Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-01-19
TENNEssEEINCoNCREss.

DuAiCi, AtOm INC ulcb NisiiSt, " g btii
which recites in the preamble the 3D. sec
ton of article XIV of the Constitution
DISTINGUISHING certain participants in the
rebellion, etc. VThe first section of the bill
provides that ali acts, legislative, execu-
tive or judicial, performed by any person
or persons laboring under the disabilities
mentioned in this preamble shall be null
and void and of no binding effect. Section
two provides that no bill, resolution
or proposition, passed upon by any
Convention or Legislature, where the same
was voted on and carried by the votes
of persons who were laboring under the
disabilities, or either of them, mentioned
in the preamble to this bill, shall have any
binding effect; and upon the petition of
any citizen of the State to the Judge of
any Federal District Court of the United
States, holding the court or residing in
the State where the redress is sought, he
shall take jurisdiction of the subject mat
ter and shall issue his warrant to the Mar
shall of the district where the complaint
is made, commanding the parties who are
charged to have aided in the violation of
article II, section 3, of the Constitution as
aforesaid, and of the provisions of this act,
to appear before him and show cause why
the act complained of should not be de-
clared null and void; and if any officer,
legislative, executive or judicial shall be
deprived of or prevented from exercising
the function Of his Office by virtue of any
bill, act or resolution passed by
the votes of any persons who
were laboring under the disabili-
ties mentioned in the preamble to this
bill, or if said officer be deprived or dis
possessed, as aforesaid, by virtue of any
proposition emanating from any Conven-
ton claiming to be Convention to alter,
amend or abolish a State Constitution,
and submitting the same to the people for
their ratification or rejection of
said proposition, which was passed
by those disqualified by the four
teenth article, section five, of the
Constitution as aforesaid, the per
son so deposed shall present his petition to
the Judge as aforesaid, setting forth all
the facts in the case and the said Judge
shall proceed TO investigate The matter,
and if he shall find the facts as set forth
in the petition TO be true, he shall rein
state such officer Immediately; all bills
and resolutions signed by any person
claiming to sign the same as speaker or
president of any legislative body, when
by law the same is required to be signed
before they become law, if the person so
signing shall be laboring under any of the
disabilities mentioned IN the preamble to
this bill, the same shall be null and void
and of no binding force or effect, and
shall not be received in any court where
the same may be offered. The bill was
referred TO the Committee on Judiciary
Roderick having been a prominent
member of the Secession Legislature,
which retired from Nashville, rather de-
moralized, before the advance of Gen.
Buell. in February, 1862, and which
resumed their labors in Memphis,
ought to have, for charity's sake,
if no other, some little friendly feel
ing for his old Secesh brothers. They
stuck to the new flag, which Roderick de-
serted. They fought for four long years
and endured sufferings indescribabIe.
They finally surrendered and have since
been devoting themselves assiduously to
the pursuits of peace. They only ask for
the same rights in the common government
which their former slaves now possess.
Roderick abandoned them in the hour of
their need, didn't fight, bleed nor die on
either side, got into fat places, has Jared
sumptuously, was in the Convention which
adopted the amendments Of 1866 and was
there boisterous against permittingnegroes
to vote, sit on jurieS or hold office. The
Congressman from the first district cannot
have forgotten the ordinance that he pro-
posed on this subject in that Convention.
It reads as follows:
''That no negro, mulatto, Indian, or
person of mixed blood, descended from
negro or Indian ancestors to the third
generation inclusive, though one ancestor
of each generation may been a white per
son, shall exercise the elective franchise,
or hold any Office of honor or profit, nor
shall they be competent jurors in any court
of justice in this State, or give evidence
against white person.
1t was in that Convention that Repre-
sentative Roderick Random made that
speech which thrilled his auditory by the
emphatic declaration that he "would
never consent to put the negro on a foot
ing of equality with the white man..
1t wasi that same Convention he intro
duced a preamble and series of resolutions
against the authority of that Convention
to change the State Constitution, from
whichwe quote
Whereas propositions have been Of
fered in this Convention proposing to re-
solve this meeting into a Convention TO
propose amendments TO the fundamental
laws Of the State;
And whereas we believe our cOnStitu-
ents are opposed to and did not send us
here to pursue such course.
Therefore, Be it resolved, etc"
Thr rampant Rodericlz, we respectfully
suggest, should bear these little
matters of record in mind, and
not deal so harshly with his former
friends and fellow-members of the Rebel
Legislature. We beg the riotous and rev.
dictionary Roderick TO be appeased, for
as there is now a very decided probability
of the ratification of the Fifteenth Amend
ment without the assistance of Tennessee,
we do not think there is any probability
of the Radica! majority reconsuucting
Tennessee. The roscate haired Rodericl
is mistaken in his belief that the desire
for reconstruction entertained by the Rad
icals was occasioned by their anxiety TO
have the continued benefit of his interest
ing Congressional society. 1t was the
Fifteenth Amendment they wanted-not
Roderick of the Rosy hue. Oh rare and
radiant Roderick, Vale.