Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-02-09
WHAT HINDERS I" RECONSTRUC
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WHAT HINDERS RECONSTRUCT
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We print elsewhere a strong ar
ticle from the New York Tribune
urging the adoption of universal
amnesty and impartial suffrage as
the surest means of reconstruction
at once, and the response to this ar
tide by number of Tennessee
Conservatives. The brief article Of |
the Tribune introducing the. letter |
of the citizens of Tennessee puts
the case before the Radicals of this
State in its plainest light. "Thoso
disfranchised for participation in
the rebellion" says that paper, care
inevitably superior in intelligence,
in political excellence, and even in
general ability, to their enfranchised
neighbors." And the Tribune per
tinently asks, "Can the pyramid
stand on its apex forever?" The
Tribune tells its Tennessee friends
that this class Of white men can
not be DISTINGUISHED forever, and
that as "cvery enc who knows any
thing must know that the removal
of the existing disabilities is ques-
ton of time only, why not settle 1T
at once, and give peace to the coun
try2" We can answer the Tribune
so far as this State is concerned: 1t
is simply because the Radicals are
satisfied they would lose the offices
by the operation. In proof Of this,
we point to the fact that no man who
was Rebel when it paid or
was popular to be Rebel" and
has since become a Radical and
votes with and for Radicals, has been
denied q certificate of registration,
which entitled him TO vote. Con
vince the Radicals ofthis State that
the enfranchisement of the white
men will work no change in the dis
| posal Of the offices, and every man
4 in Tennessee will be allowed to
vote at the next election. We
ask the Radicals of this State
to read and ponder the comments
of the New York Tribune, which
are evidently from the pen of MIR.
| Greeley, Oh the letter of several OF
our public men addressed to that
paper. The position of Mr.. Greeley
in the party to which Gen. Grant
owes his election, imparts more
than ordinary significance to his
suggestions at the present moment.
| Whether Gen. Grant will dare to
act national and magnanimous
| part in the high position which he
is shortly to occupy, and whether,
| if even his own inclnatiOns are
just and patriotic, the Radical party
| will yield its support to him in his
efforts to restore the republic once
more to peace and prosperity, re
mains TO beseen. Events are carry
ing us rapidly forward, and the I'M
natural condition of affairs under
which the South is to-day laboring
cannot long continue to weigh down
the energies of a great people. The
rights which a minority Of the
| white men of the South have
| through adventitious circumstances
been enabled to withhold from their
neighbOrs who are conceded to be
superior in intelligence, in politi-
cal eXcellency, and even in general
ability will in but 4 few years at
farthest be restored TO them, despite
the efforts of the Radicals to the
contrary, unless republican govern
| ment in this country shall be des
troyed, and then the men who now
lord it over those who constitute
the wealth and Intelligence Of the
State, will sink back into the OBJ
security and insignificance from
which they were thrown by the
surucs Of civil war.