The Union flag. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1865-187?, 1870-04-08
THE THOmAs-PERKINs CARD.
The Situation I'm Tennessee---A
Gard.

ishing as Speakers of the Senate and
House of the revolutionary Legislature
! of this State, loom forth in an official
card to correct the "false impressions
made upon the public mind by cores
pondents writing from this State to
Northern Republican journals
They say they are prompted by the
demands of justice to the people of
their State, to make "a true statement
of facts" As one Of the people, and
one of the correspondents referred to-,
l am glad that these officials have
lifted themselves from their revolu-
tionary ,oOol socks to speak forth as
witnesses. They push forward their
words as testimony for the peculiar de-
mocracy of the State--if you please,
the genuine "lost cause" democracy;
and propose, in the well established
laws of evidence, to examine their tes-
timony. They deny, fatty, the general
facts of unusual disorder and outrage
prevailing in the State, and the fact
that the Legislature and Cor vention
are hostile in material and action to-
ward loyal republicanism.
One of the important rules of testi-
mony is, that if the witness, deliber-
ately and knowingly makes one false
statement, he is to be esteemed as false
in all he says.
Let us apply this rule. Speaking of
the Convention this pair of witnesses
say: Their work was revolutionary
only so far as it was necessary in order
to restore to the people of the State a
republican form of government; that
is, to give to all the right OF suffrage ;
and to remove a Judiciary, many of
tohOm held their Offices By appointment
from a former eTecntiUe Of the State
,oithOut ,Oarrdnt of law, and many of
whom were incompetent to fill the high
and responsible position to which they
had been appointed"
The fact is notorious throughout the
State, and of open record at Nashville,
that by resolution of our last Republi-
can Legislature, an election was order.
ed and held in May 1869 for all judi
cial officers, from the Supreme bench
down to Prosecuting Attorneys then
filled by appointment; and the judicial
officers SO elected were commissioned
under the usual forms of law; so that
on the first of July last the entire ju-
dietary of the State were by election
of the people and commission of the
Governor; and if, to-day, there be now,
single exceptional holding by APP
pointment-it is protempore under au-
thority of law as it has existed since
1886 to fill vacancies occurring by
death or resignation. These facts
could not have been unknown to these
witnesses.
But suppose every judicial officer of
the State held his Office by appoint
ment of the former Governor Brown.
low would appointments have been
made without warrant Of law"
The amendment to the constitution
of 1865 confirmed, not only all appoint.
ments of civil and judicial officers
made by the acting Governor (Johnson)
but also ''those which may hereafter
be made" Here was the organic law
of the State as legal authority, and
the fact of its existence was undOubt-
eddy an item of "Thomas- Perkins"
knowledge. Speaking of the repeal of
the Common School law they say: ut
was extremely onerous upon the peo-
pie to impose tax sufficient to sustain
system as expensive as this was and
further, after the Supreme Court Of the
United States declaring the State liable
for all the issues of the Bank of Ten
nessee, had the law continued in force,
the receipts for school purposes, for
perhaps the next two years would have
been received in this worthless cur
cency"
| The first fact note is that our School law
was repealed before the Supreme Court de-
ciSion was rendered Second, the decision
only declared the State liable for the I'D
issues Of the Bank. The nep issues made sub.
sequent to the 9th Of May 1861 were directly
Va hlu VI huo ItuNlllOu anu hTb uttlbTtu, Ol
the schedule Of our amended constitution Of
1855 to be unlawful and void. But now
note well the fact, the new "Thomas- Per.
kins" constitution II hope they will pardon
me for thaS honoring (1) thsm) if adopted,
expressly abrogstes the schedule Of 1865
aud will make the State liable for the mil
lions Of the new issues of the Bank Of Ten
nessee which was really part of the Rebel
war debt having been Issued and used to
! organize and equip Tennessees first install.
ment Of men for tho rebel army. These
facts were well known to the witnssses
But here comes another exhaust: 1.-THE
present Legislature has done everything in
It's power to remove all political invidious
distinctions for or against any class, race, or
color; and have by repeated enactmenls on
desvorod to give full force and effect 10 all
tho reconstruction acts Of Congress, and 10
| cause a strict observance OF the amendments
to the Constitution, and OF the fifteenth
amendment II falsehoods were live ami.
mails, the above would be either az elephant
or a whale. Has II MT gone to the whole
country, that the Senate and House over
which these two pitnesses presided with more
than usual unanimity rejected the Fifteenth
Amendment Their Legislative acts have
attempted to give "full force to the acts Of
reconstruction aud amendments In the same
way that one man would give hA force TO
smother by knocking him down aud stamp
Ing him or that South Carolina secession.
lists gave force to the Federal Flag by spit
ling on IL, trailing II In tho duH and burying
It. In one sense their averment may BIO true.
Thpir r.r aatad annetr,ant. u.., k.,. ~.