Year: 1867

anu leoo Ine second law dlsfFan chlged nobody thai


the first did not but simply gave the ballot to tht
It's own enforcement the rebels, account Of the
absence OF this machinery having in the election OF
1885, utterly disregarded the first law and trampled
il under foot


REORGANIZATION.


Again il was said that the number of legal voter,
was cut dowE by successive registration in different
counties. The facts are simply these Under the
law Of 1855, the rebels. by the use of violence in.
tmldatlon, fo1ce and fraud had completely vitiated
the registry ts in several counties introducing up
on them the nssnes Of thousands Of persons who BY
the laws Of the State were not entitled to vote al
all The Legislature of 1866 perceiving ibis state
of affairs, gate the Governor full power in cases
where he should deem it necessary TO order a new
registration. This power was used cautiously and
spaElngly. There was new registration in several
counties but the effect of it was, not to withhold
the ballot frofa any legal voter, but simply to take


1t from the hands of those whose use of il was un-
der the laws of tie State, fraud and crime I
emphetically assert .hst these new registrations
were perfectly just and right that they were made
IN strict accordance with law; and that thev did
voter in the State.


have thus enumerated the Democratic fslsehoods
which were circulated concerning the Union party
Of Tennessee previous to the election and much to
the modification and Encouragement of that party,
were repeated and believed by some Union men
Il North.


GENERAL QUIET ON ELECTION DAT.


Under these circumstances, the election of Thurs
day last took place. The only troops in the entire
State were the ZOO militia have spoken of ard
perhaps full regiment of United States soldiers


Except in few cases where the rebel soldiers band
ed themselves together and drove the negroes from
the polls, there was the most perfect order In one
instance at least detachment of loyal militia suf
fered itself TO be driven away by regularly organ
lied rebel soldiers rather than violate what they
deemed tae spirit of their orders, which were to
make every possible exertion TO avoid collision. At
all the points where these outFages took place.
principally in West Tennessee the conservative
party is strongly in the ascendaHcy, and the adult
male population served with scarcely exception,
in the rebel army, proving conclusively that De-
mocracy is to-day exactly what it always was-3is-
order lawlessness and anarchy while Unionism is
I.order, harmony and peace. It proves, too, how
false is the idea that has crept into the minds Of
some coed men, namely, that those in the South
| who fought in the rebel army more worthy of
trust and confidence than other classes there. The
truth is, that neither the Government, the Union
men nor the freedmen, have much to fear save from
the degraded and brutal sodiery of the rebel army
| and these should under no pretence ever again be
permitted to control or influence the destinies Of
| American State.


CONDUCT OF THE coLORED VOTERS.


But the most extraordinary spectacle connected
with this election the phenomenon which the states





study with increasing wonder, was the conduct of
the colored men. That a race so long down-trod-
den, humiiated, plundsred, outraged and enslaved,
should be suddenly elevated to g political equality
with their former masters, and should at the very
first election following their enfranchisement exer-
! else the highest privilege of American citizens
without the slightest outbreak violence or disorder
! was not only contrary TO all the predictions made
| by Of all classes and parties throughout the
country, but was absolutely opposed to of the
most widey-recsived ideas of human nature Yet
| such was precisely the case.


