Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-03-27

have sanctioned heretofore, but now fos
some reason best known, / presume. to
himself-"I send you in a message to over
turn and overthrow, other States may
change their constitutions without the con
sent or permission OF the Federal Govern
mentp What dOctrinel Go to the Con-
stitution Of the United States; 90 to the
bill Of rights of all the States. L is laid
down in the bill Of rights Of each State Of
this Union, and In the Constitution Of the
United States, that the people have a
right to change, alter or abolish their form
Of government in their own mode and in
their own manner within certain limits.
That Is the very essence Of republican
form Of government. 1 should like to
know what authority you have 10 interfere
with the States in exercising that indefeas-
ible authority? But We find lurking
through almost every document, through
every order we receive, this assertion Of
usurping power, denying the great princi-
pie Of a free governments which is inherent
IN \ free people. But let me finish the
reading Of this message; the last para
graph is:
respectfully submit whether precedent 90
/ dangerous 70 the stability Of State government,
| Il not Of the National Government also, should
| be recognized by Congress.
! earnestly ask that Congress win take definite
I action in this matter % relieve the Executive
| rom acting upon questions Which should be de-
eided BY the legislative branch Of the Govern
ment U. S. GRANT.
The Empire Coming.
A threat The iron hand. though
clothed In the sOftest silk, is in that para
/ graph. sIf you do not do 50 and sO,5 the
| inference is 81 will" Would Il not be
well 70 have a resolution under eonsidera-
ton inquiring into the matter Of the pro
posed exercise Of such power as this? Is
it not more Appropriate than the one now
under consideration which is for endorse
ment?
| Earnestly ask that Congress win take definite
/ action in this matter to relieve the Executive
from acting upon questions which should be |
decided by The legislative branch Of the Gov |
/ eminent.
ssIf You don't, will Thus We see how
power travels. An empire is laid OF in /
the South for one military chieftain; a |
force bill is proposed in the House Of Rep
rentatives; the Endorsement Of Congress is |
asked to what has been done; and IS there
nothing that lies behind all this2 The /
change Of position from May Is, 1874, to /
February 3, 1915, must be for some /
good reason. Can it be possible that |
the Executive had forgotten what /
he had done? It would be i'm /
pugning his memory OF his intelligence to /
suppose he did not discover the inconsist- |
ency between the two papers. There must |
be some great reason that underlies all this. 1
With your force bill, with the authority
to take away the State Government Of /
Arkansas, with the Government Of LOui- /
siana usuTped, with a military empire laid
of, it seems as if a pretty good part Of the
Union had been usurped and put under the
control Of a dictator, and that the States
North and West had better. begin to look
into this. Il suits the purpose now to take
charge Of certain Southern States for the
approaching presidential election. s'When
we get them firmly IN our grip, when We
have once fixed upon their necks the mailed
heel Of power" do you think the usurper
will stop his hand2 No; he viii 90 on CON
quering, he Will 90 on extending his mill
tary power until he has accomplished his
purpose, and then perchance the time may
come when somebody ia this hall may in
trOduee a resolution:
Whreas, great disturbance and dissatisfae-
ton exist; for the purpose Of preserving peace /
and harmony; therefore
Be it resolved, that A or B is hereby declared
President
l do not care Whether you call him presi-
dent or monarch or king-fOr the next ,
presidential term or ''the next eight years
What would you do? Where is the army?
Where is the navy? Who is commander
in-chief? Who has portion Of the cOnfed-
eracy under his heel, the mailed heel Of
power, with powerful party in the other
States? What would you do? Do not all !
know the impOtency, the weakness Of an
unarmed people when brought in contact
with an army? The people would be pow
erless. Here in my place, not in a personal
sense but public one, as one Of the Sena-
tors Of the United States, to-day warn
this people against the approaching danger.
1 tell my countrymen that empire is ahead.
Instead Of having a free and republican
government now, we have that kind Of gov .
eminent that / will call their attention 70. ]
L hold in my hand volume that treats up
on the various kinds Of government, de-
fines them, and gives proper definition. l
After laying down the three principal forms ]
Of government, monarchy, aristOcracy, and I
democracy, then among the various enum-
eratiOns the writer says that government .
out Of these three can be divided to infinity
into mixed governments Of various kinds, | 7
and one form is:
StrGtOeraeg is . military government. This I
word is derived from two Greek words which ]
signify "army" and power
Lei Is save me Country. !
We have got now ''army" and power !
We have got a stratOcracy; we have not got
a democracy, and we have not got a repub- !
ican form Of government. How far Of is
empire? How far of is military des2otism? :
l warn the people Ofmy native country audO !
my native state Of the danger ahead. On !
a former occasion when there was great 7
difference Of opinion among US, | warned J
- I
were coming. / warned them AGAINST
bringing on a strife and contest that would +
result in the shedding Of blood and the !
sacrifice Of property. l varied them !,
against that struggle which set man against / Il
man and Eu his hand against the throat Of =
, brother. Tes, the land that gave broth +
srs birth was drenched with the blood Of /.
brothers. warned my cOuntTymen against >
.he catastrophe that has passed and gone. :,
The great misfortune Of my life, the deep +
feeling Of my heart is that it turned out to
be true. l wish l proved false prophet.
Now to-day in my place l warn the people
II the United States against encrOachments
lpOn, against violations Of, and'against the 81
.Otal disregard Of the Constitution Of the lie
United States. Do not let US talk about g
larty; let US talk little about country, for d.
larty on the lone side or the other has m
IN this Government well-nigh to destruc- I'll
ion. Parties have been running the Gov
'rnment long enough. Let the people now m
ay hold Of parties and ran them. Let US 70
ave the country. What is the great CRY er
low? II is ''save the party" and so that ca
he party is saved, all is well, the country er
nay 60. Sir, let US try TO save the country Or
nd save it in its original form Of govern bJ
nent, as handed down to US by the found es
rs Of the Republic. / warn my country &c
O-day against these eReroachments that
re being made on the Constitution Of eli
heir fathers. If there IS not a return az az
made to those great principles, those great II
ruths which are recognized in the Con fO
titutiOn, l tell you this Government is ze
,YerthroWn and its character changed. B
Let us forget, then, that we have been tn
.iv;ded into parties; let us teach the people 81
lot opposition TO the Government, as has -.
cen the case sometimes. Great clamOr
vas once made against the Government, no
nd il was said the Government is this, or p
hat, or the other. o, let Us makeThe Cd
roper distinction; the Government is good Al
nOugh; the organic law is all right; SD ak An