Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1869-03-20
sATuRDAY........MARCH 20, 1855
rIIE Duty or CONSERVATIVES.

signs of a return to common sense on
the part of the oppressed and down
trodden people of our State. The
treatment received by the Southern
people since the surrender of their
armies, by the party in power, has
been marked by a periidy and infamy
unparalleled in modern times. Faith
less and treacherous to the last degree
has been the conduct of the conqueror
to the impoverished but gallant peo-
pie who were vanquished. In vain
have they held public meeting after
public meeting, assuring the country
aud the world that they accepted the
situation in good filth; in vain have
Southern Legislatures complied with
all the terms required of them; in
vain have communities rallied to the
support of the civil law and implored
Heaven and their conquerors for peace
and repose. All these things have
been ignored with heartless brutality,
and political disability after political
disability has been heaped upon our
people. Vengeance has been the
watchcry of the conqueror, and every
Humiliation that devilish malignity
could invent has been imposed upon
us. The barbarous negro has been al
lowed by law TO jostle the cultivated
and elegant white man from the bal
lot-box, and this Is held up by the
canting hypocrites who have caused
it, as advancement, civilization, pro-
erosion.
To suppose that brave people
would not be FESTIVE under such treat
ment, would require am amount of
stolidity to be found nowhere in this
world outside of the ranks of the
Radical party. s.ll..
But our restiveness does us no good,
but harm. We are in the hands of n
powerful, INSCRIPTIONS, aye, utterly
inhuman and unprincipled enemy.
Let US be silent, because silence is for
our good. Let us hate our oppressors
with all the power that God has given
us, for "hatred to tyrants is obedience
to God.'' But let no political demon
stration be made by us, no political
candidates run by us for Office. What
though Legislature, many of whose
members are proven thieves make
what they call laws for us-what
though the Speaker Of one branch OF
this same Legislature stands before
the country Mief in the estimation
of all honorable men, though, there
fore, in good standing in his party
what though the men who now claim
to represent our State in Congress
have been proven to have stolen mon
ey belonging to the poor children o
the State-tOe are responsible for nont
Of these things. Let Us therefore be
quiet. Like the man in the Scrip
lures, we have fallen among thieves
Thieves make our state laws-thieve
represent the State in Congress, anC
the shining lights of Radicalsm in
this State are known and acknowl
edged thieves.
We mean what we say and wha
every we'll informed man in the Stat'
knows to be true. The Arnells, tn,
Mullinses, the NUNS, the Hamiltons
the Richardsel, these are the gods o
Radicalism in Tennessee, and thes,
are prouon hioucs, and il indicted
would be convicted as such 10y an.
impartial jury in the country. Blu
these men do not belong TO our class
we are in nowise responsible for them
Let them steal or Motive can't pre-
vent it. Everybody knows we hav
no voice in thesematters. If we had
Nrnell, Richards x Co. would ex
change the halls of legislation 70
shaved heads and striped brceche
within the walls of the peuitcntiary
Mullins, to-day, instead of making
indecent exhibitions of himself il
Congress, ought to he pocking rock il
the penitentiary at Nashville. Thi
language may @em harsh; but W
have statute which makes stealth!
- pcnitentiary offense; and when
man steals, we have always under
stood, then he is thief. Leave TIA
thieves to themselves, rs we have n
power to punish them. When rogue
f,n nut h,nnsf man will ,rnt tha
dues, Let the honest men of tn
state, then, keep quiet until tn
Yogues fall out among themselves
They will certainly doit. No consil
cradle band of thieves ever failed,
let alone, to fall out at sometime am
blow on each other,
Then let all honest men stand alo,
from these plundercrs of the Scho,
Fund these robbers of the libcrti,
oi the people these violators OF COZ
stitutions-these worshippers of nc
groc5; and let them fight out the
battles of rapino and plumber and vi
laiuy among themselves, five coul
take them by the throat and dra
them To justice, our voice should
raised for arrcsting the rascals in Il
very midst of their revelry amid Il
spoils of an outraged and ruined coul
try; but not having the power, an
therefore not responsible for the
deeds, we repeat, keep quiet and Il
them alone.
some months ago we took growu