Year: 1865




CLEvEL1ED, TESS., Oct q, 1855.


In your issue Of yesterday, under tn,


heading Of President johnson and Negr,
Testimony" you spoke OF the wishes and
policy Of the President in respect 20 allow.
ing negro 10 give evidence in the courts
&c., and then ask, SIS it not the best thing
they can do 10 respond favorably TO thS
wishes Of the President and sustain him in
his policy throughout ?"


This certainly is the main question, and
| 1t addresses itself to every man in Tennes-
see as well as other Southern States. But
| you 20 on 70 quote from the New York
/ World, apparently with approbation, long
article on the subject Of negro testimony,
i in which he says: 'sThe question Of negro
suffrage aud nagrO testimony have no more
to do with eacn other than the question OF
female sugrage and female testimony" II
it is intended to apply fhis statement of the
case TO our State, permit me to suggest that
the writer is in error, in the above state
ment, and that the reverse Of the PROPOSE
1 tion is true; that the question Of negro testi-
mony and negro suffrage are 50 near identi-
cal that under our constitution, il admitted
as a competent witness against a white man.
that Of itself makes the negro a voter.
The provis0 70 the lst section, 4th article
Of the Constitution says, "that mo person
shall be disqualified from voting 10 any
election on HccOunt of color who is now bv
the laws Of this State q competent witness
| in a court Of Justice againit a white man. Z"
1t may be insisted by many that this does
not refer to the present time, but is con-
hned in its operation to the data Of the
adoption Of the instrument, the words
"who is Hoi0 by the laws Of this State, !" &C,
being applicable to the date Of adoption Of
l L
put on it by those desiring TO give the negro
The voting privilege, and prefer not TO be
hoodwinked in any such way. Whatever
the negro Worshipers want, l prefer they
should ask for plainly, and no go round
about.


Give the negro the right to testify in the
courts against a white man and his friends
viii then say, "being noD competent
witness in a court Of justice against white
man, the negro shall not be disqualified
| from voting" Does not this look like be-
| ing admitted to the witness stand, carries
with it the voting privilege? I prefer,
| however, that his friends should not carry
eufy to the ballot box and the witness
stand, but come square up and give him
the voting privilege, squarely and fairly
without lodging the question. Let the
friends Of Sambo give him the elee-
I AAht 4Glllul1bs anu A4ao Nlt EA6Gih
to testify in the courts. and you
will then have the beautiful spectacle
of msjority Of the voting population of
the State (as the law in relation to whites
now stands) entitled to all the rights and
privileges Of citizenship, and not 3 subject
10 pay poll tax to support the government.
The lass clause Of the above section one, ar


ticle four Of the constitution expressly pro
vides that, "All free men Of color shall be
exempt from military duty in time Of peace,
and also from paying a free pell tax"
Thus you would be giving TO the negro pop
ulation Of the State, all the prerogatives Of
citizenship whilst by the constitution Of the
State he is graciously relieved of all the
burdens Of supporting that government.
In this way the soldier boys from East Ten
nesse would have to pay poll tax to support
the State Government, while negro who
never fought for the country, would have
equal privileges without the payment Of
poll tax. Some folks do not like white aris-
tOcracy, but this viii be a negro aristocraey,
aud may suit them to a dot. In this the
loyal white men viii support the govern
ment BY paying the taxes, but the negro
will graciously hold the Offices for US aud
pay no taxes. Perhaps Mr.. Arnell can get
to Congress on that string. III bet he
tries IT, EAST TENNEssEAN.