Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-03-06
.rnE nEw coNsrrrurIoN.

4 public meeting Of citizens vas held az Sc
he Courthouse yesterday afternoon Tor the co
purpose of hearing the merits OF the pro- So
posed new Constitution discussed by gen. pl
tlenien who were delegates to- he late Con-
vention, and therefore prepared to speak as
on the subject. The first speak al
or was Gen. John T. Garner, Of Spring | p
field, the delegate from the county OF Rob- Ii
ertsou to the Convention. Gen. Garner n
stated in the outset that his speech would a
have TO be necessarily brief, as he had IN n
few minutes to take the evening train for V
home. He was glad to have an opportuni- a
ty of addressing the people of Davidson on {
the important subject under consideration. /
The people of Tennessee had seldom, II
ever. been called upon to decide
at the ballot-box questions oil '
greater importance to their welfare than
were involved in the propositions now
submitted for their ratification or reJecuon'
tt was difficult to see how reasonable, re-
fecting man could oppose the adoption oil
the proposed Constitution Its Adoption
Inv tbe people would tend to their material
nyosnerity and happiness. The new Con-
| stit,tion meant the liberation OF the
| ueople from thraldom oppressive and un-
| inst. and the Inauguration OF period OF
| nrosperity advancement and freedom I'M
| known of late years within the borders OF
| Tennessee. continuation OF the old Con-
| stitution meant continued oppression, dis
| reimbursement, and wrong to the people
whose enterprise, capital, and lntelngenee
| had built I'D Commonwealth OF which |
thew might well feel Justly proud. Thenew |
Constitution was designed to restore the |
Ebarties of the people-the old instrument, |
as amended under Radical rule, involved a |
continuation of oppressive and expensive
government. Which will the people
Choose? He believed the masses OF his
fellow-citizens would do right, and there
fore could not but believe that the great ma
ioritv would 90 for the new in preference
TO the old Constitution. People were
naturally inclined to do right, at least in
matters involving their peace, liberty, and
welfare. and he therefore believed that the
nronosed amended Constitution would re-
ceiye their hearty sanction and approval In
the coming contest. In Robertson county
white and black were warming up to the
, | good work in united column, and would do
telling work in behalf of the new Consu-
= | tuition. On the subject of the poll tax
/ | qualifications, Gen. Garner said he thought
4 | it was entirely right and proper. lie
4 | believed every man who voted ought 10 De
: willing to pay poll tax He believed every
o man who enjoyed the protection OF the
Government ought TO be willing to pay
Something toward ifs support, and at
: least this much in behalf of common
school education. The money 20 be real
: | lied bv this poll tax ITO be solely employed
s for educational purposes, and what man
sswho deserves the name of man, will OBJ
. iect to paving small sum toward support
! | inc the educational facilities of the State!
# The speaker assumed that paying poll tax
10 was not a new invention or latter-day
= virtue. Thesystem Of poll or tribute tax was
as old as biblical history, for it was known
and practiced in the days OF Moses, and
the speaker cited scriptural quotations II
T s11nport of the position. Touching the
G subiect of taxation. Gen, Garner said that
ur land had hitherto paid an undue proper
+ ton of taxes, and ii was but just and right
: that other classes of property should pay
proportionate share into the public Teyen-
| ues. as provided in the new Constitution
In relation to the amendment IN the Legs
e tive department, he strongly advocated
% the clause limiting the sessions to 20 days
"a He was opposed to special privileges o.
H class legislation, and insisted that tn
W abortion of the proposed amendment
would remove much evil of this class
y Gen. Garner made an eloquent and I'm
"a pressive appeal to his hearers, to enhs
Oh themselves strongly in behalf Of the ne'
Is Constitution. because it was designed I
secure the rights and liberties ofthe peopl
- and their posterity. Closing his remarks
he said that he grew every day stronger II
20 the faith that the people would do right an
70 in the hope that the day Of their deliver
20 ance vas not far of.
John G. Thompson, Esq, the Janio
= | DELEGATE from Davidson, next took In
-, | stand, and spoke IL substance as follows
10 Fellow CITIZENS: Your speakers o
. this occasion being your delegates In tn
-, recent Constitutional Convention, haT
80 asked the privilege of addressing you To
70 day in regard to the draft of Constitute
los for the State, which has been submitted
you by that Convention. Had we bee
YOUR representatives IL Legislative assem-
bly, it would be proper to sag that We III
here to render an account Of the trust COZ
80 fded to us. But that expression would NJ
~ - correctly define the position of your speal
20 ers on the present occasion. \ Leglsii
vi ture enact its laws, adiourns, and IL
T. work is accomplished. The statute IS VII
~ ten and SO remains until the brief recurrin
. period when the succeeding GeneT
rba Assembly may alter or repeal !
tLo | But different, very different IS Il
nf duty of a delegate from the Off
,ra of q representative orgin4. T
~ ~ solves of a Constitutional Convention, fro
10 the official duties of a legislative assembl.
Your speakers on this occasion are not hel
ON TO account for any act of theirs. We ha'
4, - done nothing The most solemn OF
Of duties belonging to people Is yet to
20 performed; but it is yea who must perfor
,,re it. 1t is at once a power and DUTY t.
momentous to be performed by delegate
authority. On the last Saturday OF I'll
month you Will, in your own proper pc
the sons, ratify the New Constitution, or ell
"a YOU will reject it, and in so doing EXPIRE
Oh YOUR preference for the organic law OF Z
All State as it has existed since 1865. III
hat choice is yours, and upon you and yo
$50 children will rest the consequences. 70
en- delegates had no hand in forcing upon u
ntv the alternative, and they Will have
n a power to control your election.
SEES In presenting to you now, felow-cl
I'll | zans. the draft of the new Constitution
. a we. as your immediate delegates to I
VIC | Convention by which it was framed, in o,
1za | own justification, would remind you OF t
IF difficulties by which Constitutional Co
vention necessarily finds itself impede
and embarrassed at every step. Allow n
to remind you that the Constitution of Z
.tri- State. or. as il is sometimes termed, t
was | fundamental law of the land IS the SOC
eet- compact, the written terms or articles
the agreement, by which individuals all resit
It | their natural rights and society consents
Iour | live in organized governffsEt. Allow 1
ked further to remind you thai our beautli
said | State is favored by nature with an extrac
lied | binary diversity OF climate and soil, accol
He | panied with a corresponding diversity
and political and industrial interests.
ven | course. therefore, in a Convention II
ten that recently assembled in this hail. viii
fairly represented the whole State, no Co
stitution could possibly be adopted viii
was not, in many OF its min
Give features. tke creature of intel
gent and honorable compromise.
repeat the expression intelligent and hon
'A'' rable compromise, and that only in rel
ton to measures of policy and expedienc
was No principle of constitutional liberty W
compromised. The Bill of Rights was n
Gin only adopted, but was broadened al
RON, strengthened, and 50 far as l know wi;
out dissenting voice. May 1t be p
and petual
icl,- But fellow-ciiizens VIC think that, in o
own justification, il is not sufficient to C
your attention to the inherent din cult
-, of framing q State Constitution. 1t
-l'H rjrht at the same tiI4a to remind you
the circumstances which made 1t neoessN
iVo- to remodel the fundamental law OF t
to land. 1t is Of the essence Of a constitutio
al government that frequent changes
49,, 4 L. 6 4l,o land eho1ll1 NOT