American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-06-15
alitions .

movement Of this kind. We are
frequently told, too, that the union
OF parties differing radically in es-
sec* Il points, nuct and do "aswaJs
fail.n n he history CT coalitions in
our country do not sustain these
positions; Gil the contrary, several
very recent ones have proven emf
nently successful, and in the high
est degree promotive of justice and
right.
We beg to call the history of the
union of the Democrats of Tennes-
see with the "libeTal wing Of the
Mongrcl party, in 1869, and the
highly successful! result of that wise
movement of tho ruling power n
that then pandemonium. The great
body of the white population were
disfranchised by a convention of
loyaiists,'' Or unicnists," call
ed together by Lincoln, soon af-
ter the occupation Of Nashville by
Federal troops. When the war
came to close, instead OF returning
their usurped powers, under the
leadership OF the notorious Brown
low, the usIrpers proceeded to num-
berless acts of aggression and out
rage upon the people, which drove
them almost to madness and open
resistance to the Federal as we'll as
State Government. The latter, to
make secure their iil-gOtten power,
to perpetuate it in the hands of this
small minority, TIE negroes were en-
franchised to the number of sixty
thousand. The few Democrats who
were allowed to vote, and :: very
large proportion of the better class
of Union men, revolted at this mon
strous outrage upon the million
white population of the State who
were virtually placed at the mercy
of a few thousand northern inter-
lopers and home traitors, followed
by the hordes Of ignorant negroes
that constituted the bull. of the par
| ty. The Liberals" then Getermin-
ed to nominate a State ticket, sub
stantially agreeing with the Clncin-
natl platform, Of equal rights to all
men, and a general amnesty to the
hundred thousand disfranchised
Democrats. The Grant wing OPP
posed these just propositions, and
nominated a /" straight-outn radical
candidate for Governor, Legislature,
&C., little fearing the email lists of
dissatisfied Republicans, and not
anticipating a union of the Democ
racy with men whom they had so
bitterly opposed, and still opposed
on questions of the highest moment,
Liks many at this time, some mea
were found who resisted with viO-
lence the determination of the vOt-
irg Democrats to unite with a party
OF their enemies, aid propnecied
the total annihilatisn Of the gallant
lOld party which had triumphed in
so mary hundreds of hardly contest
I'd battles. But che great mass of
their DISTINGUISHED fellow citizens
urged them to form the coalition as
the only means of securing to them
their long denied rights, and of res
cuing the State from the hands of
the most corrupt and unnatural
class of usurpers and tyrants that
ever cursed and oppressed free
people. And what was the result
The coalition ticket was triumphant
everywhere. The Legislature, COM
posed almost entirely of Liberals
and Democrats, Immediately con-
ferred the right of suffrage upon all
whom Congress had not disfran-
chised; State Convention was
called, which, being composed al
most exclusively Of anti.Grant meu,
the Constitution enacted by the sub
Ijects of Lincoln under the protection
of Federal bayonets, was thrown to
the dogs, and a Republican Demo
cratic one adopted in its place, and
ratified by the lreemen of Tennessee
by an overwhelming majority. All
the doleful fOrebodings of those who
predicted the absorption of the De
mocracy by their allies, were signal
!y falsified by the result. Since the
rev Democratic Constitution was
adopted, that party has at a general
election made a clean sweep of the
State. A gallant general officer in
the Confederate army has been cho-
sen by towering majority, the
Mongrel vote falling far short of
even the negro strength of the
State the Legislature is almost
entirely composed of men of the
same,.stripe, and a U. States Senator
Of similar politics chosen to neu-
tralise the influence of the infamous
Brownlow in that body. In fact
there is nothing that could have
been desired, but was fully accom-
piished by the coalition in Tennes-
see. Suppose the advice of the
croakers had been followed, and the
coalition proposed by the "liber-
els repadiated, what would have
been the present condition of Ten
nessees Instead of universal peace
and quiet, a satisfied and rejoicing
population, the Mongrels would
have held undisputed possession OF
the Offices of the State, and the
scenes and >5ufferings witnessed in
Nortn aud rOutn Carolina, Texas
and Louisiana, would have been
re-enacted iii that strong democratic
commonwealth.