Year: 1867




us is more important than any, except
perhaps one, which has ever arisen in the
history of our State. To glance only at
the past, our people remember, what is not
fully appreciated by the outside world,
how ardently they we're devoted to the
Union and the constitution and under
what circumstances Of revolutionary con-
fusion they we're led and forced into the
late unhappy rebellion. With little as
surance of protection rom the general gov
eminent, and overwhelmed by the power
Of a revolution originating in more South
ern States, the State Of Tennessee yielded
late, and only in part, and that after strong
resistance, to the dominion Of a govern
msnt which successfully excluded the
power Of the Union, and held undivided
sway over the entire commonwealth from
the spring of 1851 to that of 1862, nearly
an entire year The power Of the general
government TO suppress the rebellion and
preserve the Union was during most of the
war doubted by even its friends; and its
success was regarded by its enemies and
by lookers-on as utterly improbable.


Under these circumstances the mass Of
our loyal people at first acquiesced in what
they considered inevitable; aad from this
by an easy step they were led into partici-
patton in, and synpathy with, the unfor-
tunate struggle The inevitable circum-
stances of civil war tended also to ALLEVIATE
the feelings Of the people from govern
ment whose army trayersed and destroyed
their country. This is the "great crime"
of which our people are held guilty, by
which Radicalism says they have ac-
quired the legal right to be hanged and the
divine right TO be damned" But we
know, ellow-citizens, that though many
Of you fought gailantly, with naked, bleed
ing feet, and unclsd, shivering limbs, in the
service Of a cause which you had learned
to regard as holy; yet, when overpowered
by numbers and subdued by want, you laid
down your arms and returned penniless to
your desolated and impoverished homes,
you surrendered in good faith. You were
ready to return TO your allegiance to the
government Of the Union. You have since
acted in good faith. A more quiet and
orderly people, at the end of long and
civil war, was never seen on the face of the
earth. You have been met in bad faith
Your Acknowledgement has been made more
and more absolute. The law of disfranchise


ment in this State has been made the most
infamous that ever disgracej a statute book
in America, as toward you who participated
in the rebellion, aud all who ever sympa-
thized with You. And yet, in the admin
istratien Of that law the law itself is daily
violated, and its provisions wrested to your
disparsgement, and to defeat your few re-
mainingrights under its provisions.


We say this, fellow-citizens of Tennes-
see, not to discourage you. We would
arouse you TO one more ehort-the first
effort which you have had the opportunity
to make-to regain your lost liberties.
Under the first franchise law which the
Radical minority passed, they were beaten,
though the Radical party carried at that
time not a 1.-THE Of the infamy on their
shoulders which now bears them down.
The passed another; but under it found
their success but partial and unreliable,
auguring certain defeat in the future. A
third infauly was enacted, by which they
hope to succeed. Is their success certain
under this new law Why should you
think there IL no chance This new law is
but an experiment-an untried expert
ment. Fearing themselves that it would
not succeed, the Radicals passed another
and fourth act of infamy, more bare~faced
than any which had preceded it. The
Legislature assumed to perform the judi
cial function of declaring void the regis
tration of the single county Of Davidson
the registration heretofore had, under the
franchise law passed June 3, 1866" 80 that
the work might be done again by an ap-
pointee of Brownlow. Another section Of
the bill extends the provisions of this
act to any other county in the State, ETC.,
at the discretion of the Governor This
act Of infamy confers no power on the
Governor to set aside any registration any
where but such as had been had before
the passage of the act, and under
the law Of May Sd, 1866 but no con-
sideration of conscience or of law will
deter the incumbent of the State
capitol from doing an unlawful thing The
power Is seemingly placed in his hands to
enforce his naked will as law; but we are
not discouraged for all this. Brownlow
cannot, with all this machinery of tyranny
in his hands, hold and keep in meek SUBJ
lection the will of a million of free people.
Ii YOU viii arouse to the contest, and go
forth to shake yourselves, the chords which
bind your limbs will be parted asunder "as
thread Of tow is broken when i toutcheth
the FIRE" You can win this contest if you
will arouseto work. Our people have been
long used to be free, and when they awake
from the slumber into which their wearied
energies have fallen, the clamor of their
Indignation will be like the voice of many
waters. The danger is, fellow-citizens,
that you will too long delay your
action, and then your vengeance will
not stop short of unlawful excess.
For less tyranny than this We see have
kings lost their heads. But we would
have your energies tempered with modera-
ton. We feel no fear from the Wanting
threats of military or militia coercion
daily thrown out by pitiful pol
troons, who judge your nature by their
own cowardly instincts. The government
Of the nation is not going to interfere to re-
strain the lawful efforts Of people to re-
gain their freedom. The people Of Ten


nessee, for the sake Of peace, have nov


placed themselves upon the broad platform


OF universal suffrage and universal equality