Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-10-03
THE STATE CANVASS.
Address Of the Democratic Executive
Committee to the People OF Ten
ueSsoe.
Civil Rights the All-Important Ques-
tion at Issue.

I FELLOW CITIZENS The peculia
exigencies of the times render it ne
cessary and proper that we should ad
dress you upon the condition of publ
affairs, and upon the issues involve,
in this canvass. The Democratic part
of Tennessee met in convention a
Nashville on the 18th Of August, 1874
and, after full and free consultation
laid down a platform of principles
upon which all men who are opposed
to the ruinous measures of the Radi
cal party may unite. The only way il
which party can be united, harmon
ious and successful, is by supporting
the principles upon which the party il
convention was agreed, as we'll as the
nominees of the party. Any other
course would lead to the disinteeration
of the party, and its final overthrow
We are aware that attempts have
been made, and will continue to be
made, to create prejudice against the
Democratic and Conservative party OF
Tennessee because of the acts of law
lessness which have taken place in
some parts of the State, but when it is
remembered that every effort has been
made, and will continue to be made by
the proper officers of the State to bring
the offenders to justice, that through
out the State these acts have been con-
demned not only by the public press
but by the various Democratic and
Conservative conventions which have
met, without a single dissenting voice,
that in no part of the United States
are acts of lawleAness more discount
enanced by public sentiment than in
Tennessee, all fair minded men will say
that it is unjust to attempt to throw
odium upon whole State because of
the acts of a few reckless, bad men,
which they could not prevent, and for
which they are in DO wise responsible,
and this, too, for the ignoble purpose
of making political capital to serve
the ends of sinking party. We con-
denim as thoroughly as any one all acts
of violence, whether committed by
white or black. We feel determined
to defend all persons, of every race or
color, in the enjoyment of their legal
and constitutional rights, and to secure
to them ample protection for their per-
sons and property. Our object is to
preserve friendly relations between the
white and black races, because in so
doing the welfare and happiness of
both will be promoted. In this State,
under Democratic and Conservative
the negroes enjoy as
many rights as they do in any State in
the Union, and there is as little preju-
dice against them on account of color
as in any of the Northern States.
By our State laws they have the
right to vote, to hold Office, to testify
in courts, to sit on juries, to acquire
and hold property, both real and per
sonal, and to enjoy all the benefits ofa
common school system, established
and paid for mostly by the white people
of the State. If let alone there would
be entire harmony between the races,
and general prosperity would be the
result but, unfortunately, it seems to
be the desire of certain parties, for
and political ends, to- engen-
der strife between them, just previous
to an election.
The Civil Rights bill, so-called,
seems to have been intended to bring
about the unfortunate state of affairs
which now exists in manyof the South
ern States, our own among the num-
ber. The object of that bill seems to
have been to poison the minds of the
black race, and to inhame their pas
sions and prejudices, so as 70 bring
them into antagonism with the white
race, with which they had been living
on terms of friendship and good will.
1t has produced its legitimate fruits.
First, by arousing the passions of the
negroes so as to cause them to utter in
flammatory sentiments and toform un-
lawful combinations and conspiracies,
and then it has naturally excited the
white people to suc.I an extent that
some reckless men, disregarding the
obligation of law. have been induced
to commit acts of violence, bringing
reproach upon the State, though, as
we feel, most unjustly.
The men who planned these schemes
to destroy the harmony between the
white and the black races, by pressing
the passage of bill that could be of
no benefit to either race, are the real
authors of the lawlessuess which un-
happily prevails among a few men in
some parts of the country. These
same men are now trying to take ad-
vantage Of the wrongs they have COM
mitted, and by misrepresentation and
abuse, to influence the popular mind
of the Northern people against those
who have done no wrong, and who are
in no wise responsible for deeds of
violence, which they condemn. All
this is done to gain party advantage,
and to carry popular elections.
If it is intended to introduce social
equality between the white and black
races, this never can be done by legis-
lation, though the attempt to do it
may cause serious disturbances-hurt-
ful to the interests of both.
There may be few negroes in the
country who are unwilling to associate
with their own race, and who desire
to force themselves into the society of
the white people unsolicited, but such
we do not believe to be the sentiments
of the great body of the black race
among us. They are not ashamed of
their own race, or unwilling to asso-
ciate with persons of their own color
This bill is not urged in the interestof
the black race, but is pressed either
with view to accomplish party and
mercenary purpose, or to crafty the
few selt-conceited, ambitious negroes
who are unwilling or ashamed to ac-
knowledge the equality of other ne
groes with themselves. We oppose
this bill because it must necessarily
produce an antagonism between the
races hurtful to both and destructive
to the best interests of the country.
We oppose it because it will destroy
the system of free schools in Tennes-
see and other Southern States from
which the black race may derive so
many benefits. We oppose it because
it is an attempt by legislation to con-
troll the social habits and customs of
people. We oppose it because it would
lead to such interference on the part
of the Federal Government with the
local affairs of the people as will des-
troy the last vestige of States rights.
The tendency of the Federal Gov
ernment to Capitalization is increasing
with alarming rapidity. Soon, if mat