Year: 1867

only ourselves in Office For my part
desire to see some competent colored men
in office and / am willing to surrender
my position to such an one, whenever the
majority, after fair contest, shall say II
is their wish TO have him. The majority
| shall rule in these matters. As to their
combining against the whites, when we
cease to talk about white men they Will
cease TO talk about black men-When
we disband the white mans party, they
will disband the black mans party. But
80 long as We hold them at arms length,
combine against them, discriminate against
them and oppress them, just so long We
may expect like action on their part against
us. The danger is that if We refuse TO pass
this bill they will combine for self-protee-
ton. And | beg gentlemen to remember
there are are already full many men in this
State smarting under determinations,
which, however Just, are nevertheless
| odous and severe If we refuse to pass
| this bill we may drive these people,
| angered by sense of wrong and ingratiN
| tude, 10 a combination with those whom
we have been accustomed to regard as
common fass r


Again, il is urged that we have already
done enough for these people. | deny that
| We have done anything voluntarily for them;
what we have conceded 10 thom has been
| given as the traveller surrenders his purse
| to the highwayman who holds pistol TO
| his head-with fear and trembling, against
his will and to save his lifeA What We
| have given them we gave, not because as
| men and citizens they were entitled to
them, but selfshly and for our own r,nr-
poses-to protect, defend and save our
| selves-and much against the wish and
feeling of our hearts. He thus reviewed
the course of the last Legislature on the
| guesti ons of colored testimony and suffrage,
and said it Was only when they found
themselves settling beneath the waves of
out 20 these people, "Help lis, Cassius. or
| re sinkp


! Mr.. c. concluded as follows | shall re-
ioice TO see the day, sir, when the healer,
Time, shall have so smoothed away all the
asperities Of war, and shall 80 far have
eliminated the bitterness of civil strife that
the government of Tennessee, truly repub-
lican, may rest with equal weight and favor
on the willing shoulders of all her people,
the object of their grateful affection and
ltnforced allegiance. To that end | believe
it our duty as Senators to labor, and to-
ward that consummation | believe the
passage of this bill will greatly tend


Mr.. Fuscn said in substance In dis
cussing this question, shall address my
self to it as part of the constitution. The
convention which recognized the State,
believed it to be necessary in order to estab-


lish justice, insure tranquility and prevent
further rebellions, to limit the elective
franchise and delegate the power to effect
this object TO the Legislature, which should
next assemble after the ad ounment. Any


act done in accordance with the powers


delegated by that convention, is as valid


as though it had been done by the conven-


ton. Had it transcribed its authority and


used powers not expressly or implicitly


delegated, its action would have had no


binding force or effect. But we contend


that the white franchise act was but the


will of the convention, spoken through the


Legislature, and the Supreme Court of our


State has decided that the act is a part OF


the constitution. Until this decision il


annulled, it is the law of the land, and il


is our duty to obey it, regardless of ouI


personal feelings. In our opposition tc
this repeat, We are not moved by personal


consideration in favor or against the col


ored man. A question of this kind should


not be entertained when discussing a con,
stitutional question. If it is a part of the
constitution, it cannot be affected by legis


lative amendments, and can only be reached
, BY an amendment TO the constitu ton.