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

= we. III the IdcO Oh LIS NIubL, tif,dlllSt u
D interests of our people, against their wi
) against the principles of the whole Dem
Z cratic and Conservative people of Il
[ North, shall force the people of this ono
noble State of Tennessee into the Ve7
, front rank of the Radical party WIS
viii we gain by it What, in the name
all that is good and honorable, can we gal
by it but disgrace? Suppose th
{ negro equality party of the North wa
now stronger than the Conserv,
tive party Of the North (whic
deny)-still its supremacy istemporary
Truth viii eventually prevail, and perhaps
the next Presidential canvass the great con
servative hosts of the North viii wrest tn
power from the hands of this corrupt Con
stitution -destroying Radical party, an,
when the battle is won, how will our poo
State appear, which was carried over b,
this Convention, soul and body, to the mos
corrupt party which ever existea3aa repub
lican government Ali but is said that til,
Fifteenth Amendment viii be adopted
Suppose it will be, still it is not non a par
of the Constitution, and shall we make hast
to run before the RadScal party and help i
to consummate its terrible designs upon oul
republican system. If it is ever adopted
then it viii be time for us to submit to it
Then 1T will be no dishonor to submit to
| 1t, for our consciences will be clear,
and none of the blood of murdered
| liberty will be upon our garments. Nei-
| Their can the ghosts of the yenerated sires
who left us this republican Government as
a glorious heritage, disturb our peace;
they cannot say zoe did it.
Oh! Ars, my heart yeGrRS for peace
for real peace-for peace which, hkeeoil
| upon the troubled waters of discomfort,
viii calm eUery wave, and from its smooth
and quiet surface reflect the very light of
Heaven; peace which, like a blessed
balm, shall heal every wound, from the
crown Of the head to the sole of the feet
of this great people; a peace IN which the
sword and the spear shall be beat into the
plowshare and the pruning knife, and from,
hamlet and workshop, pleasant fields and
busy marts, mansions Of the rich and lowly
homes OF the poor, may rise like morning
incense suchsongs and rejoicings as that the
very God of war shall smoothe his wrinkled
front In one eternal smile Of peace.
But, sirs, such peace is ReDer gained by
dtsi5O1a0r. 1t is first pure then peaceable.
1t is the result Of eonstancy to principle,
attachment to honesty, union with truth
1t distills from the gentle tender flowers Of
purity aud virtue until the very air is fra
grant with its sweetness. Do not pluck
them up, 1 beseech you. For when purity
and virtue have departed from the house
hold, peace cannot tarry, and 80 if our
people receive with open arms this bastard
child of anarchy and Radicalism, our re-
publican system is gone and with it the
Daaoa which aur fa4beru loft re
Now, Mr.. President, l do not believe the
Fifteenth Amendment will ever be legally
adopted, for in order to effect it, eDery State
will have to adopt it freely, voluntarily and
understandingly, because it is a aeso CON-
pact which is proposed. 1t is not question
of the distribution or modification of the
constitutional powers which the States del
egated at the formation Of our Govern
ment, but it Is proposition for the States
to grant an entirely neD p0aoeT which is
utterly Inconsistent with the original COM
pact. 1t is true that Congress under the
fifth article of the Constitution of the
United States may propose amendments
looking to any change in the distribution
of powers already granted by the States to
the General Government, or any modifca-
ton of those granted powers but the fif-
teenth amendment proposes to the States
to make new government new COM
pact-totally different in its principles and
operation from the one under the Consti-
tuition. In short, it proposes to make this
a consolidated instead of a republican Gov
1t proposes a different compact
Now, Just such case arose under the old |
. articles of confederation" It was found |
that there was not enough P070or granted to |
the General Government under the articles |
Of Confederation. They did not want to |
change the distribution of the powers grant |
ed, nor to modify them, but they wanted |
new powers which the States had not dele |
gated at all, and instead of pisconstruing |
he powers granted in article XIII of the ar
iicles Of Confederation, which declares that /
may be proposed by Congress
and be ratified by the States, they knew
.hatlthis power Of amendment only extend
ID to the change in the distribution or
of powers already granted,
md hence knew that in order to get new
powers a new compact was necessary; so
hat q general convention was called at |
Philadelphia to form new compact, and |
40 State which refused to ratify it was
bound by it or made a part of the new |
Government, and some States did |
not adopt the new Government |
Or become part of it for n long time after
It's formation. / assert, further, that under
Article v of the Constitution allowing |
Congress to propose amendments, no
was ever proposed until the |
Radical party got in power which claimed /
he right under il to do more than simply 1
10 modify powers already granted. And |
It would be easy to show if l had time, |
that none Of those great men who framed |
It, ever contemplated, that new powers
could under it be taken from the States or
people. But the Radical party by the |
Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth
propose not only to take
away the reserved powers of the States,
but essentially to change our form of gov
Now it is possible that by force |
and corruption Congress may get three
fOurths of the Legislatures TO ratify it. /
But it will never be held by the Supreme |
Court to be valid until every State has
freely ratified it-not until we form new |
government and put entirely away |
the republican system which our faith |
srs gave us. The Fifteenth Amendment |
has not yet been ratified by three-fourths |
Of the States, and the Radicals themselves |
do not claim that it is now a part of the |
Constitution. Why, then, shall We now |
receive the negro as our polit-
ical equal? II the Fifteenth Amendment |
is even adopted, then Congress, and not |
Tennessee, will declare the negro entitled |
to the elective franchise. Then we will |
submit until by the peaceful exercise of |
right to ballot we shall drive the Radical |
party from power or the Supreme Courtre- |
lieves us.
Mr.. President, 1 am willing to meet del |
egates on the halfway ground. Let us re- |
fer it to the people as separate question |
and let them decide it. Who can object to |
this? Have not the people the right to de- |
eide lt2 There seems to be some differ |
ence of opinion among these seventy-live |
agents of the people as to which way the |
people want this all-important question de- |
cided. Well, then, what can be fairer than |
to let them decide it for themselves They |
never have had a vote upon if, and |
what better are we than the Radi- |
cal Legislature that illegally declared
the negro a votor, if we refuse
to allow the people to decide il? What |
wrong can there be, when your agents diff
fer as to what your will is, to refer it to
you to decide? Does not our Bill of Rights
declare that all power is inherent in the
people and all governments founded on
their authority? Why should we attempt
to force this Radical idea upon them before
the time? Why not follow the example of
every State which has heretofore voted on
it-submit it as a separate proposition?
Surely our Radical friends cannot complain
if we follow the example of Minnesota,
Connecticut, Colorado, Kansas,
Ohio, Wisconsin, Missouri and New York.
Bat there are special reasons why we
should submit it to the people, and ! will