Year: 1868

" WI OHsGit -AAs + VNNI ale-A @aatf " say
upon the franchise:


Need I mention the well known fact
(ia proof OF which I have In my hands
very high Senatorial testimony, that
rssrs than three years ago Gen, Grant


vowed himself in favor of universal


srauesty and universal suffrage, and is
confidently believed never to have since


iisavowed his past declaration on the
subject? Is it not now even more than
limited that universal suffrage Including
universal amnesty Is to be one Of the
leading measures Of the incoming adj
ministration Nay, do We not learn
that the Federal Constitution is to be
amended in regard 10 this irritating and
periious question, even before the 4ah OF
March, so ss effectuaIly to prevent its be-
coming q rock OF offenss" in the way
OF Gen. Grant and bis Cabinet advisers,
and q fertile source of irritation and en-
hrofln1eut between the Executive and
legislative Departments of the Govern
meat? And will not the adoption OF
chs policy give peace, assured and per-
msnent peace, to the whole repuDlic2
Would not lis adoption have secured
peace just as certainly three years ago,
WHEN several individuals SO strongly
urged il upon the public attention ? Is
10 ElCE aJ AE1EL 0OfE UBF1Jl8 t1dS AAAlh 40
the true and only sure preventive of f1-
tIsse sectional conflict q? Is it not also the
only reliable preventive 70 that WsT of
races, SO much dreaded at one time by
certain fsneifal persons, but of which
there never was, in point Of fact, the
smallest danger save that which might
be menac ID by the continued existence
OF legal inequality between these races
the pIenteous source of political irritation
and strife, as many nations, ancient and
modern, have SO faithfully proved


Now, let me ask, il Gen. Grant shall
favor this policy, should we oppose him
on that account? Are we not bound to
sustain him for that reason2 Can any
man be stupid enough in the South, with
the extraordinary light that experience
has lately afforded US, to doubt that uni
versal suffrage is the only policy which
will ever secure the restoration Of civil
rights TO those who are now di5frRn-
chised? Has it not been recently proved
to US most coneluEively, that there Is
really no necessary antagonism Of races
in the South, IL wise and polite course
OF Cancellation shall be adopted? ven
ture to predict that the time will yet
come IN the South, and come speedily,
when we shall be known as the most
BCOB1D eat4S LA-O sun "a ASNf-
en- ever shOne upon, in spite of ali the
selfish and malignant efforts to set the
two races in our midst in unnatural con-
fict with each other, alike in opposition
to the principles of sound policy and of
true humanity.


[ venture, in conclusion, to predict,
that in less than twelve months from the
present time, nine-te1ths OF the entire
pcpulation Of Tennessee, and the whole
BODY of those now disiranchised, will be
warmly sustaining the administration Of
Gen. Grant, upon the sound constitution
al principles which ne will announce in
his inaugural while none but unprinci-
pied factionists anywhere will be seen
opposing him, And If this is probable,
let me emphatic ally ask, why are the
sccursed chains of Acknowledgement to
be kept upon our free limbs any longer
Is it not indubitablY true that the Re-
publican party of Tennessee are not at
all in harmony with the members Of
that party elseWhere2 Who can read
the letter of Mr. Fowler and not plainly
perceive that the longer continuance Of
Acknowledgement here must operate as
source of serious embarrassment to
the new administration shortly to come
into power, and that it is the duty of all
us LEuS lI1euus1 anu t1S tEAonuS Cl pcaCcf
to put &c end to it without further deisy2
Shall the sucee. OF the Republican party
itself, and the reposa and prosperity of
this State be further sacrificed to crafty
the insane ambition OF q few unscTupu.
lous monopoiizsrs CT office l invoke
the Legislature of Tennessee; I invoke
them respectfully but earnestly, to save
the State from further turmoil to save
our people from further contention; to
relieve our eighty thousand disfranchised
citizsDs from cruel oppression TO bind
up all the ghastly and bleeding wounds
in the body polite, and become recon
ciled to their long-Euffering fellow
citizens, who, despite all the injuries and
insults Of the past, are ready 10 extend
to them true Christian forgiveness. So
mote it be


Other portions of this correspondence
was taken up with speculstions upon the
possible policy of Gen. Grant as Presi-
dent, for which we regret we could not
find room without interfering with our
usual variety of news matter.