The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1869-06-18
Senator BrOwnlow on Universal
Suffrage.

SVlrages
/ ind myself called upon, by letter
and through the newspapers, TO define
my position on the suffrage question,
now being agitated, throughout the
State. / have never held an equivocal
position OH any great public question,
and never will. Nor have the vani-
ty to suppose that my opinions will in
huence those of any considerable num-
Der of men, on this or any other ques-
ton; and certainly have no purpose
to dictate to any of them, how they
shall vote at the coming election. 1t is
from an entirely different motive that
l shall state what follows.
In my Judgment, the existing fran
chise law was an absolute necessity to
prevent the State from being thrown in
to anarchy, and to protect the loyal peo-
pie thereof from being subjected to pro-
scription, violence and murder or ex-
lie. On this account and with this
view l have supported that measure.
If l had the power, | would distran-
chise, for life, the active leaders who
brought on and upheld the rebellion.
These bear about the proportion to the
other numbers who were drawn into re-
bellion-sav, as one to ten. The qucs-
ton arises, then, in view of the recent
decision of the Supreme Court, and to
which shall soon more particularly re-
fer, how can you discriminate to make
the disability fall upon them alone !?
Would it be right or wise to keep q
thousand men under disabilities, nine
hundred of whom do not longer require
it, for the sake of the one hundred who
do?
The Republican party in Tennessee
have secured the entire judiciary in the
State for eight years to come, and
should the Governor recommend to the
Legislature an alteration of the Consti-
tuition, admitting the DISTINGUISHED to
the ballot, il will require two years to
accomplish il. The rebel population of
the State will haveS been DISTINGUISHED
at least six years. Should they then
come into power by welding a MAORI
ty of the votes, it will be impossible for
them even then, to fill the Offices with
rebels, to its injury, because of the
fourteenth Amendment to the United
States Constitution. ..f
There is still another view of this
subject | wish to present. The ST.
premc Court Of Tennessee, court of
our own choosing, has recently restored
to the ballot, by its late decision, about
twenty thousand rebels, among whom,
were some of the active leaders of the
rebellion, who had been excluded there
from by the franchise law.
We elected Grant upon the platform
of universal suffrage, East Tennessee
alone giving him about twenty-six
thousand majority. In his inaugural
address Grant comes out fair and square
for universal suffrage; the reconstruct
ton measures of Congress all proceed
upon the principle of universal suffrage /;
the entire Republican party of the ma
ton and the entire Republican press of
the North are out unequivocally in IA
vor of Universal suffrage. Should the
Republicans of Tennessee obstinately
stand ont any longer against the great
Republican party of the nation, and its
entire press, and also against the Prcsi-
dent and both Houses of Congress, they
will simply render themselves ridicu'-
lous in the estimation Of all besides
themselves.
1t will be seen from the foregoing,
that in my Judgment the safety Of the
State, the welfare of its people and the
protection of loyal citizens do not de-
mand the pcrpetuation of existing dis
abilities longer than the time when they
can be constitutionally removed.
w. G. BRowNLow.