Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1859-03-23
RESOLUTIONS or THE DEMOCRAT
IC NTaTE CONTENTION.

The combined Whig-Know-Nothing press Of
Tennessee are evincing her deep distress at
the adoption Of 50 sound and mexceptionable
aplatform as that erected By the Democracy
in their late safe Convention, b. every mag
Unable plea and bubble andsemurer to preiu-
dice Il il the public mind. One takes his ex-
csptions upon the allegation that 1t proposes
70 sanction, in practice, what he saws the plat
fern itself ienounces as an demonstrations
currency. Now, no such denunciatiou can be
found n The platform. Il is true that the cur
rsncF ressladon sets out By declaring that if
was intended hy he trainers Of the C0nstitu-
ton thar geld ana silver should BE- " the legiti-
mate currency o. our people and winds up
BY pleaging the Democracy 10 maze as near
an approach TO a Constitutional currency = as
may Be wise and proper. This language
simply applies, what Is known 10 be true, that.
the Constitution rsoogaiscs no other currency
as q legal tender for debts, than gold and sl-
yer. Hence gold and silver have universally
been termed the constitutional euueucy
and tie Legitimate currency" ANY man,
who chooses, may demand gold and silver from
his debtor. and nav enforce his demand By the
strong arm OF the law. TIE Legislature may
not even interfere 70 ooerce the payment 81
debts IN The blls Of the best banks in he
Union. 50, what the Democratic platform OF
Tennessee asserts Is true, beyondsI doubt OF
quibble, that gold and silver are The c~tnstitu-
tionai currency, and the only legal tender
for debts. The opposition newspapers, who
are clubbing about the phraseology, would
stuldfy hemsslresT they were 10 deny Is
and there is not one which is conducted by a
man Of intelligence and sense, that wil deny it.
But II does net follow that a sound, reliable
and convertible bank currency is unooHsftu-
fiona, as thsy assert, thoagh such is the be-
Lief Of some wise statesmen. An uncoastitu-
tonsl act IS one that s r~iolafirc either Of the
spirit or letter az the Constitution. Now 10
make bank paper q illegal tender for debts
would be unconstt uional, because it would be
violadre Of an express constitutional pro
vision Eut e charter a bank, and leave 1t to
the option and discretion Of the citizen TO re-
ceive ct reject rs paper, Is not contrary to that
progisioa Of the Constitution which makes
gold and silver a [" legal TENDER and Is not
therefore u-nconsitudolsli IN the contemplation
of that language which makes gold and silver
. g constitutional currency" This PROPOSE
ton rs soplIn that it is unnecessary 10 en-
large upon Il And yet 50 withsred are lie
ideas and wlted The objections Of our oFPo-
sents to ae platform adopted al Nashville,
mar they are reduced 10 the necessity Of ate
lacking It upon the ground that it asserts a
tuuism, the correctness Of which it would
stulHfy them to deny and which they VIII not
deny
There are olher grounds OF objection, equally
as trivial and untenable IS this, which we pro-
pose to notice hereafter It is sufficient now
that we have SHOWN the fanacE and absudiy
If thu on maj --bs1h fh-- r-1-r7- ~a7- IN ]
catch the popular ear.