Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-03-26


bounty for the scalps of Radicals, white
and black, it could hardly have done d.
EecilE more than was done by indirectiorn
When the present Legislature assembled
the members found on the Statute books a
large number of laws which discriminate |
in favor of the blacks against the white |
population, and which had been enacted |
solely in the interest of the Radical party. |
These laws were passed to prevent the
anti-Radical element from getting control
of the State, as well as to harrass and an
nOy those who it might be supposed would
resist the discriminating and vindictiYe
policy of the men who controlled the
State government. Many of these laws
were disgrace to civilized State, and
the Radicals themselves expected them 10
be repealed upon their losing the Legis-
lature. This was one of their strongest
appeals to the colored voters in the can
yass preceding the election of last Au-
gust. These laws were specially directed
to the degradation of the white men of
the State; to alternating, not to making us
one people; to imposing heavy burdens
upon classes prescribed solely on account
of their politics, such as no Legislature
had dared enact before the war, and TO so
framing the laws that none but Radicals
could get Office. These were the laws
which were repealed by the present Legs
lature. No judicious, wholesome law
passed by ''the previous Legislatures"
has been touched. Nor has the present
Legislature passed any such vindictive,
oppressive laws, which properly came
under the head of class legislation,
as did ''the previous Legislatures.
With all their carping, the Radicals
cafonly complain that their laws have
been repealed. They cannot say that
the laws as they stand are hurtful, or thai
they bear more heavily upon Radicals
than upon Democrats and Conservatives,
or that the ballot-box and the Offices of
the States are not equally open to all of
every hue. As to the ''taking all depart
ments of the State government complete
ly out of the hands" of the Radicals, that
is the issue they made in the canvass.
They charged that this result would fol |
low if the opposition to their party elected |
the majority of the Legislature, and they |
fought the contest on that issue and lost.
But the offices are open to them still, and |
if they can elect their men there viii not |
be the slightest opposition to their being
lnducted into Office. There is no unscru-
pulous Governor now to set himself up
above the law and "throw OUT votes
enough TO Select" his partisans. 1t is
well known that all the offices in the State |
were vacated by the constitution of 1884,
but there was no party to whine over that |
act of the Constitutional Convention like
there is to-day. 1t was all very nice for
the Radicals TO vacate the offices upon
their assuming power in 1866, and for
thor Governor TO appoint officers declared
by the constitution elective by the people,
where he had a doubt as TO the ability of |
the Radicals to elect one of their number;
but now when elections are made free
and equal, and the offices of the State are |
open to every man subject only to the
l4th Amendment, who can command the |
confidence and support of his fellow citi-
zens, these self-same Radicals raise a
howl about prescription. This is the |
veriest cant of which men claimingt to be in |
telligent and respectable were ever guilty.
Just yesterday we republished from the
New York Tribune letter from Mem
phis Radical to that paper which con-
tains the following confession in regard to
the men who have so greatly excited the
compassion of the Commercial
''The sooner it is understood in the
North that there is practically no Repub-
lican party in Tennessee to place in pow
eI, but simply few political demagogues,
having neither the brains nor the charac-
ter TO fit them for leaders, the sooner a
correct knowledge viii he obtained of the
actual condition of affairs. Let 1t be
understood, therefore, that the Republi-
can party of Tennessee is a myth; that it
has been hopelessly scattered, and that it
has no leaders around whom it can or
ever viii rally. Let it be known, too,
that it fell TO pieces literally of its own
weight, broken in fact under the load of
its own leaders; victim TO their petty
quarrels and wTanglings, and more than
all to their greed and corruption. When
these undeniable facts are well understood
the Republican party of the nation will
understand the situation"
These are the men for whom the Com
D1ercial piteOusly pleads. 1t is perfectly
right that that paper should choose the
objects of its sympathy, and the old
proverb tells us that ''birds of a feather
etc.
The testimony Of ex-Federal officers
aud soldiers sent TO Washington, as well
as published in the papers of the State,
refutes the charge of murders, assassina-
tions and crimes" brought against this
people by the CommerciaL and shows
how utterly reckless that paper is in the
assertion contained in the closing sentence
Of the extract we have made from its
columns.
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