong in principle
against the decision of the Supreme
Court which sustained il; and
against its abuse by Gov. Brown
low. And he further desired that
convention should, i'll the organic
law, provide against repetition o
these mischiefs.
Neither is it necessary, at tins
time, to suggest the specific amend
ments to the Constitution which
shall place the Judiciary of the State
in proper relation with the othel
departments. 1t is not proposed
to prescribe the present incumbents
| A convention properly selected is
perfectly competent to reorganiz'
this department without the sem
blance of intolerance.
The debt-creating power OF The
of the Legislature must be restrain
cd. Who will gainsay the wisdom
of such q proposition when the al
is hurting with clamors for repudi
| alton of obligations which that body
have uuwisely imposed on the poo
pie. In advocating a convention
| we do not advocate reputation Of
State Obligations, but simply f
hold in check a power whose unbri
died license will inevitably lead Il
bankruptcy or reputation.
Within tho past five years, w
have seen the Gubernatorial func
ton grow from a sinecure to tn
absorption of all the powers O
rovernment-thc election OF a lie
| gislature to enact the will of thu
incumbent; the appointment @
Judges to justify and legalize hi
action, and the exercise of arbitrar
power itself.
If the sixty-liVe thousand ma
| iority for Gov. Senter did not meaI
rectificaIion of these evils, wha
did it mean? Was the 9Th of Au.
gust a Fourth of July picnic BY
children, or was it the grave actiOI
of men,
"High-minded men-men who know thei
/ rights,