| ! SCENES AROUND THE POLLS AT NASHVILLE
| was in this city on the day of the election, and
visited in succession each of the places where voting
was going on. The colored people had bean advised
by their friends TO vote early as possible and at
about nine o'clock they were out in full force They
were dressed in their best clothes, dressed WE'LL
| in fact as the white gentlemen around them, but
they evidently looked upon the affair neither as an
idle pastime nor holiday. It was, with them
deeply significant ard solemn occasion, when they
were called upon to prove their title to citizenship
manhood on the fold OF Dattle. Tormlng IN col
unn, with their certificates and tickets in hand,
sReJ scratched solidly for some distance from the
came up, made no attempt to precede or crowd
those who arrived earlier but quietly took his place
in the of the column, and patiently awaited his
turn. Some of thtm remained thus for three hours
ia the burning sun, advancing inch by zach toward
DOX, INTO WINCH fell their quiet but
potent ballots. There was no boisterousness among
them; no loud talking; scarce Whisper each
countenance looked grave as death; it was, indeed
for them, solemn task for they acting in de-
fance of those who had threatened them with pro-
scription and starvation in case they persevered
and all around them they saw the scowls and frowns
of those who had the power, at least for time to
throw then. out of employment and deprive theaI
wives and children of bread. But still those solid
columns, holding in their hands what were at once
the evidences Of their freedom and the instruments
| wherewith TO perpetuate it, moved slowly deter
minedly unitedly, sublimely On. AS stood and
watched them, could, in my minds eye, perceive
the rebel Democracy going down before them as
more than two years ago saw the veterans of Hood
routed by the onset of the black brgades along the
summit of Overton Hill.


STRIKING AND WONDERFUL CONTRAST


The day after the election one of the Democratic
organs of Nashville drew picture Of tall old gen
/ tleman, who had held various Offices up to the
highest in Tennessee, and, had represented the
! try as Ambassador at foreign Court, standing
4 the sidewalk the morning of election, looking
disconsolatey across the street. watching the pro-
cess of voting, himself dsfranehised, while the
freedmen were pressing forward in scores TO the
ballOt-box 1t was, indeed, an instructive specta-
Gle; but it teaches different lesson from that which
the Democratic organ seeks to incucate


That tall slender gray-haired man (although the
organ does not mention his name) was ev-Gov. Neil
s. Brown. His history had been exactly what the
Etheridge journal indicates He had, before the
war, grown old in the enjoyment of offices and hon
ors, which the State and nation had bestowed upon
| aim. No man than he better understood the aims
Of the traitors who seeking to disrupt the gov
ernment; no man knew better how TO expose the
fallRcy of their arguments. In the preliminary dis
cussions preceding the rebellion, he tore in shreds
their frivolous pretexts, and exhibited to all the
people in lofty speech the justice of the Union
cause. But when the hour of trial came; when the
troops of JEFF Davis were called in from Mississippi
TO carry out the aceursed compact entered into with
Isham g. Harris for forcing Tennessee into the foul
| arms Of the Southern Confederaey; when the Union
people were stretching out their hands imploringly
10 their leaders and begging them so stsEd firm,
it was then that Neil S. Brown fell off, went over
with all his influence 20 the enemies of the Repub-
lie gave them the whole weight Of his name and
active support leaving the poor loyalists, who had
hitherto con6ded in him and looked up to him for
council and advice in state of utter confusion, de-
| morslzation and dismay. Perhaps no man did
more harm 10 the national cause in Tennessee, or
gave more encouragement to the cause Of treason,
| than this same Neil S. Brown.


] At the very moment that be stood leaning against
a building on the morning Of the election in Nash
vile, gazing at the solid column Of colored voters
advancing 10 the ballot-box to vote for freedom
there was amongst them who in the battle OF
Nashville hsd lost his right leg, and was hobbling
on q wooden crutch TO exercise his privilege
Over the way was Brown, who, when the nation
called out in agony 70 its friends for succor, threw
himself upon the opposite side; amongst the voters
was the poor negro who, when called upon to fight
for the country, gladly enlisted under its banner,
and shed his blood in its defense The one had en-
loved the honors of lifetime in the generous land
that gave him birth, and when the Arst crisis
deserted her and joined her foes the other although
he had received from his Government hitherto only
slavery outrage and wrong joined its armies at the
arst call, and sheuldered muskss in its defense
The one bad given his time his talents his
wealth his Influence his eloqUence TO support
the traitors cause the other had given his services
his blood his limb had freely offered up his life,
II necessary 70 save the nation from death. Which,
O my eouiltrymen, now that through years Of un-
told agony and woe We have overthrown this bloody
-