Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-21
BECK on BROWNLOW.
Pest Bellum History OF Tennessee
Drawn from official Documents.
The Southern Refugee Governors
Not All Crlpples and ImbecIies.

made upon him by Senator BroWnloy. Ir
the course of his remarks Mr.. Beck was re.
peatedly and persistently interrupted by Re
publican members of the House. who
throughout his speech, conducted them.
selves as though seated ON nettles:
MR.. BECK's PERSONAL. EXPLANATION,
Mr.. Speaker, thank the House for the
courtesy they have shown me in allowing
me TO make personal explanation. This
IS Inc nrst time l have ever asked such a
privilege, although | am serving my third
term, and had hoped / would never be
compelled TO ask of this House opportunity
to make an explanation personal to myself
And assure the House now, as | said be
fore the consent of the House was given to
my making this statement, that do not in.
tend to use any
BHLNGsGATE OR ISLANDER,
nor to degrade this House by any illusions
which members Of it viii not say are emf.
nently proper under the circumstances. II
is more important for me thai / shall be
right, and that the House shall say that |
was right in the remarks for which / have
been arraigned by a gentleman elsewhere
than any mere personal matter can possibly
be. My standing and usefulness in this
House depend upon il.
In the speech which Imade in this House
l said that Gov. BrownloW, of Tennessee
had, while in Office, made Pandemonium
Of that State. had been on the commit
tee to investigate the condition of the
Southern States. l had been specially
charged to make areport upon the condi-
ton Of the finances and the election and
registration laws of the various States.
And when came to look over the condi-
ton Of things in Tennessee, for four years
following the close of the war, saw such
a condition of things there as existed
NOWHERE ELSE UPON THE AMERICAN
CONTINENT.
1t was because l did find that state of
things so existing that made the remark
| did. If those facts did not exist, then l
was guilty of SANDER. If they did exist,
and if told the truth TO the House, that
Tennessee had been by misrule Pande-
monium for four years after the wal closed,
then was not guilty of any SANDER.
stand either as a willful and malicious libe-
Ter, or stand confirmed by the facts as they
may be shown.
Therefore, before say a word as to the
personal attackupon myself, want to prove
to this House that l was right in saying
that Tennessee had been a Pandemonium
for four years, for on that fact all else
hinges.
Mr.. Stevenson-I rise to a question of
order.
The Speaker-The gentleman from Ohio
Mr.. Stevensonl rises to a question of
order. He will state it.
Mr.. Stevenson-It is whether, upon a
a personal explanation, the gentleman has
a right to proceed into general discussion
Of the condition of the State of Tennessee?
The Speaker-It has been repeatedly
ruled in the House that when the House
gives the right to a gentleman to make a
personal explanation, if it does not limit
him; as to the time, he is entitled 10 one
hour, and in occupying that hour his line
of remark is within his own discretion, sub
ject, Of course, to the rules of the House.
Mr.. Beck desire to make the state
ment because that is the great point in this
matter. deny the right of any man to
claim or ask for the privilege of this floor
to malign or SANDER any man outside Of it,
because he has a right to speak here; and
whatever have said upon the floor Of the
House | have said
and as a representative. The truth or false
hood of the statement made must acuuit
or condemn me. If, being attacked, am
not prepared TO prove that my statement
was true, l stand confessed as a Wilful and
malicious slanderer, and deserve to be de-
nounced.
l said that Tennessee had been in that
deplOrable condition, and l say so now. l
80 10 - 7
refer to and ask leave to print carefully
prepared article giving its political status
from the time of the Inauguration of its
government up to 1868, wherein it is shown
that the men who took control of its Legis-
lature in the spring of 1865 passed a series
Of acts unparalleled in American history.
Constituting themselves and Gov. Brown
low masters Of the situation, although as
a body
THEY DID NOT REPRESENT oNE-TENTH OF
THE PEOPLE,
and were neither elected or appointed IN
der any of the forms of law. They passed
the old sedition law almost in the very
words Of the act of 1898, making it a highly
penal Offense to speak unexpectedly ofthe
powers then controlling the Government.
Emerson Etheridge was tried before a mill
tary commission because he had dared to
do so. Outlawry of the person, Outlswry
of speech, of the press, Outlawry Of the
Franchise, Outlawry of everything that did
not bow to the orders and succumb to the
mandates of the men then in power was the
order ofthe day.
The first thing, as have said, was the
sedition law, which hold in my hand and
will have incorporated with my remarks in
the Globe in order to prove the facts. That
sedition law, passed on the Sd day of June,
1865, provided that whoever should be
guilty Of uttering seditious words or
speeches, spreading false news, writing or
malicious libels against the State
or Government, etc, shall be guilty of a
and, if convicted, shall be
forever held unworthy of holding any Office |
Of profit or trust.
Then followed in few days the law limit |
ing the franchise. | wish gentlemen to |
know that | am referring to official docu- |
ments, among others to the statutes of Ten |
lessee and the records in the case of |
Thomas VS.. Arnell, miscellaneous Docu- |
ments of Thirty-ninth Congress, No. 72,) |
and to the case Of Sheaffe VS.. Tillman |
miscellaneous Documents, No. So, Second |
Session of the Forty-tirst Congress- to sus- |
ain all say.
After the sedition law was passed the act |
Uniting the franchise followed, wherein |
Every man who had been in any shape or
orm connected with the rebellion, or rather |
Ii they said had been, was
BY THIS SELF CONsTITU- |
TED GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATURE.
Section three of the act provides that all |
other persons except those mentioned in |
section one of this act are hereby and hence !
Orth excluded and denied the exercise of |
he privilege of the elective franchise under |
his act for the term of five years from and |
after its passage. The frs. section having |
United the right TO very limited number, |
md the second having made sweeping ex-
,lusiOn Of participants in the rebellion. |
That act
SEVENTY THOUSAND MEN. |
The County Court Clerks were appointed |
egistrars, and they registered men who |
we're opposed to the then ruling dynasty, |
which soon became extremely Odious. The |
'esult was that, when they saw that power
vas departing from them, the Legislature, |
~ an act passed May 3, 1866, set aside the |
whole registration that had been made, and |
put the power Of appointing registrars into
he hands Of the Governor.