Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-07-01
a NEW ISSUE rRorosEp.

4
he United States, the Memphis
Ledger says
"If this is incorporated and made
part of the constitution of the United
States, the question of suffrage will be
taken from the States and exercised by \
the general government This will prac-
tically consolidate the entire government, i
and gives TO the Federal authority the
only weapon left the States by which |
they might have preserved their original |
Inheritance of State sovereignty. For
certainly when the right to control the |
ballot box has been given to the general |
government, it will then concentrate the
great fundamental sources of all power
at Washington, and the States viii be |
assigned dependent position, drawing |
their existence from the bounty of Con.
rress. In the fourteenth amendment 1t
i expressed that all persons born in the
United States are citizens of the United
States, and Of the State wherein they
may reside, which includes negroes and
whites, and only excerpts Indians not /
tlxed. The amendment to the constitu-
ton, making negroes citizens, has, ais
ready been adopted, the object now being |
to force he,acceptance Of the fifteenth |
amendment, which, when ratified |
by three-fourths of the States, makes |
these persons legal voters in all parts of |
the country But it should be borne in
mind BY hose of the South who particle |
pated in the war that they are not in
cluded in this relief from disfranchise-
ment, as it was only intended by the
Radical party to elevate the Ethiopian
race 10 a political and social scale equal
with the whites. The amendment IS q
question directly for the consideration OF
our people in the present canvass and IN
the election of members to the next
Legislature. We should be careful to
select men who will reflect our views, for
il was expected by the friends OF this
amendment that the Legislature OF tins
State would be sure to ratify 1t at It's
next meeting, but which is now little
doubtful, since majority of Democrats
may compose that body" i ISL
Our Memphis contemporary takes
a very proper view Of the proposed
amendment, but it is questionable
whether it is prudent to make an
issue upon that question in this
State. The white men of Tennes-
see are struggling for political exist
ence. We may say they have
| staked everything upon that issue.
| 1t towers above every other ques-
ton of the canvass, and by COM
mon consent all others have been
ignored. Would it not be i'll advised
| if not fatal to distract our councils
with a question upon which there is
no division among our opponents.
Let us look calmly at the impolicy
Of this suggestion. The ratification
by the Legislature of Florida OF
the proposed fifteenth amendment
leaves but three more States to make
three-fourths of the thirty-seVen,
| which are necessary to render this
amendment a part of the supreme
law of the land. The States OF
of Rhode Island and Vermont,
which have yet to vote upon
it, will ratify it beyond doubt,
thus leaving but one more State
necessary to consummste this
measure. Virginia, Mississippi and
Texas are required, under the last
reconstruction law, as a condition
| precedent to restoration to Con
| gress, to ratify this amendment
There is hardly a reasonable doubt
that Virginia will do this before
Tennessee can possibly do it. We
thus see that we could accomplish
nothing should we carry the Legis'
lature against ratification. VIZ
confess that under ordinary circum
stances this should not exercise &
feathers weight to swerve US from
the discharge of duty, but where
we can accomplish only evil to our
selves by making this test ques
ton in the canvass, we shouldignor'
it altogether and let it go by de
fault. The question which demands
our united energies and our unite(
| counsels, is that which involves th'
political existence Of the white mel
men Of the State. Upon this question
our Radical opponents are divided
and it is of far more consequnce t
| us that the white men, the men 0
wealth and intelligence and socla
position, the men who pay the take
which sustain the State government
should be re-enfranchised, than tina
we should simply make a fair am
proper record on a question the con
summation of which we could b.
no possibility prevent. Let us d.
rect all our energies to securing
Legislature Saat will recommendth
immediate assembling of a eonven
ton of delegates elected by the PEG
pie to revise the constitution, re-en
franchise the white men, and pro
vide that every man who votes shal
pay tax ~ 49,
Cash for f. r. Cotton Seed
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