Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-02-05

4
!. stitution as true those things which "
know to be true, and leave consequence
and the control of them where they belon
in the bosom of Infinite Wisdom and
am sure, if we act well our part, we shal
have no reason to complain of Him VIII,
does control, and viii, in spite of US, contro
the results. Now, if it is wise to hesitate
, to pause, before doing wrong tina
present good may come even
, we know (which is impossible) that
it would certainly follow, surely
the folly of doing wrong would be madC
more manifest in proportion as it was un
certain whether even present good or peace
would follow. And, SIR, deny that any
good or peace, which deserves the name.
can follow the adoption as fundamental
truth in our Constitution of the falsehood
that the negro is the equal in political
rights of the white man, and in extending
to him the elective franchise. Judging
from experience and history, what will be
the result as to the white man and the
republican government which his fathers
gave him? VIII not the 10000 negro
voters hold the balance of power as be-
tween the two great parties who will be
struggling for place in this State? viii
they not each trifie with truth and their
honest convictions of right, in order to
capture this great voting power and there
by lift themselves into Office, until public
virtue and good morals are de-
stroyed? Why, sir, in our palmiest
days have you not seen an honest poll
tician beaten by a mere demagogue, whose
only strength was in his corrupt palsdering
to the prejudices of the ignorant? See the
millions of money which are yearly ex-
| pended in common schools, in order
to raise the ignorant above the dis
| gushing level where the demagogue
Is master of the situation. See the
| number of States which, for fear of ruin
| from the ignorant white man, have at
| tempted, by property and educational quail
| ihcations, to deprive him of his voting pow
er; and are the politicians of the present
T'ltrer than those of the past? Are not the
negroes Of this State far more ignorant and
corrupt, and easier to be gulled by dema-
gogues, than the white people ever were?
l appeal to delegates on this floor if it is
not true that even the county candidates
vie with each other in bowling to negro
voters for their vote Has not every can
| didate (since the negro was illegally de-
clared a voter,) even those who were
| running for high and responsible
officers, instead Of denounein3 the Radical
Legislature, who in violation of the will of
the people and the peace and welfare of the
State, declared the negro voter; pandered
to this power and used all his exertion by
dd cGptd7aduBs OuLgus arguments to con-
vince the negro that he was their especial
champion, and while he would confess in
private that the negro was wholly unfit to
exercise the elective franchise, and had no
legal right to do so, yet IN public attempt
ing to persuade the negro that he was ut |
teTly opposed to his ever being denied the |
elective franchise, and if he got in power he |
would confirm it to him
l tell you, sir, that in few years, at the |
rate we have travelled in the last three |
years, the whole ship of state will be
dragged from her mOorings in the peaceful |
waters Of truth and public honesty, and |
hurled to the abysm Of political corrup- /
ton, knavery and confusion. You /
must put premium on virtue, |
if you want the mere politician to strive /
for it. The evil does not stop here, for the /
politician who is false to truth for the sake /
of the negro vote strives to corrupt the i
white men, and by all the bonds of party /
spirit and specious arguments attempts to
commit them to his positions, and draw
them away from their convictions of truth,
to fall in with the multitude to do evil.
So much for the white man. Now what
is the result as to the negro? 1t must be
either his destruction or his absorption
into the white race. The contemplation
of either of these is horrible But before
either is accomplished, there viii be jeal-
ousies, contentious, and possibly war Of
races. Show me Government which ever
existed on earth where superior and an
inferior race, with equal political rights,
dwelt together in peace. .-.
It may be that day will como when the
lion and the failing viii lie down together,
but it will be when their natures are
changed; and hold that it will take |
a much higher power than this Convention
or the Radical party to make the white men
of Tennessee receive the negro as their
civil and political equal. As long as the
negro is allowed to remain in his natural
pOsition-a dependent-the proud spirit Of
our people will not allow him to be mis-
treated; but whenever you put him in the
unnatural position of the equal of the
white man, the relations Of kindness are
broken, and he is an enemy. The rich
man may hedge himself about with his
wealth for a time and flatter himself that
he will never feel its practical effects, but
the poor white man must meet it face TO
face; and, when he does, his pride, his ed |
ucatlOn, his very instinct urge him to re- |
sent it-and he viii resent it-though the
whole Radical party were in Tennessee
threatening him.
But, sir, what are the arguments used to
induce this Convention 20 declare the ne
gro the political equal of the white man? |
Is it that the negro is, and of right ought
to be The equal of the white man?
Is it that the liberties Of the people of
Tennessee will be made more secure by the
introduction of 10000 ignorant pauper
voters Is it that it will permanently
benefit the white or the negro race? No,
sir. 1t is that the Northern people are its
champions and are determined to force it
upon Us. Even if this were true-as / am
not here 10 represent the Northern people,
but the people Of Tennessee, subject
alone to the Constitution of United States,
l must be excused from doing any thing
against the interest of my people, which is
not required by that Constitution. But, |
sir, it is not true; I am here to show by
statistics, that the people of tho North are
opposed to this Radical dogma of the poll
teal equality of the negro with the white
man. Now to the testimony-andI chal-
longe every delegate on this floor to deny
single fact stated. Out Of the
whole 81 States up to the close of the late
war, there were but five who made no
political, distinction between the white
man and the negro, and which are they?
There is Massachusetts, under her Constit-
ution of 1880; but even she has an educa-
tional qualification There is New Hamp-
shire, under her Constitution of 1872
Vermont under her Constitution of 1873
Maine under her Constitution of Oct. Doth
lS19-RhOde Island under her Constitu-
ton of 1912, and she has property qUali-
fication. All but it may be said that there
is a great change since the war; and they
are now in favor Of it. deny it; now for
the proof The proposition to strike ont
the political distinctions between the white
man and the negro, has been voted on
as separate proposition since the
war, in nine Northern States. Go
Wit Connecticut, Colorado, Kansas,
Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, New York,
Missouri and Michigan, and what has
boon the result? Why, a man would sup
pose from the arguments of delegates on
this floor that all of them carried it by over
whelming majorities. But what is the |
truth, sir? l challenge contradiction. In /
Colorado, on the 9TH of September, 1865,
it was proposed as a separate proposition
to the people to strike out the word 9olitG,
SO that the negro could vote equally with
the white man, and what was the result?
The vote stood for i5 476; against it 4, 1872
nearly to l against negro suffrage. On
the I'd of October, 1865, the same question
was submitted as a separate proposition in
n I IL. I. = a. 80