Year: 1868

that the people are without pro-
ton, i'm this regard, against the
corrupt pratices or arbitrary action of
the Register To render this very
slight and evasfve restraint on the
conduct of this official utterly inefii-
cient for these curity of the people, the
Legislature has ordered that the
counsel fees and costs of suit iuctfrred
by him in defending any prosecution,
penal or civil, instituted against him
for a violation of the rights of the cit
izen in the performance of his official
duty, to be paid out of the public
treasury, thus taxing the people to
pay the expenses of their oppressors
incurred in the preparation of the
wrong. When ii Is remembered that
the Taxpayers of the State are those
opposed to the faction in power, and
consequently those against whom the
/ Commissioners of Registration would
be most likely to perpetrate and do in
fact work injustice, the vice and ty-
ranny of this legislation must at once
become apparent. In effect it COM
pels freemen to pay for the chains
with which they are to be bound.


Additional impunity is secured to
these servants of the Executive by q
statute which enables them to exclude
from the jury-box, by challenge for
cause, any one who is not q voter
| Thus is rendered certain i'm every trial
an available partisan influence ciI the
panel in behalf of the tra;isgressing
Register.


A TYRANNICAL EXECUTIVE.


On the other hand, the authorities
controlling the State have not left in
terests to the hazard of even the acci4
dental or occasional honesty of these
officers. The power has been reserv-
ed to the Executive to declare by
simple proclamation the registration
of any county void, and to remove, at
his sovereign will, any Register that
may excite his suspicion or incur his
displeasure. Thus has been reposed
in the Executive Department of the
government the entire control of the
ballot-boX, and to that end he exerci-
ses judicial and executive functions:
judicial to divest, and that too with
out trial, freemen of privileges duly
acquired; executive to inflict his own
sentence of divesture, in violation of
all principles of free government;
against all precedents known to
American law, and i'm utter disregard
of the provisions of the Constitution.
This arbitrary power has been exer-
cised by the present EXECUTIVE often,
and always redounding th the advan-
tages Of the faction supporting him
and his policy. In this state of the
case where is there foothold for
those who would lift from earth the
PROSTATE form of liberty and ami
mate her fainting spirit.


We are, therefore, compelled to an
nounce to this convention that re-
publican government, as understood
by Americans, no longer exists in the
State of Tennessee; that freedom OF
elections, the chief monument of
English and American liberty, has
perished; that freemen may there be
disseized of priceless privileges with
out the judgement of theirpeers now,
and otherwise than by the laws of the
land, and that the order of Warsaw
reigns throughout her borders.


THE STATE CONTROLLED BY VA


GRANT HUNS.


The evil effects of this oppressive
policy are already plainly manifest in
the material condition of the State,
and alpa5ly visible on the surface OF
society. We will briefly advert to
them.


The great body of the whites, feel
ing that they are victims of Oppres-
sion; that are unjustly deprived ofany
share in the government; that they
are in all respects fitted by Intelligence
to participate i'm affairs of State, and
remembering that the political priv
ileges of which they have been de-
prived constituted part of their
birthright, are discontcnted, and ap-
prehcnd still greater calamities and
Outrages. They recognize that at
present they are secure neither in
theirpropertics norliberties. Stripped
of suffrage they cannot defend these
at the ballOt-box. Their foes among
the whites and the negroes granted
by the States the privilege of being
armed, while the same Is denied to
them, deprive them of that sense of
security which ever resides with
physical power, and places them un-
der u constant menance from the vic
ious and depraved elements of socie-
ty. So long as republican forms are
I preferred on this continent, no Amer
lean State can have any assurance of
peace or prosperity unless the ballot
Is free to the white American citizen.
The Inherent vigor and imperial quail
tiles of the white race will be content
with nothing less Until they shall
agree to accept other political institu-
tions. 1t is of the utmost Importance
to every free State that those who
are the most intelligent, have the
largest stake in social order, and
possess property, or are interested in
property by the hope of accumulation
through steady industry, should par
ticipate in the government. But i'm
our unfortunate Commonwealth this
Is the very class which is. excluded
from the management ofaflairs. The
people are thus deprived in public
business of the efficient capacity of
their best citizens. Their affairs are
consequently in the hands of incapa-
bic men, too, often entirely controlled
by those who are mere adventures,
compcd in their midst like yagrant
Huns for the purpose of present plum
der, In whose fidelity to their interests
and integrity they have not the
slightest confidence, and To whom the
language of Col. Barre, used i'm the
British Parliament 10 describe n sim
liar class that infested the American
colonies, may not inappropriately be
applied, when he spoke of the Colo
nial officers as linen sent To spy out
their liberties, to misrepresent their
actions, and 10 prey upon them; men
whose behavior on many occasions
has caused the blood of those Sons Of
liberty TO recoil within them.n Yet
il would not bc strict justice not to ad-
NIT some honorable exceptions to
this rule. But these exceptions serve
to modify only to a very limited ex-