Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-08-13
And Return to Constitutional
Government. ''' 9
The Bread and Butter Brigade

any reserve, as it was the duty to do, of
those who exercised any control upon
public opinion.
New PrObIems-NevV Dangers.
1t was claimed that few restless agi.
tators were the cause of the confusion
now existing among the political parties
and yet no reforms could be successfully
carried through without agitation. The
present hour presented a new order oil
things with new problems, new dangers
and new duties unprovided for in the old
programmes of political parties. Oul
civil war, in sweeping away the doctrine
of secession, sbolishing slavery and
breaking the slaveholding power had es.
tablished the civil and political rights OF
all citizens but had estIanged the feelings
between citizens of different sections OF
country and rendered necessary new
system of taxation reaching every ma.
terial interest. .--r
The government of to-day has grown
far beyond what 1t was once, and its Off
GERS in numbers have assumed the pro
portions of an army, who exercised q
widespread influence in political con-
Germs, while the power welded by money
frequently tries and often succeeds in
controlling executives, legislatures and
courts of justice, and partisan organiza.
tons were used to further the individual
interests of politicians.
The Amendments.
The speakers rule in considering i'm
portant questions, was to do 80 outside
of all political connection, SO as not to be
biased by personal or party interest. The
interests of the country demand that the
questions growing out of the war, embod-
led in the thirteenth, fourteenth and fif-
teenth amendments of the Constitution of
the United States, should be accepted by
all political parties, as equal, civil and
political rights, is the only theory con.
sistent with the maintenance of free labor.
The prejudices of persons aVerse to the
amendments will have to be overcome by
patriotic men firmly UNFOLDING the legiti-
mate results of the war, and our South
ern people must be gradually cut loose
from the past and its painful memories
as well as their peculiar desires and aspi-
rations, and their thoughts diverted to
those interest which we have in common.
Amnesty the Great Need of the Re
public.
To this end nothing is more desirable
or necessary than the removal of political
disabilities by general amnesty, and the
speaker considered 1t one of the most
serious blunders of the Republican party
that this amnesty was not granted long
ago, and the arguments combating the
granting of such amnesty were sentimen-
tai ones.
In a republic where the whole political
organization of society is based upon uni
versatility of suffrage, political disabilities
are antagonistic to republicsnism, and can
at best exist only q very limited time.
Missouri to-day, by the removal of dis
reimbursement, enjoys perfect repose, and
order, and general good feeling.
Besides, Acknowledgement is used by
one party to keep another down. That
is its object and the result is the most un~
scrupulous politicians, being under such
circumstances the most useful, soon be-
come very influential.
The speaker said if he could not main
tain the ascendency of his party by honest
means, then he would be willing to let it
go through a purifying process, however
unpleasant it might be.
The miseries and fierce commissions ID
Missouri before the removal of political
disabilities, and the peacesnd tranquility
of that State since their removal, were
portrayed III glowing language and point
ed out as the result of something higher
in politics than the possession and disIri-
button of public plumber.
Ku-KIux and Carpet. Baggers.
There are two elements of difficulty in
the South which must be view in connec.
ton with the amnesty question, the dis
union spirit trying to keep down the col
ored people and Union men, producing
disorders known as Ku-Klux outrages,
and on the other hand the administration
of INSCRIPTIONS and rapacious men
called carpet baggers. These two evils
cannot be alone removed by penal legis-
lation on the part of Congress. Relief
must come from the people themselves, as
it is evident that neither the Democratic
nor Republican party as they now
are in most of the Southern States
can afford relief, the Democracy bein G
controlled by the reactionary and violent
element of Southern society, and the Re-
publican being under the lead OF unsciu-
pulous and rapacious men. If the good
men connected with both parties would
unite, they would possess numerical
strength enough to bear down all opposi'
ton, and moral power enough to maintain
order and good government, and the re,
moval of political disabilities by amnesty
would bring about this result
Constitutional Government.
In speaking of the power welded by
the government to avert the evils arising
therefrom, two things were essential, the
speaker said: That We conscien'
tionsly adhere to the principles of cousti-
tutiCnal government, and that we ele-
yate the standard of morality in political
life.
The opposition to the Ku-Klux bill in
Congress was because the bill invested
the Government with powers not war
ranted by the Constitution-powers more
dangerous in effect than the abuses they
were to correct. 1t was like appointing q
lion to protect sheep against wolves. The
lion would easily keep the wolves away,
but what was to protect the sheep from
the lion. Our general Government ha!
power to protect the rights and liberties
of its citizens, but in doing 30
it is not to go beyond certain, lines
of its authority prescribed in the Consti
tuition. Senat rs voted against this
act not as if they had been un
willing to protect the lives anG
rights and liberties of those who needed
it in the South, but because of the man
uer in which the protection is proposed,
involving great dangers to the rights ant
liberties of all; and we refused to gran
such powers to the Executive, not be
cause the President now in office did no
individually possess our confidence, pu
because we would not entrust any man
were he ever so great and good with sue
| powers to rule over the American people
The War over.
In periods of extreme public peril,
] temporary grant of such extraor dinar