Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-05-24
WHOLE NO. 2, ,27O.


invoke the attention of every candid and
intelligent Northern Republican TO a few
suggestions on this subject. / will take my
own case, not referring TO myself In any
spirit of egotism but because my case Illus
trates thai of thousands of others
From my political infancy was mem-
per OF the Wing party To The day oi us iisso-
luton and acted and voted against the Dem
ocratlc party in all political contests before
the commencement OF the war. When the
war was over returned to my home, with
no other purpose, intention or desire than
10 obey the laws and strive as best 1 could TO
make an honest living. Very soon sweep
| ing act of fdisfranchisefnent was passed by a
body known in the nomenclature of the
! times rs the BrOWnlOW Legislature. In the
county where 1 live, containing voting
| population of about five thousand, not
more than two hundred were allowed TO
vote at all. The power given TO the Cow
eInor in the appointment Of registration
officers dared to register voters whom the
| Executive did not wish registered the regis
officials removed and Others appointed in
| their places. Thus virtually the right OF the
! citizens to vote depended upon the VIII OF
| the Governor. Under this system the yot-
ing in my county wac done by the recently
enfranchised colored people. i have stood
upon the streets of the town where 1 live
and seen as many as 1000 of these colored
4 voters marching to the polls in solid column
under the leadership of a carpet-bagger--a
stranger 70 our people-wihlle scarcely tax
| the ballot~box
II is true 1 had been conquered, the cause
had eSpouSed had been lost, and the BAN
ner 1 had followed through the storm of
battle had been furled forever, but still had
the instincts, the feelings and the sensihli-
ties of a man who was born free-and all
candid men must adInit, whatever they
may think of the propriety or justice of the
law in question, that the system was not
very happily framed or manaegd to induce
me to become member of the Republican
party. By what to us seemed q prOviden-
tial disagreement between the leaders of the
lean TAnnpSCna.
sooner than her sisters of the South, passed
from under the yoke, and in 1870 was en-
abled to call convention of her represent |
ative men, who framed a constitution which
conferred upon every man in the State, |
white and colored, the right of suffrage. |
During those dark years of prOscri ption and |
passion you of the North can never know 1
with what anxiety and apprehension we l
watched the infurtated march of the domi- |
nant party over the barriers of the C0nstitu- \
ton in the direction of our subiugation. |
From the serried ranks of that party scarce /
gleam of magnanimity could be discerned, |
or a word OF Kindness and generosity heard. i
The only voices raised in our behalf plead /
ing for the guarantees of the Constitution, 4
for oblivion of the past came from the DEM
ocratic party. They expressed confidence |
in our plighted honor, they held ont the |
hand of greeting and spoke to us words of /
kindness.
The Freedman's Bureau was established
as one of the inventions sent TO plague us,
the agents of which robbed the colored
man with one hand and scattered the seeds
of distrust between him and his former mas
ter with the other, thus destroying any sys-
tenn of labor bY which we might hope to
repair our waste places and rebuild our shat
tered fortunes. The carpet-baggers descend
ed upon us like the locusts and the scalawags
sprang up among us like the lice of Egypt
These things may have been blessings In
disguise, but they We're so well disguised
that we ought not to be censured If we failed
to perceive Just where the blessing came in.
Could Louisiana be expected 10 lift her long,
hOny hands in token of gratitude for the gift
of a kellogg, a Packard and n Casey; Art:an-
sas TO throw up her hat for the Republican
party for the inestimable boon of a Clayton
and a Mcclure? Could Mississippi be called
on TO sing peans of praise for the reign of
Adelbert Ames the son-in-law Of his father
in-law; Alabama 10 kneel in thankfulness
at the shrine OF n BuSteed and a Spencer, or
Georgia to sing hosannas in the wake Of a
Bullock and a Blodgett?
No, gentlemen of the Republican party,
you have none TO blame but yourselves for
the unanimity with which the white people
OF the South have allied themselves with
the Democratic party. Your leaders, in the
hour of our sore trouble, humiliation and
despair, denounced us as rebels and traitors,
having but two rights-one to die, the other
to be damned. You inaugurated, confessed
ly outside of the Constitution, a system of
that has made some portions
of the South waste, bowling wilderness,
and that which once rejOiced and blossomed
rs o rose desert and a solitary place. / am
not now animadverting upon your motives.
[ am speaking of results. Had your states
men possessed the magnanimity, the broad
and comprehensive patriotism, the grasp of
above the passions and resentments of the
hour, how different would have been tho
result to you as party and TO us as a people.
Mr.. House is one of the most
highly esteemed of his party in the
House of Representatives. At the
present session he was elected Chair
man of the Democratic caucus by a
arge majority-a proof of the gen {
~, hi til l..
temper. He is calm, amiable and
in character and manner, {
except when aroused in debate,
when he delivers his blows with
great directness and force. He is
)ne of the most effective speakers on
he floor when aroused to action.
He is an eminently just and mode
ate man, and-his ordinary appella-
ion of "Judge" is derived, not |
rom the exercise of any judicial of
ice, but from the popular estimate !
If its propriety, If ne is not a Judge I,
le ought to be,
Mr.. Houses appearance suits we'll 5
With the character / have drawn of !
him. He is feet 10 inches in ]
height and weighs about 1856 pounds, I
With heavy built figure, inclining {
o flesh. His face and form betoken {
rood health and powers of endur- '
Lnce, but his movements are delib- :
rate and his complexion pale and
. little sallow. His head and fea- !
ures are large, his nose straight and {
ather prominent, his hair gray and !
traight. A long white gOatee de-
,ends from a small chin. His clear
Dlue eyes are his best and most !
feature. Shadowed by !
andy, brown brows they beam with
,indly but sagacious light, and are :,
he unmistakable heacons of an !
lOnest, tranquil, benevolent, intel !
ectual nature. There Is no doubt !
8 to Mr.. Houses future influence !
N the politics of the country. With !
'ery moderate personal aspirations =
nd no self-seeking he commands =
he confidence, respect and regard :
# men of all parties. But he has !
he weight of character and thought
o attract around him without effort !,
he best of the men of moderation,
o whose opinions he gives voice. 1t =
equires no spirit Of prophecy to
'redict for such man useful and
career. a