Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1869-02-19
From the New York World, l0th.1
TNE NEGRO SUFFRAGE AMEND
"a MENT.
The Last viIlainy or Congres..

A strange and Illuminating specta-
Gle is that which the country Is this
day called to witness! Ulysses s..
Grant will be officially declared to I
have been elected President of the |
United States, in the very midst, ms
it were, one OF the most vehement |
and exciting debates on the eyerlast-
lug negro question that has taken |
place for years. 1t was constantly !
proclaimed by his supporters, during |
the Presidential canvass, that his |
election would at last give the coun-
try "peace.u The closing sentence of
his letter of acceptance, inscribed as
motto on all the electioneering ban
ners of his party, was, "Let as have
peace" If this had any meaning, IL
must have meant that the negro agi- !
tation which has so long convulsed
the country, was to be hushed; that
while Gen. Grant was willing to ac-
cept what had up to that time been
done, and to regard it as final, he was
opposed TO any further advances in
the same direction; opposed to the
opening of new questions on this
strife-stirring subject; opposed to
further turmoil in behalfof the negro
race. We all see how delusive, how
perfdious was this pledge. The de-
bates on the new negro-sufifage cues
ton are so hot, the excitement runs
so high, that the Senate holds all
night sessions, and the conflict of ar
gument and passion extends to with
in halfa an hour of noon on the fol-
lowing day. If the proposed amend
ment passes Congress, the excitement
will be transferred to the States and
| the whole country be vexed and
heaved like the pillows of the ocean.
| 1t is merely the deep-seated and
passionate repugnance of large por-
ton of the people to negro equality
which will shake and agitate the ma
ton; it is not merely the opposing of
thoughtful minds to the centralizing
and consolidating tendencies of this
revolutionary measure. There will
be superadded to these the Indignation
of honest and misunderstanding men at
the egregious and shameless perfidy
of party which gained the election
by promises of peace, and, before
their candidate is inaugurated, plunge
their country anew into q controversy
which rekindles the old embers to n
cor and bitterness of the stormy pc
Rod through which we have been
passing. This reckless renewal of
the negro agitation is not only fla
grant perfidy to the country, but an
af1ront and an insult to General
Grant. 1t tramples upon hispledges.
/ 1t is faithless and contemptuous to-
ward him as the grumbling at the
, terms of surrender he granted to the
, rebel army; terms which the Radicals
, wished to break. Surrender and
. you shall not be disturbed" was no
, more binding upon the honor of Gen.
. Grant when he made this promise to
Lees army, than "Elect me and you
= shall have peace" binds his honor in
administering the government
| For Congress to break his pledges as
the head of a party, is not a whit less
, dishonoring than it would have beef
, to have broken his pledges as the
head of an army.
! 1t is not merely Grants owr
: pledges that are treated by Congress;
4 with perfidious scorn; that body is
equally faithless respecting the
E pledges made by the Republican
/ party at Chicago. With consum
r mate and unblushing hypocrisy, they
? disclaimed in their platform any in
: tention to regulate the elective fran
: chise in the loyal States by Fedora
interference. "The question of suf
frage in the loyal States properly be-
!, longs to the people of those States,
/, was their electiOneering declaration
0 This declaration was braZen decep
| ton. The pledge Is violated ut tn,
!, very first opportunity. After inveig
r ling the country to elect their candi
: date on this faithless pledge, the,
i treat it with as much contempt as
o it had been part of the Democratic
If platform.
V The spirit of honest Indignation
V which this wanton' violation of sol
s emn pledges will rouse Throughout
g the country, will insure the defeat 9
> this absurd amendment, and shatte
e the perfidious party which thus prao
d tices upon the public credulity an
r, sports with the confidence of tn
v country. If General Grant is al
G honorable, high-minded man, sue
h perfdious conduct will disgust him a
q much as it will shock and revolt tn
1t people. What right has the Reput
lican party, after using his name t
lie carry the election, to pour contemp
l. on promises which they borrowed {
t. him as their rallying cry? Wit
" what face can they ask him to res
e pect the Republican platform, whe
$ they proclaim, by their own meas
is ures, that its declarations were falls
er and hollow ? We hope we may ne
ID be compelled to believe that Gener,
rs Grant has been acting part as faitl
I'd less and insincere as that of Coz
" gress. The steadiness and solidity
he character with which he is credite
H. are singularly at variance with thi
re restless love of agitation and demon
in strative fanaticism which belon
o. to the Radicals. Unless he III
G. been acting n part, he hearth
ne despises the fuss, the parad
the stump-oratory, tho wild ebull
of tons of passion, the fierce Sc
V. tional vengeance, the senseless dcii
o. cation of the negro, which are I'll
ill vital breath of the Republican part,
lg The country yearns for peace as
y, tempest-tossed and sea-sick voyag
longs for repose on the solid land.
,r. General Grant will follow what
ms supposed to be the natural bent of h
NJ character, and stand by the pledg
IS on which he was elected, the Peep
w will give him firm and hearty su
,s- port. The Republican party Is G,
ng IDENTIFY breaking up and going to di
solution. If Gen. Grant has the S
,rs gacity to see this advantage, and ri
n to the hight of the occasion, he mi
of establish the peace of the country ,
at durable basis. We have not mu,
hope; but, considering how his par
IN, treat him, we do not quite despair.
20, THE PRESIDENTIAL VoTE.-
lis ,y,,wl. -, ;,,,>,,,al, s,,,...- Al