Year: 1874

HUN. 1h6J MAN ON Il He


The Passage of the Civil Rights


Bill Certain to be the Destruc-


ton of the Republican Party in


the SOuth-The Measure Fatal


to the Public School System


Determined Opposition of the


Whites-The Bin not Necessary


to the Protection of the Negro


Patriotic Considerations In


vOIved.


SIR: It seems to me fitting time to
reply to the open letter which you did
me the honor to write me, published in
the Tribune of the 18th of last month, on
the subject of the Civil Rights bill.
And desire to reply. to your letter
through the same widely circulated
| journal which you make the medium of
communication with me.


1t is just two weeks since one of the
most exciting and memorable elections
was held in this State of which there is
any record since the days Of Andrew
Jackson Though it was the least inn
portant of all our elections being con-
test for county officers larger vote
was polled than there was in the last
election for President, members of Con-
gress, Governor of the State, and mem
bers of the State Legislature. AS might
be anticipated, so exciting a contest in a
Southern State upon such an issue has
been attended with riots and bloodshed,
and the killing and wounding of many
men. The result of the election is the
overwhelming defeat of the Republican
party, a defeat from which the party
cannot recover within the next' five
years, and from which it will not prOba-
bly, recover during the lifetime of the
present generation. AS sample of the
revolution which has taken place, l will
mention that in the county in which |
reside, where we had ], 900 Republican
majority, the Democracy have elected
their ticket by roo majority. In Shelby
county, where the Republican ticket
was triumphant at an election a year
ago by about 900 majority, the Demo
cratic ticket was recently elected by
about 1000 majority. Thousands of ex-
Union soldiers, who never before or
since the war voted other than a Repub-
lican ticket, went to the polls vehement
ly ,cursing the Republican majority in
Congress, and deposited their ballots for
original Secessionists againss their com
rades in the Union army, swearing as
they did so, that they would never again
vote with party which supported the
co-education of the races.


In some leading journals of the North
I have seen rejoicing over the result of
the election in Tennessee as a cOndem-
nation of President Grant and his Ad-
ministration Nothing can be further
from the truth President Grant is
more popular in Tennessee to-day than
he has ever been. The sole issue in our
election was the Civil Rights Bill. And
the letter you wrote me, in view of the
election since held, is prophetic. You
say, writing on June 20, the tendency
of this measure twill be to unite the
great body, perhaps / should say, all of
the white race of that section in pOliti
cal action against the coiored race and
in such contest the former are certain
to obtain the ascendcncy unless South
Carolina be an exception" Mississippi
may be added to South Carolina as sus-
tanning the Republican party if Congress
shall pass this bill. but in no other
Southern State, with this bill adopted,
will the Republican party have any
chance of success With this load of
mixed schools to carry, the only result
of an election in Tennessee will be to
take the census of the white and black
voters, and as there are only 49, 900 col
| ored to 240, 900 white voters, it does not
require much genius for mathematics, TO
to show that the Republican party is
doomed inathis State and the South


1t is no lopgera question as to wheth-
er we viii have mixed schools in the
Southern States where the whites have
the majority. The elections already
held show that to be as impossible as it
is for the distinguished editor of Harp-
er.s Weekly who assails yourand myposi-
ton, to be made Popelof Rome unless
the National Government shall do it by
force of arms The North has the pow
er to do this by passing Mr.. Hear's bill
for compulsory education; but TO do
so it will be necessary to station Federal
troops in every county of the border
States. have been, written to by a
large number of persons in different
Northern States who desire 10 settle in
Tennessee, to know the effect of the
passage of the Civil Rights Bill on our
school system. These writers tell me
they will not settle in State where
there is no system of free public instrue-
tion. / tell my correspondents that the
white people of Tennessee are very anX-
ious for immigration. They feel that
their State is languishing for the want
of it; that it can never be truly prosper-
Gus, and have its vast resources develop
ed without it.; that is an earnest of their
desire for immigration, they have estab-
lished as liberal system of, free public
instruction as any Middle, Western or
New England State, and perhaps more
liberal system in view of their straitened
financial condition. That under the con-
stitution and laws of Tennessee, the ne
gro is not Disseminated against, that
he has a fair divide, pro rGta share
of the school fund, though he does not
pay one mill on the dollar of the taxes
assessed for the support of free schools.
But, through the Tribune, viii frankly
say to my numerous correspondents,
that they might better not come to Ten
nessee until it is settled whether Con
gress viii pass this bill for the co-educa-
ton of the races, for the preseut genera
ton of Tennessecans will abolish the
whole system, and be deprived Of all
the benefits of immigration and the de-
velopment of their resources sooner than