M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1863-07-09
Letter from the Hon. Emerson

| NlliAouH VI Mtlupnlss lennfSSees
Mr.. Ethridge, Clerk of the House
of Representatives, and for severa
terms member of Congress from Ten,
nessee, having been invited to Join in
a public celebration ofthe anniversary
of the surrender Of Memphis to the
Federal Arms, replies in the follow
ing able and interesting letter. Itc
just sarcasm upon the President fol
ibis broken vows and maladministra
ton Of office is very striking, Mr.
Ethridge was made the Clerk of the
Republican House Of Representatives
in July, 1861. lie had laborod hard
to keep Tennessee in the Union, anG
in 1862, visited his State, where he
was instrumental in bringing hund.
reds into the Union army, and per.
suading thousands to take the oath
OF allegiance
WAsurSoTOS, D. c., May 10, 1863.
GENTLEMEN | have just received
your letter Of the 7th inst, inviting
me, in behalf OF tho Washington
Union Club, of Memphis, to join in
a public celebration of tho anriver
sary Of the surrender OF that city to
the Federal arms. You also speak
Kindly Of my past efforts to induce
the people Of West Tennessee to con.
sent chcerfully to the restoration of
tie national authority throughout the
South"
If | believed that by meeting you
on the occasion referred to, | could
be OF service to a single honest, law
abiding citizen, or truly repentant
rebel, or that | could contribute, to
the least extent, in ending the war
land restoring the blessings Of peace
under the Constitution, | would Ger.
tainly attend. But have no such
faith in myself, and therefore shall
notgo.
10 your letter you express the opin.
ion that by direct personal appeal'
| might encourage the loyal aud
reclaim the disloyal.". | confess my
establishment at such a statement ;
and | can attribute this opinion Of
yours to nothing but failure on your
part to comprehend that mastery pol
icy OF our great and good President
and the wise statesmen who aid him
in shaping and directing the civil
policy Of the Government. When
you have fully studied and under.
stood the grand purposes of our most
God fearing and law abiding Presi.
dent; when you are more familiar
with the profound military strategy,
which, as "Commander-in. Chief OF
the Army and Navy Of the United
States" he is now displaying; and
when you further remember the as.
tOnishing success we have had in
recIaiming our misguided country.
men," and conquering our sway
ward sisters" | shall be amazed il
you continue to believe 1t necessary
TO "encourage the loyal" or "reclaim
the disloyal.." Why encourage the
loyall 2 Is it possible they need en-.
couragement in Memphis, where, for
nearly a year, you have been inside
the Federal lines Whore every
night tattoo is substituted "Hush
lny baby, don't you cry" and at
reville "llail Columbia" arouses the
people to a consciousness Of the great
security which is afforded to the prop.
erty Of the loyal people in Memphis
and "all the country round that (po.
liticaD Jordan" How can you or
encourage the loyal" when our
mstchless President, the late Con.
gress, his sage counselors, and his
peerless military subOrGinates, have
already done and promised all which
wisdom can suggest, which our sacred
Constitution authorizes, and which the
Christian religion tolerates and ap
proves 7 There remains nothing lol
us TO do, unless it is to obey our in,
comparable President in all his wise
measures to conquer glorious peace,
True, we have among us croakers
and Copperheads - silly, brainlest
men--who are so unwise and unpa
triotie as to question tho wisdom O
our indefatigable President. Ii yor
have any such in Memphis, yol
should at once denounce them as il
sympathy with the rebels, you shoulc
send them to their friendsdow South
or to the Dry Tortugas, Which is un
derstood By many to be a place wher,
everybody, is tortured with thirst foi
rifle whiskey, and not drop can D,
obtained. No good Union man will
complain of the conduct Of the wis,
men who direct our public AFFAIRS
! They should be taught to remembe
the scandaLuna naagnatBm was form
erly high crime-it is a, most helm
ous offenSe now--and nothing savel
such copper. colored wretches but th,
Christian charity OF our most pioui
president. 'a t.a1. -l3r .ai.