Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1870-03-19
THE sITUATIONIN TENNESSEE.
A CARD PROM sPEAKERs THOMAS
~ AND PERKINS. HPti

a CARD FROM sPEAKERs THOMAS
~ AND PERKINS. $50
the True Condition or Anairr in Ten.
nessee-A Refutation of HAD.
zeal ISLANDERS.
A due regard for the good opinion Of
people living outside the limits ofour
State requires that we should correct
some mistatements that have been
made, and which seriously reflect
upon the honor, discretion and wis
dom OF tho Legislature, over the two
branches of which we have the honor
to preside, and upon the peaceable
character OF the people OF this State,
whom we In part represent. ...
To the people Of our State, who
know how untrue these statements
are, and who are familiar with the
motives and designs that prompt GER
tain parties thus to Islander and mis-
represent ms and thegreat body of the
people, this correction is entirely un-
necessary. But when men pretend
ing to represent the people of this
State, make speeches In Congress,
and read letters from high officials of
the State, making these false state
ments, we fear that a failure or omis-
sion on our part to deny them might
he construed into an admission Of
the truth Of these reports, however
incredible they may be, and the au-
th0rs thereof unworthy the conf
dence of any intelligent people.
Justice to the people Of our State,
to our friends abroad and to the menu
beers of the General Assembly of the
State, requires that we should correct
these false and miscellaneous reports
1t Is charged by the emissaries of dis
order that the Legislature Is composed
almost entirely of rebels; that they
have passed laws discriminating
against the colored and Union men
of this State; that they repealed the
common school law, solely with the
view to withdraw its benefits from
the colOred children, and children OF
the poor Union men; that they have
enacted law to prevent negroes and
poor men from hunting and fishing
on the lands of the rich. We might
pronounce these charges false, and
known to be so when made, and do 70
declare them; but will give them sep
arately more distinct notice and re-
futation. The Legislature Is COM
posed almost entirely OF orignal Union
men, there being twenty or more
members of the present General As
/ sembly who were Union soldiers du-
ring the late war, and adhered faith.
full to the cause of the Union to the
end of the contest. In truth there Is
but one member of the present Gen.
eral Assembly who had any cOnnec.
ton whatever with the Rebel cause
The present Legislature has done
everything In Its power, tn remove
all indivious political distinctions fol
or against any class, race or color, and
have by repeated enactments, en-.
deavOred to give full force and efIect
! to all the reconstruction acts of Con.
, gress, and to cause q strict observance
Of the amendments to the C0nstitu
ton and the proposed Fifteenth
Amendment. 1t Is true the common
school law was repealed. but with M
inimical feeling against the edu.
cation of any class. 1t wa
done because 1t was extremely
onerous upon the people to impose {
tax sufficient to sustain system a.
expensive as this was; and, further
, after the decision Of the Suprem,
J Court of the United States declarin,
J the State lands liable I'm receipt o
taxes for all the issue Of the Bank o
Tennessee, had the law continued II
force, the receipts for school purposes
for perhaps the next two years, woul,
have been received In this worthless
currency, of which no use could hav,
been made in the maintenance an,
: support OF common schools; but {
number of officers to be paid out O
the State Treasury for no service
whatever, except the bare name o
County and State Superintendent.
; The Legislature has passed no Law
whatever upon the subject. Of hunt
ing or fishing, as the journals of boil
Houses of the General Assembly will
show. ...r....
II Is charged that the State Consti
tutional Convention was composed II
the main of prominent eX-Rsbels-
that their objects We're revolutionary
and their chief aim the turning on
! of office of loyal judiciary. 1t i
true that the Constitutional Conven
,, ton was composed in part of promi
nent Rebels and Of many promlnen
Union men, but II is further true tina
+, these prominent ex- Rebels were emf
nently conservative, as all of thei
speeches and the Constitution whicl
they have submitted will aboundant
Nv attest. Their work was revolu
3 tionary only so far as IL was necessa
. ry, In order to restore to the people O
the State republican firm of gov
eminent, that Is, to give to all tn
! right of suffrage, and to remove q ia
, dietary, many Of whom held their OF
fees by appointment from
former Executive of the State, mad
. without warrant Of law, and man,
I of whom were wholly incompetent
to fill the high and responsible posi-
, tons to which they had been appoint
] ed.
!, This action of the Convention, va
j eating all the judicial offices of tn
State, was urged by the Union mel
therein, and by their influence, main
I ly, adopted.
1 But the work of the Convention
I speaks for itself, securing equal right
: and liberties to all, and discriminat
Il ing against none, on account of race
!, color, previous condition or forme
! sentiments. II ratified, 1t will effec
1 tually break down all political dis
e tinctions on account Of past difteren
@ ces OF opinion.
. II IL further charged that the pee
: pie are banded together TO resist tn
I, law--that they encourage mask ma
u rauders, and connive at the murder Z
y Union men aud negroes. They eve
y attempt IN cite cases of murder AN
q live names OF those murdered. Tha
y there are cases Of violation Of LAY
here, we do not deny; but they al
q not Of more frequent occurrence tina
% In any other State of equal populf
4 ton. We have taken occasion to Q,
- anime the number of eases of mo
i violence reported to the Executive