Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-02-19
F." STILL FORBEAR."
Address of the Southern Mem
bers of Congress.
The Policy of the Republican
Majority.
The Southern People Advised TO
Bear and Ferbear.
The Black Man to be Protected
In All His Legal Rights.
DiscOrd and Strife Deprecated.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1S.-The following
address has Just been issued by the Dem
ocratic members of the South and South
west:
To the people Of the Southern States
aYou have cOnfided to the undersigned in
this conjunction of affairs, the delicate and
difficult task Of guarding, in the Federal
Congress, your public interests, your rights
and your reputation. You will, therefore,
pardon the liberty we take of addressing
YOU at a period so critical upon q matter
affecting your destiny and that Of your pos
teritF. YOu- csnnot have failed t0observe
the persistent efforts Of some leaders Of
the Republican party to revive the
animOsities of the late war, which happily
are fast giving place to spirit Of concord
and unity in every section Of our common
country. 1t is impossible TO predict with
certainty the effect of these appeals to pas
sion. We believe through the honest repre-
sensations of few upright and conscien-
cious Federal officers and agents, an indie
pendent and able public press, and of
many citizens without regard to party, the
true condition of the Southern States and
real sentiments Of the Southern people are
being gradually made known to our
fslloW-citizens Of the North. We
hope for their favorable decision
when fully apprised Of fall the facts.
The great ends of good government will be
reached when the people Of all sections for
get that we have ever been enemies, and
come together again as in the early days Of
the republic, emulating each other only in
devotion to the best interests Of the whole
country. With this exalted purpose in
view, there is nothing inconsistent with
the honor and manhood Of brave
people to resolve to suffer with he
roic patience, whatever their provo
cations and wrongs, looking through
the fearful present to the hopeful future,
and repelling unjust epithets and gratui-
tOus insults with dignifed moderation.
Let every white man in every neighbor-
hood in the whole South regard himself as
a commissioner Of the peace, maintaining
the kindliest relations toward the black
man, remembering that the responsibility
for the extreme poverty to which we have
been reduced, and the corrupt governments
his vote has subjected us to, rests not
so much upon him as upon the
bad men, who, with assurance of Federal
support, have, BY appeals TO his worst
passions, sought TO make him our enemy,
while we labor by all honest means to con-
his are identical, and both must be pre-
served by good governments, and that those
who stir up strife between us are the
enemies of both races. Let us at the
same time see that he is fully protected in
his guaranteed rights to vote as he pleases in
all elections. Let us continue to deal with
him honestly and fairly, and let US con-
tiuue cordially TO invite to our midst those
who of any political party who either seek
10 know the truth or find homes upon our
soil. We do not exaggerate wheh we ad-
monish you of the disleartening fact that
every street disturbance, every homicide Of
whatever character, by WhOmSOever CON-
mitted, by black or white, Republican or
Democrat, such as are incident to every
community UP0n earth, 10 perverted into
evidence Of a spirit Of lawlessneSs and
violence and apurpOset to accomplish political
ends. We well know the gross injustice
of such charges, which have weight only
where ignorance Of our true condition pre-
walls.
Strenuous efforts are now being made by
those who represent you to induce the pas
SAGE, by Congress, Of a most dangerous
measure in order to iTritate our people, 10
drive them to despair, and provoke them to
violent outbreaks, in order to furnish an
excuse for applying for military interfer-
ence. We express the hope that a
majority OF the present Congress
will not be found ready to sanction
such legislation. If it be accom-
plished, it would be against the protest, not
| only of Democrats, but Of the moral worth
and craftsmanship here of the party in
power, and Of such Republicans as
| BRYANT, EvaItS, Charles Francis
| Adams and others, whose patriotism and
sense of justice are known to the entire
country. We may, however, not mistake
the most extreme, oppressive and uncon-
stitutional measures may be imposed upon
YOU. In such an event, we would appeal
/ to the wisdom and patriotism Of long,
suffering people, by every hope Of the fu-
| ture, for continued fOrbeaTance and
| hopeful reliance upon the virtue and sense
/ of Justice of the American people for the
ultimate vindication of our rights, the pro-
lection Of our liberties and the safety Of
! our republican form of government.
| Signed by Senators GOldthwaite, Steven
| son, Norwood, Cooper, Gordon, Ransom Of
North Carolina, McCrary, Bogy, Johnston
and MerTimOn, and by the following mem
bers Of the House OfRepresentatives: Cook,
Caldwell, Bell, Bromberg, Atkins, Wad
| dell, Giddings, Herndon, Miles, Willie,
| Hancock, Crittenden, John Young Brown,
| Harris, Young of Georgia, Whitthorne,
| Bright, Grassland, Bowen, Beck, Bland,
| Adams, Clark, Arthur, ComingO, BUrnam,
Hunton, Hatcher, Gunter, Glover, Mclean,
| McLeach, Vance, Robbins, BlOunt, White
head, Standiford, Stone, SlOss, Wells Of
| Missouri. Milliken, Read, Lamar.