Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-04-11

Ciaitoeu Tree BY one man, Dut JneSc ldtSe
gods really have you in worse state Of
slavery than you were before the. war.
They are your tasksmasters when you
ought 10 he free and should exercise your
own minds.
Many of You colored men we're in the
contest of 1855 when KnownothiDgism
prevailed as secret organization. And
what was the organization then. Are you
not free? Have you not got the.rights Of
free citizen If you have what do you
90 into one Of these secret organizations
for, where your judgment is not your own?
address myself not TO your passions, to
your feelings, but il is TO your Judgment
and brains. Are you not free? Ii you are,
can't you act as freemen and upon your
own responsibility. Vote for who you
please. Do you 60 into that organization
to get freedom? Don't your freedom go
in with you? Don't they take you in and
compel you to take an oath; and don't
they control you By your fear Of perjury
| ia any manner they choose? Is it not
their object 10 possesl not only your being
but your vote. The highest right that a
freeman can exercise is the franchise. Do
Won know how fought the institution of
k nownolhingism l happened to get
hold of one Of their blue books. APP
plause and laughter On nay recent ar
rival home the first thing | picked up
was an old dilapidatei blue book of the
Union League. What oath do they make
YOU swear? Here is the obligation with
which they>atiempt TO make yoE their
slave:
sand that / will never make known in
any way or manner to any person or per
sons, not members of the Union League,
any of the signs, passwords. proceedings,
| debates or plans of this OF any other conn.,
| Gil under this organization, except when
engaged in admitting new members into
this leaeu-."
If you attempt TO vote any other way
than they direct, they charge you With
| perjury. You are not allowed to think for
yourself ] say you are slaves when you
take that oath. / declared you free in
1864 and ] declare you free in 1869. / am
your friend aud will defend you
[ will to-day as an American citizen alb
solve you from'all these oath-bound or
| CARNATIONS. You sre freemen and
claim that in The violation. of this oath
they can not charge you with perjury.
| The whole book is deception
aud delusion 10 tnlave you, and l
sSsolve You from it. 1 think Moses is
getting along pretty well. Laughter |
You have murmured and gone into slavery
again, and it seems that Moses has turned
up again at the proper time to again en-
ancipate you. Loud applause and laugh
ter from the colored people l absolve
You to day from all connection with any
secret political organization, and brand
the men engaged therein as conspirators
who ought TO be indicted in the courts. II
is conspiracy. These organic atoms in
stead of giving fall liberty, devise means
by which yOnr liberties are taken away,
and if they would enslays you, would they
not enslave us2
What is TO grow out of this state of
tbings? 1t is the flesh pots, the places that
they wanted. Don't you think they would
disfranchise you to morrow if all those in
the State whom they have disfranchised
| wonld promise TO vote for them on the
next day? There are more of them, and
| If they will take an oath to support them,
they will enslave goa before 10. morrow
night. Laughter and applause Hence
your true policy is not only TO go for your
| own freedom and Acknowledgement, but for
| the acknowledgement of all, and thus culti-
vate good feeling and harmony among the
same people with whom you have got 10
live. A voice, That's right."lt
WHO ARE YOUR NATURAL FRIENDS?
Do these modern Moses come to you and
invite on to take lG0 acres of government
lands out West? A voice, "No, and they
never will" They can take them. They
want you 10 stay here and vote for them
snd get as much out of you and the people
| as they can. | know what ! am talking
| about. The time is not far distant when
| you will realize who are your trae friends
My cOlored friends, when allude TO these
these things il Is for your good.
| MARTIAL LAW IN TIME OF PEACE.
The constitution Of the United States
provides for the repelling Of the invasions,
| couspiraces and instructions and domes.
tic violence, upon the application of the
| Governor Of the State. The consti-
tuition Of The United States say
that every State shall be guaranteed
a republican form Of government. 1t also
prohibits any State within the government
having troops or ships of war in time OF
peace. The physical power belongs alone
to the government, and not TO the State.
lfa State, through its executive, can de-
clare martial law in time Of peace, and
subvert the Judiciary by calling ont troops,
| shonld like to know what to call that
power that subverts the civil authority and
subjects it TO a rigid military rule
WHAT CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY.
No such power is granted by the consti-
| tuition to any State in the Union. Ii the
laws Of the United States are resisted,
| government troops are called out, but
no State troops are allowed. The courts
have ample power through its officers 10
enforce all law7, aud if the Sheriff needs,
| be may call out the whole county to serve
a process. Hence We see the pfopriety
and sound policy of declaring that no
State shall keep ships Of war and
troops in times of peace. If the Gov
ernor Of New York, or any other State, can
upon single violation of law of the State,
can, by his own will, put the State under
martial law, has he not subverted the civil
authority and made il military govern
ment instead of the republican, form Of
government guaranteed in the constitu-
tion A monarch could have no more
power, because, 10 that case, it is absolute.
1t is a subversioa Of civil government, q
violation of the constitution and of The
principles Of free government. Upon that
principle every State might be changed
from civil 10 8 military government, and
despotisms would be established every
where.
THE TENNESSEE SITUATION.
/ will take it upon myseIf to say that
there is not county in this State in which
civil process cannot be executed to the Mt
most limits. / will take the contract and
enter into an obligation TO execute every
possible process issued in any county in
this State, There are some men, of course,
who commit crimes who cannot be caught
under any circumstances. What is the
excuse for a standing army You may
call them guards " militia" or what you
please, they are just az offensive, and il
smells just as bad as it would with any
other name. Tremendous applause
WHERE l. THAT School FUND?
Where is the freedom? Where are we
going? When | left Tennessee the Sta
was IN a flourishing condition, and your
State Ranl, was making more money than
il had ever made before. A school fund
was intact, but where is it now? APP
plauae and laughter Where are the
internal improvements Voice, Brown
los = got EN- ] am not asking ques-
lions about any body, bat am making ill.,
quiries about the condition of our State.
Where is yonr State Bank Who knows
of what il consis Where is yonr school
fund Echo answers where" Voice, |
A" Where, Oh where" and laughter
WON'T DESERT THE OLD SHIP. |