Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-08-26
THE CONGRESSIONAL CON-
TEST.
A Card from COL 8. ). Turner, Of

nounce myself as candldate Iof tnaa po
sition. For the first time, since the close
of the war, will the white men OF fennes-
see, who constitute the great body OF Its
intelligence. virtue and wealth, be per-
mitted to 20 to the polls, unshackled by
odious test oaths or certificates from their
onnressors. and vote for the men of their
choice to represent them in Congress-
The shaekles which have fettered the
great body of our white population, have
been knocked off by the adoption of the
"New Constitution and Tennesseesns
should no longer send men to Congress
whose positions are equivocal, and whose
occupation for years has been to SANDER
and Cypress them, and who have never
raised their arms or voice in viudication
of their rights or character. For some
wears the so-called representatives of the
South, oblivious to the rights or character
of their States and people, have been cor
rupt and plant tools in the hands of reck-
less party leaders, and constantly engaged
in slandering their constituents and rob
bling the States of their sovereign rights,
and the people of their cherished liberties.
You have seen ten sovereign States, in
GLIDING the mother of States and Presi-
dents. dismantled at the behests of a-Eeak-
less party, and robbed of their ancient and
vested rights, without excuse or pallia-
ton, and simply for party aggrandize-
men., and yet not one voice was heard
from the home of Jackson, Polk and Bell
10 denounce this great national crime.
Only last winter and spring, when your
own State was threatened with recon
struction, because the miserable proscrip-
tionlsts who had so long ruled the State
saw their power passing from them, and
when our people felt that they were on
the brink of great disaster, yet the Ten
nessee delegation, with two honorable eX-
captions, were leaving no stone unturned
70 accomplish this great wrong and out
rage. For ten years reckless, proscrip-
tive party has been in power, warring
upon the Constitution of our fathers, the
liberties of our people and the sovereign
rights of the States, until it hss seemed
that all was lost and many good and true
men have entirely dispaired of the Re-
public.
But tie wrongs, corruptions and usur-
pauons of this party have at last begun TO
bring about their legitimate results of de-
moralization and disintegration, and to-
cay that little spartan band of incorrupti-
BILE patriots, who have never ceased to
battle for constitutional liberty, and vino
have never lost faith or quailed before the
storm of Radical wrongs and usurpations,
are being rapidly reinforced, and soon
NAV we expect to see the old ship of State
back in her ancient mooring, freed from
the crew that has so persistently tried to
strand her, and in charge of incOrruptible
patriots who will take the constitution of
their country, and the liberties of this
people as their chart and compass. In
violation of one of the great fundamental
principles of this government, you have
not only been taxed, but, ruled and mis-
ruled, without having the right of repre-
sentatiOn, unless y0u bowed your knees
10 the Baal of Radical supremacy. While
some twelve sovereign States have been
shackled and manacled, and had no real
voice in the government, the fourteenth
and fifteenth amendments have been
passed and declared to be adopted, which
20 very far in striking at the sovereignty
of the States and their reserved rights,
and placing il the hands of Congress
powers which should be exercised alone
by the States and people. This same
party has forced into the body polite Of
the States large number of persons to
vote and hold office, who have no qualifi-
cation for the exercise of these new priv
ileges, and at the same time the great
body Of the intelligent white men have
been DISTINGUISHED and made incapable of
holding office, unless pardonedf for Offences,
the penalty for which was created after
the commission of the alledged offense.
Under the auspices of the party in power
a national debt has been incurred, and
fostered, which has no equal in the civil
lied world for its amount, its annual in
terest and the short time in which it was
created. Not only is this so, but this
same party are now insisting that this
debt shall be paid in coin instead of cur
rency, in cOntraventiOn of the law Gre
ating it, the contempOraneous under
standing and construction of the law, and
the further fact that these same bonds
were purchased with a deprecated cur
rency, when sold by the government. A
system of National Banks has been fas-
tened upon us to furnish the currency
of the country which is costing
us annually at least twenty mil
lion of dollars, and every dollar OF
which may easily be saved by paying off
in national currency, a sufficient amount
of the five-twenty bonds to furnish the
amount of currency needed in this coun-
try. There is not sufficient amount OF
currency in the South and West to prop
erly or successfully carry on their trade
and commerce; yet, all this, by the plar
proposed, might be furnished at an annua
saving of millions of dollars to the gov
eminent. But the voices of the tax-pay
ers and producers have been unheard, anC
the government is being run alone in tht
interest of the pampered bond-hOlders
Who are free from ali taxes, and als'
in the interest of the lordly manufactur
ers of the North and Northeast, who ar
amassing princely fortunes out of tn
operations of the tariff, which is adjusted
alone to suit their interests.
The public domain of the countr.
which should have been reserved for actus
settlers st fair price, has been and is be
ing donated to railroads and other mo
uopOIies and rings, which seem TO be thu
special favorites of Radical Congress
and whose corrupt influences are so grea
that the legislation of the country Is en-
tiFely in their interest. The Suprem
Court of the United States, which should
Under the Constitution, be one of tn
great coordinate departments of the Gov
eminent, and which heretofore has bee
looked to as the great bulwark agains
usurpation and aggression, has been in
termeddled with and threatened till n
one expects any thing from it in preserV
ing the chartered rights of the people an
States, as against Congressional usurpa
lions. Under the theory and ussges o
our Government the military should b
kent in strict subOrdinstiOn to the civ
mower, yet under the auspices of TIA
marty in power, you have seen sovereign
States completely handed over to the ten
der mercies of some ignorant and pre-
sumptuous military satrap, to lord it owe
q people, whose heritage was civil Gbert
and q constitutional form of government
and when these people have appealed
the writ of habeas corpus or the courts o
iustice for redress against these fiagrar
Outrages, you have seen the hughes
ait 11cfifuip