Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-06-29


spoke for himself, and he labored |
to leave no doubt as to his position.
From the authorized report Of his
speech on that decision, we extract |
as follows:
she had received letter after his ar 4
rival in the hall, signed Many Citizens
He took it for granted that it had been |
sent by gentlemen. 1t was couehed in |
courteous language, and written by some
man who knew his rights. . The writer
had g perfect right to interrogate him,
because he is now public property, as a
candidate always vas Sen. Stokes
then read the following note Of interro-;
CATION: rsys..s Ere M
"'Gen. Stokes: As many Of your au-
dience are DESTROYS Of hearing you, ex-
plain your position on the franchise, we
ask the following question, hoping you
will givea categorical answer: eaiJ J 4
"'Are you in favor of removing the po-
litieal disabilities under which . large
portion of our communityis laboring, and
if elected Governor will you recommend
to the Legislature the calling O.: cons
vention which will bring about the real
ization of this remedy? t-.f.,r
"'As time win not allow, we sign our
selves as MANY CITIZENS
"That was respectful note, and who
ever the gentleman was who penned lit,
he had his (Gen Stokes thanks. The
writer had proved himself as interested
in the subject, and it was in fact an i'm
teres.ing subject. He knew a great deal
depended upon this. He knew that not
| only the people of this State, but Of the
whole Union, everywhere throughout
| this broad land was listening to hear
/ what position was to be taken here TO-
I day. He felt the respons ;bility, and
| appreciated the magnitude and imports
ance ofthis days work. Upon this sub
/ iect he had expressed himself some time
ago, in answer to a letter addressed to
him by several members of the Legisla,
ture last January, which he read. ii q.
| "WAsHNGToE, D. c., Jan. 81, 1861
| Messrs DIG Thornburg, John Welsh and
IF s ary.-GENTLEMEN: Your
| letter of the 10Th inst. is before me.
You say that it is rumored and currently
reported that "you (me) are in favor eof
universal suffrage" | answer, emphati-
cally, that / am not, nor never have been,
and don't know that l ever will be.
i"'When the killing of Union men
ceases, the hellisb organization of the
! Ku- Kiux disbanded, and the laws are
observed, then | am willing to entertain
a proposition to amend the State constitu.
ton so as to allow the DISTINGUISHED tc
come in gradually by prootdtng, that
the Legislature may, by two~third vote
remove the disabilities Of those whose
petition may coma we'll recommended by
their loyal neighbors. This would let il
well>disposed ex>Rebels, and keep bu
bad ones. This would not endanger the
. Republican party, for the reason that i
would require two thirds vote Of eaci
House to remove their disabilities, and
in my judgment, it will be some tint
before the Conservative democracy vii
|. have such majority. "a
The idea Of amending the consttu
, ton so as to place the ballot IN the md
of these outlaws at one clean weep, anC
, at the present time, would be cruel t
: the Union men. *. o.. r l1d ! q
al hope this will be satisfactory; a
least you will be enabled to know wher'
t l stand. r. ..-. .-....-. .-r %
With my kind wishes, 1 am trul!
a yours. W. B. Stokes
, THAT would give his hearers some de
. as to his position. They could find j
: defined over his signature. He cdult
' not get out of it if he would, and woult
E not get out Of it if he could. He he'll
: that this position was in strict keepinI
e with the principles of the Republcal
/ party, and in strict accordance with tn
/ platform and policies laid down by tina
e party In the 18th article, section g. c
: the consti ution, there would be found
$ clause and proviso which provides tia
o Congress may relieve men Of their disa
/. bilities. He had presented the paper
: of his neighbors and had them relieved
: and would do itagain, but that proviso i
9 the constitution was not put in there 70
d nothing. Cheers. 1t was put in tina
n those who should go forward and ask i
s should, under an act of Congress, be re
r lieved of their disabilities. Then! hi
letter was in strict accordance with tn
d principles of the Republican party. Fl
e would re>assert on this subject what h
: had spoken on the 18th Of last April, i
g a speech made at Nashville in reply
= one made by the ex-President of tn
!: United States. d.
# "'If you DISTINGUISHED people will NOV
d along quietly, and keep from stirring u
r strife, assure you that the day is not ia
D distant when whatever chains have bee
# put upon you will be lifted off. Do nc
g listen to the counsels Of johnson, my dis
franchised friends. If you are peaceablt
and go quietly on in the discharge Of you
;. duties, ofsuch duties as God has laid upo
a you; throw off the garb Of assassination
i quit threatening and yillilying yonr neigh
t bors; and | promise you that in thi
5 changed order Of affairs such feeling
S of sympathy will be aroused that al re
/ strictions will be removed from you
e We have the power to put the ballot il
your hands, but we shall never do
f while such acts of lawlessness are in
r dulged in as have made it necessary t.
call out our militia for the protection O
Union people. You will never get tn
, privileges you are now deprived of unit
this is suppressed. 1t is contrary t,
r human nature
, They had his platform in print, owe
+ his own signature. He had it published
, that every man might see it. Wher
would that time come when these disa
!. bilies should be removed? And Whel
, | was it proposed that it should be donei
| He proposed to do it at the next session
, Of the Legislature, if then, peace anC
harmony should prevail and men should
90 on in the discharge Of their duties
, | apply themselves to their own business
. and should let their neighbors a lone
then it would be the duty OF that Lsgis'
lature to come forward aud commence
the work of eniranchisement of thost
men who should attend to their OWL
business and let other people alone
TApplause and cries Of that's right.
x-".fi ...5 -... ..-
g You ask me if would turn all o
, them (the disfranchised) loose at the
, ballot,box2' lie answered most EN-,
, phatically no. = = 49,.
"The party IN Tennessee was exactly
, in the line Of union with Congress. j
was SO fixed in Congress that five hun
bred could be let in at once, but if a
any time it is discovered that thing,
were going wrong, the brakes We're put
Il L L