Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-06-06
RADICAL RULE IN TENNESSEE.

The New York Times, a leading
organ of the Republican party, ad-
mits that the Republican party in
Tennessee and other Southern
States has been conducted on the
proscriptive and intolerant policy.
The acknowledgement is also made
that the party in those States "has
cultivated bitter and intolerant
spirit and "made blatant loyalty
the sole condition of political priv
ileges." This is the admission OF
one of the papers which has here
toforo upheld and Landed this very
policy, and Joined with the other
Radical papers in denouncing those
who opposed this mode of govern"
ing the Southern States. The con
fession of that error comes at late
hour, says the New York HIorld,
but better even now than not at all,
and we trust will open the eyes OF
those who have given the party
which has been committing these
outrages their support. The Wor'a
says:
''The truth is, the management Of po-
litical affairs in Tennessee by the Repub-
lican party has not only been disgrace,
but mockery upon our form of govern
ment. There has been neither freedom
of election, freedom of opinion, nor free
dom of speech in that State since the adj
vent to power of Parson Brownlow. All
manner of crimes have been committed,
in the name of liberty and under pre-
tence of law, not only against the rights
and liberties of the citizens OF that state,
but also against their persons, and
the State kept thereby on the verge Of
of anarchy. All this has not only been
upheld by the entire Republican press,
but the Times admits that the proceed
inps in Tennessee have been taken as a
model for the management of the other
Southern State governments. 1t has
been worse than a despotism, exceeding
in its intolerance and proscriptiveness
that Of any of the monarchical govern
ments of the Old World. 20 --.rF
"The reign of Republicanism in Ten
nessee has partaken more OF the ianatl-
cism of the French Revolution and Reign
of Terror than anything else. Yet it has
been upheld by the entire Republican
party press, and all who protested against
it denounced as traitors and cOpperheadS,
while such as resided in that State were
disfranchsed and often compelled to sub
NIT to the bayOnet.
The Republican party, having done
nearly all the damage that it was possir
BILE in the enforcement Of this policy, aid
seeing that the people are rising up 10
mass against the authors of these out
RACES upon liberty, is now endeavoring
to make a virtue Of necessity by
confessing all that has been charged
against its course, in the hope of
thereby obtaining new lease OF
power. The leaders and organs
of the party are pretending to advocate a
more liberal policy. In the anxiety for
further control in Tennessee, they are
compelled, according to the Times sd-
mission, to acknowledge that the policy
Of the party in Tennessee has been that
of hate > that the Governor has here
toiore been vested with power fatal to
the freedom Of elections that the work
of reconstruction has tended towards an
archy and tina the measures adopted
by the party heretofore have been mere
cSntrivances for the qualification o' en-
mites and the furtherance of selfish
ends
an these statements are admissions