Year: 1867

ment-I am at loss to know


But this is taking counsel Of our
fears, which no honorable man
should ever do. No danger and
no punishment should ever induce
him to degrade himself, or to do g
dishonorable act. He should rath.
cr meet the consequences, be those
consequences what they may-the
dungeon or death.


Itreally seems that the Southern
people have been so borne down
with trouble, oppression, tyranny
and starvation, that their minds,
as we'll as their principles, are un-
settled. A lady remarked to me,
the other day, that it seemed to
her t"the spirit Of the men was
crushed out" When [ hear it
gravely proposed to abandon our
friends at the North and form new
associations, I begin to think that
rot only all spirit, but all principle
and all sense, have been crushed
out of us, The Democratic party
North have always been the allies
of the South, from the origin of
our Government. They have, since
the war, as they did before the
war, made sacrifices Of their popu-
larity and their political honors
in defending the South. They
have fought our battles, in Con-
gress and out Of Congress, with a
spirit and devotion to principle
worthy of a band of martyrs. A
few thousand votes will put this
party in power all over the North,
and those votes they are daily ac-
curing. Then the Southern States
will all be restored to the Union,
with their constitutional rights
unimpaired. Just at this time,
when this death struggle is going
on for our rights and honor, and
we see our friends and allies about
to gain the victory, we are advised
to withdraw from them, with a
parting stab under the left rib,
and seek new associations! Daniel
Webster once said to Mr.. Calhoun,
in debate, that his (Calhoun's)idea
of checking an ally in battle would
have been something new in tao
tics to the Great Frederick l
think the idea Of abandoning an
ally in battle, and going over to
the enemy, is something in strate-
gy bolder tlan the idea advanced
by Mr.. Calhoun. It belongs to
the school of Benedict Arnold.


In short time, the registering
of voters will commence. No one
should decline to register. Itmat-
ters not how much he may be dis
gusted with politics, or how much
be is opposed to negro suffrage
and a Convention. Let him regis
ter in selfdefence, whether he in
tends to vote in this election or
not; he may wish to vote in some
future election this he cannot do
unless he now registers. 1t is at
all times unwise to relinquish a
right. though you may never cx-
pect to exercise it. No man would
like for the Government to dis
franchise him, and he should not:
therefore, disfranchise himself: A
mans opinion often changes. l
only advise him to be in a con-
dition to crafty his wishes. There
is a story of an old man who never
had been out of his town, and
never wished or expected to so
out. The king ordered that he
should not leave, and he then be-


came dissatisfied and wished to
leave the city. Let those who
refuse to register take care that
they do not find themselves in the
condition of this old man.


Having registered, it becomes
the duty Of every good man to
vote, whether he is opposed or in
favor ola Convention. Ifthe Con-
vention is to assemble, every citi-
zen is deeply interested in having
it composed Of good men,. They
who are opposed to the eaHof a
Convention arc as much bound to
vote for the candidates as those
who are in favor Of calling the
Convention. If the selection Of
candidates is left 10 the negroes
and bad white men, all may be
disfranchised who have been in
Confederate army. Ifthe selection
is left to the negroes, they may
declare in Convention all white
persons disfranchised. We must
not permit the government of the
State to fall into unworthy hands,
if we can possibly prevent it. Look
at the State ofTennessee and see
the deplorable condition of the
people there-a negro regiment,
under Governor Brownlow, COM
mitting all sorts Of depredations
on the property and persons Of
the peaceable inhabitants of the
State; Gov. Brownlow himself de-
claring whole counties disfran-
cbised. This sad condition Of af-
fairs was the consequence of the
good citizens refusing to have
anything to do with the first elec-
tions which took place in Tennes


see after the close Of the war. No
matter how much you may loathe