Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-08-26

all these years of toll and money, il
simply teaching the African canibal how
to pepper, salt, and roast a missionary
in little better style than they formerly
did. Laughter. While this was 81
in Africa, the Africans here amougus had
their Bible and were being taught how
to read it. He compared their bondage
to that Of the jews, and said they had
the advantage Of the Jews, inasmucE
as the latter had wandered in bondage
four hundred years before the day OIL
deliVerance, while the negroe had beer
held but two hundred years. In conclu-
sion he gave the negroes this piece o.
advice: Don't you, said he, never at,
tempt to govern this country, for
whether you want to or not, you can't
do it. lApplause.l
FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT.
Passing from the subject of negro suf.
frage to the fifteenth amendment, he
declared that he should oppose it. Suf-
frage is right that each State should
exclusively control within its own Dor
ders. st is" said lie, 'all important,
just now when the general govern.
ment Is absorbing all power, that this
original reserved right should not be sur
rendered, for the federal government,
as consequence of war, and by amend.
ments to the constitution has SO
changed the original structure Of gov
eminent that States, as States, have bes
come mere dependencies Of the central
government at Washington. II this
right were surrendered, but few original
rights would remain to the States. To
show the danger of passing this amend
ment and making it the law Of the land,
there is scheme, said Mr.. Etheridge,
Of importing Chinese labor-a scheme
that he was not willing, unnecessarily, to
encourage (Mr. E. dwelt on the word
unnecessarily, and believes should be
gone into as spariDgly as possible. But
if We do open the gates of China, and
bring few millions Of the Celestials
here, it wont be long before somebody
will be wanting their votes, and this is a
subject of which we wish the exclusive
control. He would therefore vote against
the amendment and oppose it to the best
of his ability.
DEMOCRACY.
Mr.. Etheridge next addressed himself
to the people of every political complex
ION on the subject of the name or word
Democracy" As an Old Line Wing be
claimed the right to speak to them. He
called for a gentleman MIR. Cole) moi
then present, who said he hated the
word Democrat He, the speaker, was
no apologist for the Democrats. But
what is in a manner In this progressive
age names soon lose their party signif-
canoe, and mean anything or nothing.
Let US not now be looking to the past
In the name of heaven let US look to the
future. The Democratic party has pre-
served its identity in the Pacific States,
New York, Kentucky, Maryland and
Delaware only but grant that it had
preserved its organization entire. Ii
shows that it YVES better organized and
has more vitality than the Wing party,
which was dead years ago But let me
tell you now that if you find an old
Democrat out in the woods behind q log
praying for the return Of the Democrat
ic party to power, you will find an old
Wing close by patting him on the back.
Talk of not being able-as some Of you
dO-tO join "the old, effete, corrupt and
rotten Demoeracy"-why, anything is
preferable to Tennessee Radicalism-a
thing Sui generis, monstrOsity that had
no progenitors, and pray heaven that it
leave no pOsteritJl Applause /
Grant you that the Democratic party,
during its long and sometimes brilliant
executive reign in power, was stained
with crimes of its leaders, too often un-
scrupulous in their efforts to maintain
that power to its honor and glory be it
said that it despoiled no man Of his lib
critics without q trial by his peers. Il
robbed no man of the franchise it was
not in favor Of great mOnopolies it was
not the champion of high taxes it was
not guilty of that stupendous piece Of
folly-the boast that "a public debt is .
public blessing" it imprisoned no man I;
tried and punished no man without due
process of law it established no drum-
head courts.martial in time of peace /;
finding no bastiles to pull down, i.
erected none as monument Of its exist
ence it was not guilty of that most in
famous Of rallying cries, "ssIus popuh
supreme lex" To the complete organic
zation of the Democrats of the North to
their heroic manner Of resisting alike all
threats and Establishments to their
watchword, "the Union as it was--the
constitution as it is''-to them alone we
owe it that the bondholders' dream Of
imperialism is not an accomplished fact.
Grant that the Democrats were all
Rebels. For the four years that they
held sway in Richmond they never
passed a law DISTINGUISHING an Union
man for loving the old flag, or praying
for the safe return of the boy who went
out to fight for it. These things that the
Rebel Democrat didn't do in time of
war, the Radical camp followers did
when the war was over and in time Of
peace. Talk of rotten Democracy, in>
deed. Tennessee Radicalism makes the
meanest Wing or Democratic regime
seem bright. .
CONCLUSION.
In conclusion, Mr.. Etheridge said that
for the last four years we had had q era.
zy Governor, who, in zone of his crazy
fits, fell over on our platform; we had
had a pauper Legislature, low and de-
bauched Judiciary. The ballot box had
been wrenched away from the people by
tyrants and strangers, plunderers and
thieves. We had been compelled to bow
our necks to our former slaves, but it is
easier to hurl the mountain from its base
than to keep the yoke on a people born
for freedom. Three weeks ego the sun
arose for the last time on a race Of slaves
he set upon race Of freeman whose
glad anthems rang out in . grand chorus
Of thanksgiving as he sank in the West.
We have known what is to have been
slaves, and we now know what freedom
is. We know how much is due to the
magma charts, to the old barons who es-
tablishsd the bill of rights, and we know
the value ola written constitution. There
is no danger of our ever again forgetting
But in the midst Of joy and triumph we
must be magnanimous. We must lei
temperance and forbearance mark our
every action toward the vanquished, and
thus let US show him that we are superi.
or to him.