Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-01-12
The Republican Character OF the
State Government De-
strOyed.
The Manner In Which Ex-Reb-
els Have Been Treated.
Important Confessions Of the
Secretary OF State.

d publishes letter in the Press al
o Times of yesterday, in which he COZ
plains that the Radicals have denonnc
3 him as 'Copperhead," Conservative
z and. TRAITOR to the party" the reason
q which he presents rather terssly
n follows:
Y The trouble in my case grows out
y the fact that have not been able withol
y doing violence to my convictions of rigE
= = to approve much of the policy of IN
present administration Of the State gov
> eminent, especially of the executive de
partment. The commanding position c
the present Governor as the popula
head of the party in the State, and a
the source of power and patronage, ha
surrounded him by a class Of admirer
who denounce every man who dares I
differ with him ever in matters of detail
as wanting in party fidelity or as "goinl
back on the party" The kind personal
relations which had existed between the
Governor and myself from my boy
hood, and the intimate officiaI
relations which, by law, existed be-
tween our offices, made me extremely re,
luctant to differ with him in his views OF
State policy, or to dissent to any of his
official acts. As consequence, for long
time | acquiesced in many doubtful
measures. But in the fall Of 1867, His
Excellency, upon entering upon his
second term, sent in his message assert
ing his right, under the schedule to the
amended constitution, to appoint "all the
officers of the State, both civil and mill
tary," for the jul terms provided by
law for such offices. This power, coupled
with the power Of removal, in nv
opinion, at once destroyed the republican
character of the State government. If
the Governor is right in this declaration
OF his power, all elections held since the
war by the Legislature or the people
have been held by his permission-he
having the power to fill any vacancy
about to occur. When this position was
taken by the Governor, / felt bound to
protest against it openly and decidedly.
Subsequently, felt bound to dissent TO
the management Of the nOn>pay:ng rail-
roads, the proposition to issue gOld-bear-
ing bonds, the use of militia instead of
county police, the administration of the
machinery of the franchise law, and MANY
other minor matters not necessary here
to aliude to. In all these differences |
have been conscientious and reluctant.
and have deeply regretted that could
not harmonic with His ExcelIency on
all subjects. For if could have done so,
| might have been, perhaps, q very popu-
lar man in the Republican party, and
might have escaped the denunciations
which many Of his friends have heaped
upon me.
CandOr requires me to say that differ
with some OF our party as to the temper
with which ex-rebels should be treated.
The State government should have con-
sidered itself as standing in loco paren-
tts to the tUhOLe people of the State. |
should have sought 10 allay the strife
among the children of Tennessee heal
and soothe rather than to irritate and pro.
woke dlscussion-tO cure up rather than
tear open the wounds which the war had
inflicted upon the body polite. 1t was
absolutely necessary that while the pas~
siOns OF the people were yet infamed
and heated by the war, that the victori~
GUS minority should be protected from
the majority. A partial and conditional
diSfranchisement could not be avoided.
Our mistake was that we made
the franchise law sweeping and
perpetual - offering no hope or
inducement to the ex>rebels to become
loyal Thousands of them would Join
our party to-day, but we see they cannot |
get to US without perjury in taking an
iron.clad oath. This excessively severe
policy OF our party is about to produce
its natural consequences. IL as about TO
explode TOR the sOant of Galore. If
we had allowed the courts or the LegisS
lature, or if we had provided special
tribunal, to relieve such as manifested q
loyal and patriotic spirit, we would have
manifested proper spirit, and would
have built up our party and have made it
lmpregnable. Instead Of this we are
growing weaker daily, and many of our
best men have become disguised and de-
clared openly for universal suffrage at
once. The COnfederates will ere long
get this boon in spite Of us, and no thanks
to US, and will be the less inclined to
leniency. The only justification that
can be offered for the dislranchisement of
any citizen is the protection of the min,
GRITTY. pity the man who would dis
franchise his neighbOr for his own graft
ficatiOn.
The man who is DISTINGUISHED in re- /
public is not apt to feel that it is his gov
eminent, or to take any pride or interest
In it, nor apt to make a useful or even
w-ablding citizen Of it. do not feel
comfortable residing in State where
half of the people and two thirds of the
taxpayers are publicly degraded by law,
without any motive to be proud of the
State and its government. desire pa
cificatiOn, harmony and restoration of
confidence among the people, and that
this chronic strife may cease in our gem
Grafton, and not be left as an heirloom |
for pOsterity.
Again, while l denOunce and condemn
those leaders who brought on the war,
and those Of the lower order who mall
treated citizens and prisoners, am per,
suaded that the misguided masses of the
Southern people were honest in their de-
VOtiOn to the Southern cause-bad as it |
was. 1t will not do to say that the men
and women Of One-third of the nation are |
all felOns. l take it that the man who
left his family and home, and fought and
suffered for four years without pay, and
10 his own impoVerishment, would not
have done so if he had not thought he
was right.
These people were greatly impover-
shed by the war. They suffered defeat,
wounds and captivity. We have eman-
cipated their slaves we have disfran
chised the master, and disabled him from
holding office or sitting on juries we
have enfranchised the slave, and given
him the right to hold Office and sit upon
juries, thus in many localities reversing
the relation OF master and slave. | think
we have punished them enough for par
ticipatioA in the rebellion, and that it is
time to commence, gradually, at least, to |
their chains. A father may pun>
lsh truant or rebellious son until be
gets himself into the wrong.
l have thus, Mr.. Editor, given express
sion to my candid sentiments. | am
aware that as my views they are worth
nothing, but if they are words of truth
and soberness they are worth more than
gold and diamonds. A. j. FLETcTHER.