Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-12

4
ment. But deny the necessity of CIV
ing such enormous power to the Presi-
dent. He already has the power which |
Washington had to suppress Ole whisky |
rebellion in Pennsylvania. He has all
the power of the law Of July, 1861, with |
which President Lincoln encountt red the |
rebellion of the eleven Southern States. |
lie has all the power of the enforcement
act of 1870.
But after the proclamation of peace,
after the insurgent government and armies
were scattered to the four winds and qui-
city pursuing the arts Of peace, after he ]
is already bloated with military power,
like the horse-leech, he still cries, 'Glve,
give.p lie does not deign to tell Congress
what new at'ribu of power is wanting.
Shall Congress, with blind faulty andex-
baus,ive liberali,y, lay all the thunders at
his feetf What does he want with arm
iesS Let him march them TO the South.
Tbey may leave the slime of their dragon
folds on the country, but an armed rebel
lion, like the mirage of the desert, will
never be found. All governments are
matters OF trust. Why trust the Presi-
| dent rather than the States and the people
of the Ststes2 There is but one answer.
The advocates of the bill are afraid of the
people. ~ ~
The bill is nothing but ga mere, sheer,
ribald" conft ssional of infdelity respect
ing the capacity of the people for self
| government. The people made the gov
ernment; it belongs TO them; and why
should it be wres'ed from them and gwen
to a mssterl Has party frenzy driven
the adyoe Ates of the bill to such a pitch OF
madness that they are willing to sink the
liberties of the country to maintain the
| supremacy of their party2 Let us be-
ware. Cesar hesitated at the Rubicon,
but lie took the fatal plunge when he saw
/ that Rome could be swallowed up IN
Cesar.
j have endeavored feebly to uncover
and strike down the despoiism of the bill.
| If it is pregnant with tie dlreful realty
claimed for il, then the distinguished
craftsman will have the sOmber renoWn
of indicting the epitsph of American
liberty. If Il can do nothing more, Will
stand at my post and ''ripg the bell as the
ship goes down." q &
But, to change the figure to a more
hopeful one, if republican freedom Is TO
appearance dead, let us still hope. We
have the corpse with us, though The grave
be dug. Give us a committee of pail
bearers, an equal number from North and
South, and, with undying faith in the
capacity of the people for self-govern-
ment, LET us, sadly bear the corpse to The
grave of Washington and let it down 10
Touch bis bones, that it may be revived,
as the corpse of the man when let
down on the bones Of the prophet Eli-
sha'
Let us inquire what has impelled US To
, this dire extremity. Is it the demon OF
, seciionalismY Mr.. Madison, our most
sagacious prophet, in the Convention
{ which formed the Constitution, foresaW
D the danger, and said:
''The great danger to our General Gov
! eminent is, the great southern and north
. ern interests Of the continent being op
posed TO each other. Look toihe vGte'
\ in Congress, and the most of them stant
4 divided by the geography of, the conn
4 try, not according 10 the size of thu
2 Slate. n-Secret Proceedings Of Fedora
ConpentiOn, p. 2O5. - 80,
i The history of our congressional legs
!. lation, in the main, furnishes sad VEN
ficstiGn of the prediction. But 1 have
v not time for critical review; besides, III
i wounds are too sensitive for the prohe
l. But grant me word, not to harrow bu
II 1 to heal. The South regarded the Gov
eminent as sectiOnalized in the election
: of President Lincoln. The ship OF Stat
n careened and drifted upon the dark Gilt
e Of African slavery. Tie shock pIecipi
d lated many of us overheard, and how tn
e craft was shattered we all know too well
IS Although war generally executes II
% own judgments, land hog terribly the,
N fell on the South none but they d.
+ know;) yet Congress has continued t.
q sfflict us with rapid installments OF ven
= geance. More than one hundred thous
4. and of our Southern sons lie sleeping Of
p the battlefield our MANNED and wound
" ed soldiers hObble on their Crutches IN
4. pensiOned by friendly government; GU
m land was ravaged, burned and blackene,
If with desolaIiOn, as if swept with
as "WhirlWind of fire; famine breathe,
i. through her shriveled lips misery upo
'. the children of poverty and want; on
| State authorities DISTINGUISHED the mas
X. of our citizens, and, in some instances
IN drove from the ballot box the ole PIC
n. peers whe had driven out the savages
nj aud had wrestled with the old oaks G
10 the forest to subdue the country for th
n coming generations. .a.fs:
no The Federal Government came an
~ | partitioned the country iutO military dlt
n. tricts. dismanlled some of the Legisls
Of lures, expelled the judiciary, dishabil
c. tsted the citizens, and dragged the rugge
- harrow of reconstruction through tn
n bowels of our Safe constitutions Ssn
es of the States were denied representatiO
in the Electoral College for President, an
D. some were held off in political qusrantir
al AMI denied representation in Congress I'll
Al til they adopted the fourteenth ameH'
er meut, old Virginia among the number.
n. Yes, old Virginia, who, when sncier
n liberty was TO be won, furnished HEM
IL TO thunder in her forum, Washington
ed roll the tide of war, successive Pres
a. dents to guide the helm of State, an
he brought as dowry to the Union the va
he domain in the West out of which hs
ut grown up giant States like childre
Az around her feet. Surely Western Rel
is resentatives will not forget that they ha7
to a mother, and surely will not vote fl
g. her further humiliation.
to Nearly every act of Congress has
IN sting for the Southern man. When, wi
ling TO bury the memories of the past
he treads his way into the far West, upt
is the rough and perilous edge of Indi'
ed warfare, even there he finds the sections
-e- presence of this Government, denyil
nv him the benefit of the homestead unle
or he can take the test oath.
ed The old soldier in our second war @
ny independence, who followed Gen. JAG
nut sen, who, IN the language of gre
r. statesman of Tennessee
o. ''Silenced the roar of the British lii
r on the plains of New Orleans, and I
all American eagle took its lOftiest flight al
zee uttered its lOudest note of exultant libt
| ty"--
re- these old soldiers now come and hold @
les their hands, trembling with the palsy
nj age and want, and ask the pittance of
ed pension in remembrance of an ancie
riy debt of gratitude, and they are refus
lat unless they can pass the purgatOrial
he deal. ...-.-..
ic- We have not only felt the finger,
- -