Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-03-23

| Constitution in a way tina; Will bring this
Experiment to an end, or ,hange its char
aaier so that its present FIXTURES and pres
en- structure viii all be lost. The Senator
here referred 70 the orders sent TO Gen.
Sheridan to proceed to New Orleans, and
said: Here is a General Of the army WHO'S
seat back to people that repudiated him,
without authority to go and look over
this country and to marx himself out an
empire and prescribe the limits Of
this government on what lie shall take I'M
der control. He marks cut the area; he
describes the points and limits Of his CON-
mand; his power is absolute as that OF an
emperor. Look at the growth of power,
look at the advances which usurpatiOn is
making, and when we CINE to consider
calmly and deliberately, W thOut party bias
or prejudice, we find thai these acts are
none other than those Of usurpation and
1 tyranny. Where does all this power come
1 from? And l might ask, supon what meat
| does this our Caesar feed, Il at he hath grown
50 great" that he can prescribe and lay
down emperors and place commanders over
them? IL is time the country was awaken
ed and consider these things. If the ex-
element has been so high in time gone by
that many things have been overlooked.
! ] think it has arrived, and J. trust the ex-
element has gone down, and that the
/ American people can return to the organic
iaE Of the land. 1t is time that the peO-
pie had begun to consider and weigh well
1 these things. Mr.. johnson de-
nenneed the organization CT the Louisiana
/ Legislature, and continued: cannot re-
| gfd the action Of the military or of the
j President as in accordance with the Con-
I stitutiOn. l cannot record my vote for this
/ resolution. l will not vote against the res
| clinton because it is a Republican meas
/ ure, bun will vote against it on principle.
] This resolution calls on the Senate to ex-
| press an opinion fayOring practices which
/ think are unauthorized ami unWarTanted.
/ But, if we record one vote sanctiOning
Residential interference, what are we 10
! do in other cases? Why single out this
ad, and in principle sanction it, and not
sanction all the high-handed measures
! which preceded it9 The action Of the
| President in Arkansas affairs was de-
nounced by Senator johnson, who referred
to the growth of Federal power as follows:
We see how this power tnGyels. An en-
pire laid off in the South, commanded By
a military chief; then we come along to
the force bill; then We cone along to an
endorsement by Congress and, locking
over these things, we inquire, what lies be
hind all this? Don't we see that
the change of opinion, the change
Of position, must be fOI some reason?
There must be something behind all
this action Of the President. There must
be something to explain his inconsistency.
There must be something that underlies
al this. The force bill, with authority 70
take away State governments, and a militia |
- - -, Il.
under the control Of dictator, must mean
something. We can only look at it in the |
light Of events that transpi-e in the ap-
prOach of the Presidential election. When |
we have a cORquerOr and Us lTper installed |
in the government, and he las gone on ex-
tending his military power until he has &C
c0mplished his purpose, the time may come !
when some member in the other hall NAV |
introduce a resolution like this:
Whereas, great disturbances and dissatis- !
faction exist in the country, and for the 1
sake Of preserving peace ard harmony in 1
the country, be it
Resolved, that a or B is hereby declared I
President.
ao-'r care whether Won call him Uou- i
2lizs FL. sala--. Ca. .l4-. -.----.- 90 tue Nt /
r. 'siden-ial term or the next eight years.
~ bat would you 20 then? Where is the 4
power to prevent it? Where is the army?
Where is the navy? What could you do?
The impOtency aud weakness Of an I'M
armed people when brought in contact with
armed soldiers, we all know would be pow
eTiess, and here, to-day, i'll the presence
Of this Senate, warn the people against the
approaching danger. l tell my country
men, Mr.. President, that the empire is
oh fH aF ,,f ]
and republican government, We have a
kind Of government called a stTatOcacy;
that is, a military government where the
country is ruled by a military chieftain
and where the army is the power. There
is the government you have got now, the
army, the power. We have got a stratoc-
racy; we have not democracy; we have not
republican form Of government.
That is all the government YOU
have got. How far off is the empire? How
far of is military despOtism? / warn the
people Of my native county against the
dangers which are coming. Don't let US
talk about party, but let the people who
compose the government, run il for awhile.
Let US bring the hearts of the people up to
the government, and arouse them against
corruption; against prohIgaCy; against the
usuTpatiOns of this administration. The
administration is trying to overthrow
the government. Let every effort be
made to sustain the gov
eminent, and eject from power the cor
rupt and usurping ruler. Instead of the
now before the Senate, would
90 to the President with the language, ifI |
was permitted to prepare the resolution,
that Cato used to the ambassador of Caesar, ]
when the ambassador approached him and
asked him to capitulate, saying that his |
name would be second TO none but that of
Caesar. l would say to this emperor, ;
would say TO this dictator, what Cato said
to the ambassador: $50 and tell the en-
perOr to disband his legiOns and restore the
liberties Of the people," This / would say
to him, even as humble as l am. l would
tell him to stop his entertainments upon y
the Constitution and close the gulf be-
tween the people, and bring peace and
prosperity TO the country. Do this and / E
will mount the rOstrum and cOntTiVe to
gain his pardon from the people for his
violations Of the Constitution Of his cOun-
try, and the transcendent iInpOsitiOnS that
be has practiced upon the country. This,
even as humble as | am, for the sake of ;
peace, for the sake Of concord, for restora-
iion and prosperity, l am even willing to
/
gain his pardon from an indignant
people. You must close up the gulf and :
restore peace and prosperity TO the country.
Let peace and prosperity be restored to the :
land. May God save the country, and may
Sod save the Constitution. know when .
give utterance 10 this it comes from a !
heart that never beat hostile to it. Let us
pme up to this good work. Let US forget
What has been heretofore. Let us lay aside !
1ur personal differences; let US lay aside =
party discipline; let us give mp our parties
% the Constitution of our country, and lay :
hem on the altar in defense of the Con- =
'titution. Applause in The galleries, .
which was checked by the President pro q
EN-
At the conclusion Of Mr.. JOhnsOns y
peech, Mr.. Bogy took the flor in oppOsi- !.
ion 10 the resolution. he could not per y
GIVE or imagine any other motive for the
resolution except to further strengthen the Z
,Ower Of the Executive a power al =
eady so vast as to threaten !.
he free exercise Of the concurrent powers y
# the government, and which required \
nly a subseTVient Congress 10 render it | \