Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-06-10

be of one faith, one creed, one baptism,
and so welcome all to our bosoms, to
our tiresides, and all that, perhaps
these things ought to be. But that is
not question to be regulated by the
Congress of the United States, or any
Legislative body on earth.
| hold that in reference to all rights
with regard to education, TO the wor-
ship Of our God-which this Bill tries
to regulate-all of which enter so es-
sentiallv into the personal rights of
people, into the private life of the peo-
pie, they all belong exclusively to the
State, Of which the Government of the
United States has no right to take con-
troll This Civil Rights Bill under
takes to regulate and control these
personal, social, religious, domi-
ciliary rights of the people of the
United States.
1t has no warrant in the Constitu-
ton, and is in violation of the great
fundamental principles of our Repub-
! lican form Of government; that is, the
supremacy of the General Government
within its sphere, and the independ-
ence of the States and of the people in
| their reserved and purely domestic
concerns.
! have never been states Rights
man in the common and political
acceptation Of that term. On the con-
! trary, | have always antagonized that
idea. My first political campaign was
| for John Quincy Adams, against An
drew Jackson. | have always been a
! Wing, and an opponent of every party
which was supposed to favor the
States Rights theory rs in contraven-
ton with the paramount supremacy
of the National Government.
This is not question as to whether
the cclored man ought to have social
or domestic privileges beyond what he
has now got. The colored citizen of
the United States possesses under the
Constitution the same privileges and
immunities of other citizens, and by
the Nth Amendment of this Constitu.
ton no State can make any
law to dbridge, deny, or dcpriUe
him of these rights. Whatever
belongs to the white man belongs to
him. | deny him nothing of civil and
political rights. To regulate by law,
as this Bill does, the government of
our houses of worship and schools is
usurpation of the strictly personal,
domiciliary rights of the people with
which Congress has no more control,
such are the views of the white people
, of Tennessee, and no portion of them
are more tenacious in their advocacy
than the sixty or seventy thousand
white Republicans Of the State.
With q brief allusion to some per-
sonalities in Mr.. BartletL's card, / close
this letter. He intimates that do not
t write the letters which appear under
, my signature, because of my very
: feeble health So far as the manual
| work is concerned Mr.. Bartlett is cor
, rect. ] have not been able to use the
g pen for five years, except in signing
my name. Had / been in Massachu-
] sets during the war, as | understand
f Mr.. Bartlett was and therefore beyond
the reach of danger, | would not, per-
haps, find il necessary to now employ
an amanuensis to do the work which
, imprisonment for devotion to the
: Union renders me incapable of doing.
: / submit 10 the public whether il
is in accordance with Mr.. Bartlett's
ostentatious professions of piety and
LOYALTY to taunt man with his physi-
cal infirmities under such circum-
stances.
: Mr.. Bartlett squirms under the indig-
t nation of the East Tennessee people,
r because of his contemptuous illusions
p to them as "poor white tIash," and
seeks to relieve himself of the odium
which justly attaches TO his language
and conduct. He says he is the friend
, of poor people, but does not deny that
he made the contemptuous illusions
to the East Tennesseeans which / have
, stated. Were he TO deny it, l could
, furnish the testimony of many of the
most reputable men of Blount county
J of all parties who heard his address.
! Mr.. Bartlett expressed some solicit
| tude To know my position in regard to
{ the election of my successor, to the
Senate and intimates that l am a can
didate for reelection. In reply have
e to say that / will not be a candidate
under any circumstances. There is
! no Office within the gift of the people,
e or their Representatives, which l de,
t sire, and / will never again be candi-
- date for any office.
r In conclusion / would advise Mr..
Bartlett, for his own good. TO keep out
of the political arena and diligently
F.; devote himself to the task of teach
3 ing the young idea to shoot in
2 Maryville College.
w. G. BRowNLOw.
Knoxville, June Sth.
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