The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1869-07-05
THE CANVASS IN TENNESSEE.
IFrom the New. York Tribune.l

THE CANVASS IN TENNESSEE.
From the New, York Tribune.
We ask those who favor-on whatever
gronnd-thc continued prescription and
disfranchisement of those who participated
in the late Southern Rebellion to consider
the aspect now presented in Tennessee.
The facts are SO instructive that he must
be blind and deaf who can mistake their
purport.
Tennessee Was the last State to plunge
into the Rebellion, and her Eastern di.
vision never fully succumbed to it, When
the State was finally voted out Of the
Union-June Sth. 1S62-af.er one at
tempt had been ANONYMOUSLY defeated
though the Middle and West gave six for
secession to one against it, East Ten
ncssee on full poll, gave more than two
votes to one for No Separation The
Rebellion for time overwhelmed her,
and treated her Unionists cruelty; and
that part Of theStatc was recovered till
late in 1868. The strife was here hand to
hand and knife to knife, and almost every
survivor mourns relatives or near friends
who Gin his view were murdered by the
adverse combatants. The State recon-
structed herself on loyal basis while the
war was at its hight, and of course dis
franchiscd all the rebels and fastened them
down by stringent Registry law. Thus
they have remained; and no one can law
fully vote or hold Office who ever favored
the Rebellion. A full third of the
Whites, with all the Blacks, arc loyal to
the core; and these have the political
power completely in thel hands If any
State can maintain itself on basis ofpcr-
sistent Rebel disfranchisemen,, that State
Tennessee.
Hon. D. W. G. senter is, by virtue of
Gov Brownlow's resignation, acting
Governor of the State, being President
Of the Senate. he is an East Tenncsscean
and naturally shares the feelings of the
Unionists Of his section. He is a candi-
date for election as Governor, opposed
only by Colonel William B. Stokes, also
a Uuionist. In his address to the people.
just issued, Governor scnter says:
The question which most interests tho
people of Tennessee at the present time.
and which in itself, is perhaps more press
ing ard important than any other, is the
elective. franchise. On'this subject, | am
free to say that, in my judgment, the
time has come, and is now, when the lin
italions and disabilities which have found
their way into our statue books, rs the re-
suit of the war, should be abolished and
removed, aud the privilege of the elective
franchise restored and extended so as to
embrace the mass of tho adult population
Of the State. In other words, am in
favorof so amending the constitution and
laws of the State that tho present disfran-
chising clauses and provisions shall be
made to disappear from the same, and the
privilege of the elective franchise made
to rest upon the facts and conditions Of the
present instead Of the past, and upon
principles Of impartiality, equality and
justice. For fellow-citizl ns, whatever
may have been the suggestions of pru-
dcncc, perhaps the dictate Of imperative
necessity, Immediately after the war
when the greater portion Of tho disfran-
chised people Of tho State were fresh
FROM the support and service Of the Con-
federacy, to which they had acknowledged
and paid willing allegiance, when in fact
many if not most Of them were paroled
prisoners of var. and when the disposi-
ton and purpose Of the General Govern
mcnt toward them had not been made
known before civil government in
State had been fully rcorganized and the
and restored and before the peaceful
disposition Of the majority Of the
late rebclIious people had become
apparcnt-thosc reasons amply sufficient
then, cannot DO urged now, when
the civil government of the State
hrs been fully restored and firmly estab.
lishcd, when now the General Government
has extended amnesty and pardon to all
participants i'll the rebellion. and when
the mass of the disfranchiscd people Of the
State can have no longer hope or purpose
in rebellion, arc engaged in the peaceful
pursuits of life, bearing fully, aud for
The most part chocrfully, their share of
the burdens Of the Government, having
from necessity, no interests as citizens
save in common with their enfranehiscd
neighbors, and such as lie in the promo
ton of the common good, and especially
when now the power Of the General
Government has been placed firmly in the
hands Of its friends, and the declared
policy of the nation is that Of enfranchisc-
ment and not of disfranchiscment.
pisfranchisomcnt was adopted as
only temporary necessity growing out Of
the needs and situation Of the time, and
with no expectation that it would be long
continued and there can be no reason
for its further continuance now except in
q selfish partisan ambition to gain Office,
or selfish partisan fear Of losing it
Disfranchisemcnt necessarily produces
resilessnoss and discomfort, and. MS we
have all seen, cngcnders animosities, dis
cord. and strife.
Z" Enfranclisemcnt will, in my opinion.
hea' the animositics which have SO long
d;y;JnJ our ,nnoIn nol 1,.,,n ononnrd