Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-07-01
THE DEnANDs OF PAKTY NE

OE<6S1A
The Chattanooga Republican is
affecting q degree of candor and
honesty which we have not been
accustomed to find in Radical
newspapers. Wefnd the following
in its issue of June 80: l:7. |
LAS we have before remarked, the suf-
frage question in Tennessee and throughr
out the nation can only be finally solved
by making it universal. Though it IS not
an issue between the two parties at
present struggling for supremacy in Ten
nessee, the contest is yet instrumental,
and will continue so to be, in forong all
parties and all shades of public opinion
to accept universal suffrage as g final
settlement of that long agitated question.
1.-THE political history of Tennessee
since the war, clearly demonstrstes that
necessity, mere than principle, is the
moving cause with majority Of the
people in every great measure OF reform.
At the close of the war the Union masses
of Tennessee were scarcely less syerse
to oolored suffrage than were the Rebels.
Having, however, fought for the emsnci-
patton of the slaves, the sympathy and
gratitude of these manumitted beings
were with the Union element Of the
State, their strength was as necessary at
the ballot box as it was in the field, and
necessity conquering prejudice, secured
to them their political rights through the
Republican party.
Without opposition it was impossible
for the Republican party to long remain
united. They did not remain 80, and
with the division comes the dssfe, if not
the necessity, Of securing the support Of
the Democrats, who hold the balance of
power between the two factions. This
makes it necessary for each party to 1iber-
alize its policy toward the disfranchised, :
a rivalry is created between them, and
thus necessity again accomplishes that
which principle would have been a long
time in reaching, and conquers the pre-
iudices which are impervious to attack
from any other source"
Here it is confessed by Stokes
organ, as this paper has frequently
charged, the Radicals in this State
were opposed to negro suffrage,
and only acquiesced in it as a ne
cessity-that it was that or political
death. If it had not been that the
votes Of the negroes were regarded
as necessary to the success OF the
Radical party they would not have
been enfranchised until this good
day. Now this Stokes organ CON
fess that so eager are the Radical
candidates for Governor each to
secure his election, they are bidding
for the infuenceof the DISTINGUISHED,
and each is vieing with the other in
promises to relieve that class. Ac-
cording to this Stokes organ, party
necessity induced the enfranchise-
ment of the negro, and now that
same necessity is about to secure
Justice to the disfranchised white
men of the State. The Repub-
lican declares that "the suffrage
question is not the issue in this
canvass, except in so far as one
party may outreaeh the other in
liberality, give more satisfactory
evidence of sincerity in what 1t
promises, and ability to make these
promises good" To such an ex
tent is this bribing carried for "the
support of the Democrats, who hold
the balance of power between the
two factions" that it is currently
reported and believed that when
the candidates return to Middle
Tennessee, Mr.. Stokes will take
bold ground in favor of immediate
| ly calling convention and elect
ing delegates to the same, without
the interposition of the Legislature.
His organ here (the State JournaD
has already come out in favor
of such q convention. To this
complexion has it come at last.
Mr.. Stokes fully appreciates the
great mistake he made in his open
ing speech here on the 9th Of
June. when he allowed himself to
be betrayed into espousing the
cause of gradual re-enfranehise-
mont. Every step he has taken
even in East Tennessee has con
WINGED him of his mistake, and the
probabilities are that within few
DAYS, when the candidates strike
Middle Tennessee, Stokes will I'M
furl the banner of immediate resto-
ration of the rights of which the
white tax payers of the State were
deprived at the behests Of party
necessity. He is evidently prepar,
ing for a coup d'etat by which he
will get ahead of Senter:
Engineers surveying the Little Rock
and Fort Smith railroad have completed