Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-07-31
II OUR GOVERNMENT A FAIL.
IRE?


The Cincinnati Gdsctte, one of the
ablest Republican journals in the coun-
try, tells its readers in plain terms, that
mo people in the world have so little
respect for their government as the
people of the United States" Is not
this fact Of much portent: Either
the government, as conducted since
1861, when it was declared 10 be the
best in the world, has been debased by
insane, and possibly incurable changes
of the federal constitution, or the peo-
pie themselves are mad not t. rssFect
their self-goverameat The Gezette
has TOO much sense not to see the MS
take its party has committed by CON
ferring the governing power on near a
million Of men of race degraded il
their native country, and herc by ages
of slavery" But in what way does the
party which controls both Houses of
Congress and the Administration aim
to correct its obvious, and generally &C.
knowledged, errors The Gazette thus
answers The question:
.'Our politicians said they would
know enough to vote for their own
friends. Here was the party gair that
is always .pppemost IN these strokes Of
State They said, also, they were as
capable of voting as a large class of the
foreigners We had made voters. This
was true enough, and it shows how one
step Of degradation furnishes the le~eF
for another NJ o~p thinks It worth
while &c stop ii anything. In fact, no
one thinks we have anything in the
Government worth preserving, save the
chances of a party IN it. At the
last session, the House passed bill to-
erect New Mexico into STATE, with n
voice in the Erhate; TO neutralize that
Of Ohio. Yet it has not 10000 Eng
| disappearing inhabitants, and Is p
mixture of Mexicans, indians and ne
! grOes. with -.5aiceiy any of the condi.
Sons of civilization. The House said
the same with the wild Territory Of
! Colorado. These are the dOings of a
people who have lost all respect for
their governments 1t il much Fore5 in
| local zcye"rne iit. Tor there the scala
wag, the hummer, the adventmer,
whose trade is to degrade, is preferred
for public trusts to the best citizens.
Government IN America is a thing of
| public contempt
If Government in America is 4
thing of public contempt" there is an
adequate cause for it, which every voter
should ponder and understand. 1t is
false, if not calumnious, 20 affirm that
NEARLY d million voters" of the Afri-
eau race are rs capable of voting as
the European race, whether the latter
have come to this country within FIVE
years or are desce,ldhhtsOf immigrants
VINO came before the revolution. This
R, deal idea Of negro equality is
alike false and degrading. 1t is
incapable Of adding eltheE wit
or wisdom to the negro cleo
tor, legislator. judge, juror or governor,
while it is all-puwerful 10 bring thF
white mans abridged and divided right
of republican government into incura.
bic contempt. Negro equality means
amalgamation and the downfall Of the
government to be followed by alter
nate anarchy and despotism. There
must be more purity and higher intel
ligence in legislation, more truth and
profound regard for right, less sham
and counterfeit patriotism, before our
political system can recover the public
esteem. Even negroes will not respect
a hybrid government.