Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-05
SPEECH OF HON. w. G.
WHITTHORNE.
Delivered in the House Of RepPesen.
tattves. March 20, 1871.

whose nAbds are t1cSe state governments
In the hands of the Democrats In the
hancs OF the late rebclsl No, sir. The
truth being that they are in the hands of
the Republican party, whose chief au-
thorities bear testimony against the allie
cations made against them and this peo-
pie.
The Governor of North Carolina says:
"These persons have been sorely pun.
ished for their acts of rebellion. Even If
disposed to thwart the action of the Fed
al or State Government, they are power
less to do so. They are chafed by the re-
Election that their former slaves can hold
Office while they are excluded, and this re-
Election msgniied in their minds into the
belief that the national Government is dis
posed to pursue and punish them SIMPLY
because they had taken an oath to sup
port the Constitution of the United States
before they engaged in rebellion, while
the obligation to support that instrument
was equally binding upon all and thous-
snds upon thousands who never took
that oath, but who were as deeply and
as bitterly immersed in the rebellion as
they were not banned or excluded. The
nation can afford TO be magnanimous
after nine years of rebellion and strife
and civil discord and social disruption
and bitterness. A very large majority of
the people of North Carolina long for
peace and harmony and good viii and Sc
curity for life and property"
Alabams-Gov. Lindsay reports peace,
quiet, and the supremacy of law and
order. -.
Georgia-To the same effect was Gov.
Bullock's letter in the fall of 1870. .r
Mississippi-To the same effect was
Gov. Alcom's letter. recently read in this
House.
Tennessce-TO the same effect are the
official messages and declarations of Gov.
Senter.
Arkansas-From this State there is no
complaint, nor from
Texas-Thst the Stale authorities are
inadequate to the duties before them.
Vnginis-She stands unchalleHged; but
alone from
South Csrolina-Why this State9 Is it
because in having organized a negro mill
tia, in having disarmed the white man, in
having plundered and robbed him through
odious, unjust and unequal laws-and yet
her Senator says there is peace within her
borders-is it because they have thus yio-
lated the commoh-sense lessons to be
found in report of distinguished Of
ficer of the United States army, who was
then representative of the people, the
philosophy and truth of which exist to-
dsy2 l read from the letter Of him whom
success in the last war stamped as the
great captain of the age. read from
Gen. Grant:
81 am satisfied the mass of thinking
men of the South accept the present stu
alton of affairs in good faith. The ques-
items which have hitherto divided the SEN
timents of the people of the two sections,
slavery and State rights, or the right of
State to secede from the Union, they re-
gard as having been settled forever by
the highest tribunal, of arms, that man
can resort to. l was pleased to learn
from the leading men whom met that
they not only accepted the decision ar
rived al as final, but now that the smoke
of battle has cleared away and time has
been given fer reflection, that this decis-
ion has been fortunate one for the whole
country, they receiving the like benefits
from it with those who opposed them in
the field and in the council. -Four years
of war, during which the law was exc
cuted only at the point of the bayonet
throughout the States in rebellion, have
left the people possibly in that condition
not TO yield that ready obedience to civil
authority the American people have gen.
orally been in the habit of yielding"
''The good of the country requires that
a force be kept in the interior where there
are many freedmen. Elsewhere in the
Southern States than at forts on the sea
coast no force IS necessary. The soldiers
should all be white troops. The reasons
for this are obvious, without mentioning
many of them. The presence of black
troops, lately slaves, demoralizes labor
both by their advice and furnishing in
their camps q resort for the freedmen for
long distances around. White troops
generally excite no opposition, and there
fore smaller number of them can main
tain order in a given district. Colored
troops must be Kept in bodies sufficient to
defend themselves. 1t is not the thinking
man who would do violence toward any
class of troops that are sent among them
by the General Government, but the ignOr-
ant in some places might; and the late
slave, too, who might be imbued with
the idea that the property of his late
master should by right belong to him, at
least should have no protection from the
colored soldier. There is no danger of
collision being brought on by such causes.
"My observations lead me TO the concla-
sion that the citizens of the Southern
States are anxious to return to self-goV-
eminent within the Union as soon as pos
sible; that while demonstrating they waat
and require protection from the govern
ment; that they think is required of the
government, and is not humilisting to
them as citizens; and if such a course
was pointed out they would pursue it in
good faith. 1t is to be regretted there
cannot be q greater commingling at this
time between the citizens of the two sec
tons, and particularly of those intrusted
with the law-making power"
But sir, understand me. l willingly
pay tribute to the loyalty of the negroes
as m IS, to their masters, during the
war; they were faithful and true, and |
believe, sir, it would have been better for
them, for you, for US, and the great in
terests of the country, if political tricke-
ry had not undertaken to manipulate
them, appealing to their vilest passions
in order to advance corrupt ends and pur-
poses.
The whole country in the state of
peace; no more disorder in the South than
in the North; no more of murder, no
more of arson, no more of robbery, DO
more of larceny, no more of outrages
committed by persons in disguise; yet
this people, presenting all the physical
evidences that go to make up peaceful,
industrious population, observsnt of law
and order, are to be stricken down, de-
prived of the due administration of JUS
tice in the destruction of their loca, and
convenient tribunals, and deprived of the
great safeguards of personal liberty.
States and Commonwealth are to be de-
stroyed for mere local disturbances or
occasional personal trespasses upon the
complaint of single individuals or upon
the humor of one man or the power of a
csbal. All this, in face of their earnest
prayer for peace, their earnest protesta-
tons and practical manifestations of ODE
dience to law and order.
''ohl bloodiest picture in the book of time