Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-01-20

federate States should be prosecuted on
our part with the utmost yigor and energy |
until our independence and nationality are |
acknowledged by the |
United States.
Resolved, That Tennessee pledges to her |
sister States OF the Confederacy that she |
will stand by them throughout the strug
gle; that she will contribute all the means
which her resources will supply, so far as
the same may be necessary, to the sup
port of The common cause, and will not
consent to lay down her arms until peace
is established on the basis of the foregoing
resolutions
There is no mincing the question. in
these resolutions. By his vote Mr.. But
Ter declared that the separation Fought to
be perpetual and irrevocable," and that
Tennessee ought to listen to no PROPOSE
ton to return to the old Union. This is
the man who now introduces bill into
Congress inviting that body to interfere in
the affairs of this State.
But this isnot all of Mr.. Buffers history.
We showed yesterday that in the conVen-
ton of January, 1866, which proposed
the amendment to our State constitution
abolishing slavery, Butler made an effort
to engraft an amendment on the constitu-
ton forever DISTINGUISHING negroes and
rendering them ineligible to hold office,
serve on juries, or appear as witnesses
against a white man. After this, Mr..
Butler was elected to the Tennessee Sen
ate. and here he maintained the position
he had assumed in the convention. In
that body, on the 8th of April, 1855,
bill introduced by Mr.. Peart, to repeal
the sections of the Code which declare
negroes ''ncapable of being witness in
any cause, civil or criminal, except for or
against each other" was taken up on its
second reading. We quote from report
of the debate which ensued:
''Senator Butler, of johnson, opposed
it as premature step towards regulating
the status of the negro. Coming from a
district with fewer slaves than any IN
the State-a district that has sent more
soldiers to the Union army than any other
in the State-a district which has never
been questioned for its loyalty and devo-
ton to the United States government, he
felt it his duty, knowing as he did, the
sentiments of his constituency to oppose
its passage. & The bill proposes
to make witnesses of negroes against
white men, and that is not the most OBJ
iectionable feature; it makes them quail
fed voters, and the repeal of those
sections in the Code will be so con-
structed by the jurists and courts of
the State. We have
done enough for the negro at present.
Let us see whether it is a curse or a bless
ing we have bestowed upon him. Ten
nessee is not prepared for this great stride
in elevating the negro. She does not ex-
pect it of this Legislature. The men of
the mountain districts who have left their
families and periled their lives for the
Union will be shocked by this hasty legis-
lation, which s9ts up the lives of white
men to be sworn away by negroes. They
viii not approve it, and knowing their
honest sentiments regarding this subject,
l feel it my duty, in justice to my con-
stituency, to record my vote against the
passage of the bill"
In the Senate, on the 18th of May,
1865, Mr.. Trimble introduced bill 'to
render persons Of African or Indian de-
scent competent as witnesses in the courts
of this State" 1t is customary to allow
all new bills to pass their first reading
without objection or debate, but Butler
could not permit this movement to do JUS
tee to the negro pass, and Immediately
upon the introduction of the bill, he is re-
ported to have denounced it as follows:
'sMr. Butler protested against the intro
duction of such in1ammatory bills at this
late hour. The negro question came be-
fore US at an early day, and We laid it
over during this session by a very decided
vote. It has been the distinct under
standing that this subject should not agi-
tate this body at this session. 1t is under
stood to be pending question, and we
have already had fair expression Of
opinion on it. We desire to adjourn early,
and the most important bills are now per
feCted and will be passed in few days,
when it is expected that we shall adjourn.
If we open this question, it will involve
a long and angry debate, and protract the
session to very late day.
Thus We see that whenever the subject
of comforting upon the negro the right 10
testify in our courts was brought to the
attention Of the Legislature, this Rebel
Radical candidate lost no time in de-
nouncing the measure, and it will be seen
he declared the sentiments he entertained
were those of the citizens Of the counties
he represented. He declared that his
constituents would "be shocked by the
nasty legislation which sets up the lives of
white men to be sworn away by negroes. "
Here was direct charge that negroes
would swear falsely, and that if they were
permitted to testify, the lives of white
men would be in danger.
Behold the man who steps forward with
a bill invoking Congress to interfere in the
local affairs of this State, simply because
he feels that he can no longer be a power
in any portion of the State