Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1872-09-28
WHOLE NO. g,23l.

7 uayS VI tHe past. lHlS OFant parl
: are endeavoring to establish the part
4 upon the idea that the Federal Go,
{ ernmcnt is absolute. It's tendency
9 in that direction; therefore we meS
r the issue when we say that the powc
of the Federal Government shall b
limited-not destroyed-but limited
THE SOUTH AGAINST SECESSION.
Now. the South do not propose {
claim the right of secession.-the righ
of States to 60 out when they please
That question, they consider, was set
tied at Appomattox. But we do meai
to say, and believe the Liberal Repub
licans mean to say, in this nationa
treaty of reconciliation, that this Gov
ernment shall be restored az Gov
ernment of limited powers, and thos,
powers delegated by the Constitution
Strange to me that the craftsmanship
. of this generation does not rise up anC
embrace this proposition at once
Georgia knows better what local laws
she wants than New York, and Ken
lucky than Massachusetts. Since
force has been applied to maintaining
government of consent, since power
has been substituted for freedom and
the Constitution in free Government
n large number of the States of this
Union have not had the right to regu-
late their own affairs, and they have
been compelled to submit to the die
tation of the Federal power.
saw the other day, distinguished
gentleman upon the other side, who
made this remarkable statement, that
if the Southern States had control of
their own local affairs, they would re-
mand the negro to slavery. How could
the South remit the negro to slavery
in the face Of what she has already
agreed to- She has agreed not to re-
open the constitutional amendments.
Another reason why we should have
control of our own local affairs is, that
the negro being recently freed, it has
become troublesome question among
the Southern people. They are great
race in the South. The further you
90 South the larger is the number of
the race.
They being emancipatcd suddenly
and enfranchisod, clothes the subject
with difficulty. What effect is the
race to have upon our form of Gov
ernment? These are questions to be
settled, yet one thing is very certain.
being free men and citizens it is to our
own interest to educate them, improve
and elevate them. They say to us
We ought to educate the negro. Very
we'll, we desire to educate h IN, but we
cannot do it. The intelligent people
of the South have not had possession
of their Government. 1t has been in
the hands of carpet -baggers and ne
groes. They have been taking care of
themselves; they have been simply in
tent on taking what little we had left.
make this proposition to the Radi-
cal party to-day. They say they want
the negro educated If they will give
us one half of what Grant and his
agents have stolen from us, ] will en-
ter into solemn covenant to educate
every negro in our midst and all their
children for two hundred years to
come. [ [Applause.l
PERSONAL GOVERNMENT.
A good deal has been said about
Grants nepotism. But people don I
seem to understand the philosophy of
it. Whenever a Government becomes
dcspotic, it becomes personal; and
whenever it becomes personal it be-
comes corrupt.
You may examine the history Of
Nations; and you will find this to be
the rule, that whenever Nation is
despotic, is becomes personal, and is
administered only for the benefit o
the officers and the support of their
favorites--it becomes corrupt. This
explains why the Government under
General Grant has become so corrupt
We have the pledge if Greeley " elect
ed that the Government shall be Geo
nomically administered, that honesty
and capacity will be recognized AZ
qualifications for official positions
Don you see. then, that everything
that is valuable il contained in this
treaty of National reconciliation? p
VIII you support these principles ;
will you rise up in the maintenance OF
these great issues, or will YOU still
tickle yourselves about the past, about
the negro and other immatorlal qucs-
tions, when everything that is valuable
for parties and States, white people
and black, is wrapped up in these
grand questions which | have men
toned to you? Let us rise az ono
man aud say that the white hag OF
peace shall replace the red Alg of war.
Let the genius of equality and reunion
rebuke the fcnd Of scctionalism and
di,cord
Let the great principles of Justice
and right re-cntcr the temple Of free
dom and ovcrturn the tables Of those
who sell Offices, and proclaim that your
fathers built this temple for the wor-
ship of patriotism, but you have made
it den of thieves. | Applause This
is your mission aud your prcrogatiyc.
II you 10 not do it you VII not be
worthy children of your fathers, be
cause you throw away the heritage your
fathers gave you.
A.