Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-04-13

t Where 1t existed. But the slaye-boldin,
It power, unwilling to retain slavery where !
j. was, undertook to d;smember the Union anC
n set up a government In one half of |;
which should rest upon slavery a,
It's cornerstone, when followed rreat
war, carried on for the purpose Of tbt
9 maintenance OF the Union, and sisvsrJ
4 went went ao|iH, never more to rise forever
tVheers. In that great struggle many a
patriot fell, and many more are seen an0no
us bearing on their persons the wounds ra.
0 ceived in freedoms cause, and a grateful
= country will ever cherish the memory N
the heroes who fell, and provide for the
= WIDOWS and orphans who remain AMONG
u.s. The war closed, the armies were dis
banded and slavery forever prohibited bv
| constitutions amendment. Then the equal
rights of all men were established tbrongb-
out the land. Provision was made for the
debt incurred in the maintenance of the
Union, and that the payment of boun-
Ties ana pensions of soldiers should
De forever sacred, and that the debt
OF the rebels and payment for slaves should
never be made. Since then provision has
been made by which the debt incurred is
III gradual course Of extinction. TODAY
al! The States are restored to their former
relations In the Union and what now is there
to disturb the happiness and peace of this
people? There are several causes for the tbs
dissatisfaction of the people which I can
only briefly aliude to unon
the present occasion and shall not touch
upon many which ought to be discussed
before the people at large. But one cause
of complaint which produces alienation in
the late insurrectionary States and keeps
alive the hates and aninosities engendered
by the war, is the continuance of political
disabilities after the occasion for them has
passed away. In consequence of this con-
tinuance, the governments in the late in
surrectionary States have fallen into the
hands of inexperienced and in many in
stances OF corrupt adventurers, who plum
dered the people of these States
scarcely less than you in the CITY
OF New York have been plundered
by your former city Government. TAD
plause.] Why are these disabilities CON
tlnued? Why are they not removed and
all the people enfranchised ? l think there
are two causes, and two alone, which pre-
vent 1t, one mercenary and the other politi
cal. [Applause.l The mercenary one is
that these adventurers should exclude
from Office in these States the former
leading men that reside there-men
of large experience and ability. Although
they were traitors during the war, thew
were not thieves and plunderers. TLoud
cheers. Their exclusion has thrown the
! government into the hands of men who
have used their power to plunder the
| people over whom they rule, and
| the debts Of Southern States have been
| swollen, in some instances, twenty fold. !
from what they were before the war began, |
and they don't even have what YOU had in |
the city of New Y York to show for the mo- !
ney expended. Another reason for CONT |
nuing this political disability is, as 1 said.
of partizan character. The men in au- |
thority use political disability as so much |
capital upon which to trade. To illustrate
what l mean, l will refer TO what
took place in the State of Georgia
a few years ago, when a man named Bull
lock was Governor. When the Legislature
OF that State was about to be organized, it
was understood that certain persons had
been elected who were laboriIg under pc
litical disabilities. They we're given to un-
derstand that those of them who would
sustain the Governor could have their DO
lItical disabilities removed, andthosg who
would not, could not be permitted
to take their seats in thu Legislature.
disabilities were removed from such as ac-
ted with the Governor and the others were
excluded, and he had control of that
Legislature and succeeded in fastening upon
the State a debt the discovery of which
lately caused him to flee the State to
escape the punishment which would have
followed the frauds committed. So it is
with the members o. Congress elected
from these Southern States. They prom
lsed TO remove political disabilities from ! !
their adherents, and they are always ready
to do It where they can gain favor.
Three cheers were here heartily given
for Horace Greeley, who was eSpied on the
platform.l
Senator Trumbull: | am glad to hear
such cheers here in honor of the first
champion in the country, and be proclaimed |
1t boldly, of universal amnesty. Renewed !
cheers One great measure then which is
demanded in the name Of honesty, in the
name OF peace and the best interests of all
Is the passage Of a general bill re-
moving political disabilities, TGreat
cheering. Another cause Of complaint
among the people is the manner in which /
tie patronage Of this government is used,
as II It were SO much money, to carry elec-
tons, not in the interest of party even. 1t I
does not rise to that high dignity. But in {
the interest of faction Of party. TGreat G
applause,l 1t is notorious, YOU all know !
it, in the city Of New York, for it has re- !
Gently been disclosed by an investigating 7
Witch sat in this city, !
that your CustomhOuse is here filed /
with men who, instead of having received !
their appointment in consequence Of their I
hdellty, Of their ability and of their capa- 9
city to discharge the duties of their offices I
for the best interests of the country, are e
appointed because of the influence it is !
they can exert at some primary ;
election or State convention, or in teaching o
you people whom to vote for at the polls. o
Laughter This civil service system of a
ours is the parent Of many, very many evils I
hat i cannot stop tonight to point out. The !
officers in many localities are taxed a portion e
Dt their salaries for party purposes, and if L
hey do not perform the political duty re- 1
iured of them they very soon are removed o
md others substituted who will be active v
n politics. Passing from this question of v
he civil service system which would occupy o
IN hour to discuss properly before .
'ou, l come to another measure V
which should create alarm throughout n
he country. l allude particularly to the as u
uupViOu OI ulWdIEdnJed power on the part | !.
# the Federal Government and the De- u
of the Federal Government. "
Cheers.] To illustrate, the military Off y
er in command in Georgia, issued an order W
certain men to sit in the Legis- e.
ature, and allowing others to take their Il
eats, in direct dehance of an act of Con- IL
ress, and which should have subjected St
hat officer to imprisonment for II
{ least two years in the "
'enitentiaTy. Was any notice ever taken al
f ii? Yes; the matter was referred to the til
Committee of the judiciary in the Senate
f the United States. A report was made 81
Y that committee, drawn up by Senator by
,dmunds of Vermont, an ardent friend of az
be Administration, expressing in mild Dl
erms that the committee were constrained ID
D say that the action Of the military au- al
lorities was contrary to law Iapplausel,
nd that's every notice ever taken Of that en- =,
roachmenJ upon the rights of the Legisla- y,
ure and the people Of Georgia Afew years NJ
60 Congress passed q Law that no officer in =;
be regular army should discharge the func- ",
OHS of a civil Offipa a,od ,,yI,- IL W