The mountain Democrat., 1863-08-15

the Citizens OF Memphis, Tennes-
see.
Mr. E;heridge, Clerk Of the House OF
Representatives, and for several terms
member of Congress from Tennessee, hav.
ing beeninvited to JOIN in public cele-
bration Of the anniversary of the surren-
der Of Memphis to the Federal arms, re-
plies in en- able and sarcastic letter. Its
! just sarcasm upon the President for his
broken VOWS and NAL administration of
office, is very whitening. Mr.. Etheridge
was made Clerk of the Republican House
Of Representatives in July, 1861. He had
labored hard to keep Tennessee in the
Union, aid in 1862 visited his State, whcTc
he was instrumental in bringing hundreds
into the Union army, and persuading
thousands of his friends 10 take the oath
Of allegiance.
WASHINGTON, D. c., May 1s, 1868.
GENTrE&EN: have Just received your
letter of the 9TH inst, inviting me, in be.
half of the Washington Union Club Of
Memphis, to join in public celebration
Of tue anniversary 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 cheerfully
consent TO 1.-The restoration Of the Ma
tionAl authority throughout the South"
! If | believed that by meeting you on
the occasion referred to, could be Of SER
vice to single honest, law abiding citizen
or truly repentant rebel, or that | could
contribute to the least extent in ending
the war and re9tor:ng the blessings Of
peace under the Constitution, Iwould cer-
talnly attend; but have no such faith in
myself, aud therefore shall not go.
In your letter you express :he opinion
that, by q direct personal appeal" |
might " encourage the loyal or reclaim the
di>ipya'.' confess my astonistmcnt at
such >tatcmcnt and can attribute this
opinion Of yours to nothing but failure
on your part to comprehend the ma>terly
policy {. our great aud good President
and the wise statesmen who aid him in
shaping aud directing the civil policy of
the Government. When yog have fully
studied and Understood the grand purpo-
Ses ct our most Goi.iCaring ard law abb
ding President; wh.n you are more FAM.
liar with the profound military strategy
Vii b, as CumHander.in.C Chief of I'll.
A,my aad Navy Of the United Stats " he
Is n"" displaying ani when you further
rentmbcr The astonishing success We have
bad in reClaimu. cur misguided coun.
tr! heH' AMI IN corqHeiiuE our "wal
wa;.i sisters" >'at DC amazed il vuu
cr't;uHr to believe it Necessary to cen.
nra.e H. ',,!al 5r l.claim the dl>ioyal.'
"hf .rcuaiaL: the .nyai. J. It o,>lble
they nCt! cncuuras s,mrnt ia Memphis,
when, ,.r u,1@iG Il yeaT, YOU have been
ln>t!r thr Federal lines; whoa eYcrI n;gn:
tltt,oI> substituted tor HASH nv bal =,
Io'.'t yru cry, AID al revtj.ic Hail Co
innhit ar"">cs the people Ia con>riGuS-
les # the great security which i>-atiurl-
II t" ne property Of the Iowa! pcotlc If
NJ wiiu> aud al th- c1Gutry sDuuI tA.t
4"II,Ap jordan How can voI or
/ "'rr'uta.' tJc i'yal," when our match.
.c>> P.t-i int. tiv late Congress, his sag
rou',vi!' - and ii. peerless mll.;ary >u.
hpiI.:.aic, have already done and prom.
led a. Nhjrh wl>dpm can suggest, which
cur sacred Constitution authorizes, anl
whi,h .he Christian religion tricratts or
'aiprtyc.; 1h,rc remains uutt4;rL FIR u
10 10. unless " lyv 10 obey our l"cunpara-
bic Pr. ;e5.', il all L;> wise measures t.
c"r4Icr glvri. Us ear". True, We have
among Us croal."r> anl Copper heads
silly, trainl, - mcu-Whu are 50 mnWl>c
aud uuphti7ltic as ~ question the Wl>dum
Of oar inivfatlsahr President. If you
nave a7y such in Memphis you should at
once dcn"uncc them as in sympathy with
the rehrl-; yon should send them to their
ii!cuG, "dlWn Sout!I' or to the Dry Tor
tueaS which is understood by many 10 be
r.ee whore everybody is tortured with
a thirst foT rifle whisky. aHd rot drop
can BE- obtained. No good Uuion ,nan can
complain of the cuntuct Of the wise men
Who diTcc: oar p4b!.c affairs. They should
be taught 10 remember that sruHdu(uM
magHatula was formerly hi.h crime
it IS most heinoua o,,lsc now AID TO,
thing saves sGch copper colored wrctcheS
but the Christian charity Of our most
pinul President.
At Your proposed meeting you should
so arrange matters as to secure 4 list uf all
who fail 70 attend or omit 10 render sui.
table apology, .ad YOU should adopt reso.
, iutions Of the NEST loyal" kind. Allow
/ me to suggest that :he committee on reSo-
, lutidnS- b selected from contractors and
Office holders. particularly suggest one
Cooper who has recently been appointed
/ Assessor for the large, rich and populouS
District of West Tennessee. He was ori-
I ginsIly from New York. True, he vas
never in West Tennessee until sent from
this city on his official errand but he no
doubt knows, by intuition, the true value
Of the goods and chattclS, lands and tene-
I ments, &C., OF a people he never knew and
a country in which he never lived But
he is so loyal-so much 50, that doubt
he is better fitted for the Office than any
one OF the native born sons, brothers or
! lathers of the thousands of soldiers whom,
before the 22l of last September, West
| Tennessee had furnished to the Federal
army.
Let the committee initiate the Loyal
! Leagues Of Baltimore and resolve that
! you not only approve all the present " Sc
| and patriotic Administration has done,
but that you will sustain and uphold it in
everything it may hereafter do For in
stance-the last Congress Un July, 1862
passed law to contiscate the property of
certain rebels. That Congress, though a
very wise body, did not possess as much
aggregate wisdom as our great and good
President. In proof of this, we need but
refer to the fact that the Congress afore-
said provided that, under this law, trial
shouln prccede conviction and forfeiture,
and that guilt should be proven, not pre-.
sumcd. Worse still, it offered an amnesty
TO rcPentant rebels it mer fully gave
them sixty days IN which to accept it; and
provided. farther, that our most noble
President might suspend for period the
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