Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1865-11-25
From tie CHGa4fngt0al Constitutional Union.
THE ADMISSION or THE SOUTHERN
REaRERG nR CnNGHESS.


( From fae CHaahfngtonl Constitutional Union.
MEMBERS or CONGRESS.
I The great issue of the day is" Shat
! the Southern States be allowed a repre-
, santation in Congress or nOt2 The Rad
! ical,s and indeed most of the Republicans
! are determined 10 keep them out If they
!, can. They assign various preteXts fo
: I their refusal. among others q pretended
! fear that the Southern States, without
! arms, without nucleus, and utterly ex
hausted by a four years war, may fis'
! again in revolt. The absurdity OF thH
idea is so palpable-its nsincerity SC
patent, that il is deemed necessary 70 re-
inforee II by the pretense that these
states are going 10 make provision fol
their war scrip, Te-establish slavery, and
> call on the Government 10 fund the Con-
federate debt. No intelligent man Is
deceived by these pretenees. Every one
knows that the true secret of the opposl-
ton 10 their representation by the Radi-
Gals Is their dread that the political
power Of these States viii be thrown
against them. Admit the South, and
the Republicans would have TO carry the
entire North in order to accomplish
the election of President. New
York and one or two more States
added 10 the South would be slIi-
ficient to battle their organiza-
ton. If they could look South and
count on a fair share Of support they
would have much less objection 10 the
admission of her members. We see
nearly every day whining appeals TO lhe
South 10 unite her sympathies with the
I Republicans-ave even with the Radicals
thefnselves-and TO east OFF the Democ-
racy who have stood by her rights on so
many occasions. We believe even the
; plea for negro suffrage IS a blind to cloak
[ their real feelings and purposes. The
I Republicans will oppose the admission OF
/ the Southern members, unless they can
have some assurance of their support;
otherwise, their admission is the pOliti-
| cal death Of their organization.
/ II is not merely ia reference to the
election Of a President, and the securing
Of a conservative majority IN the Two
Houses, that-the admission Of the South
ern members is vitality important. At
present the South occupies the position
Of conquered country. She Is under
military rule. The most trifiing matters I
Of contract between employer and labOrer /
are settled, not by a local or State court, /
but by some petty provost marshal or /
fanatical employee Of that magniii- !
cent agency for land stealing-the |
Freedmen's Bureau. There is no free /
dom of the press whatever. Any milf 4
tary officer may suppress newspaper; /
and these things not only may be, but |
have been done; though we believe 4
President johnson has cOntrived 10 let .
these gentry know that such proceedings /
are not acceptable TO him. At present 4
tile South has no voice in Congress. The
most injurious and oppressive measures
may be voted, and she cannot be heard
i'm her own defense against the foulest
wrong. Her protection lies in the Presi-
dent, and in the Democratic party; but
votes in the House Of Representa-
tives, and the veto Of the for
mer may by overborne. Meantime,
the war of denunciatiOn from the Re-
publican press goes on from day 20 day.
No artifice is left unemployed 20 bring
TO bear q pressure on President johnson
to swerve him from the path of duty,
and 10 make him the instrument Of sec
ti0Bal-aO, not sectioaal-but q base,
mean party revenge. But for his truly
Roman firmness, where would the
South-all suffering and bleeding as she
is-be to-day Literally torn to pieces
by the blOOdhOunds of the Radical fac
tion-given over prey 10 the tender
mercies Of Benjamin +. Butler and men
like him.
Now, what is the obvious moral Of all
this? Plainly, that the very first stepfoF
the South to gain peace and immunity
from this actual suffering and all this
menaced injustice, is to secure a repre-
5entatiou in the National Councils. We
know that too much praise cannot be
given to the Southern people for theman- {
iness and frankness with which they
have accepted the actual situation, and ]
given their adhesion 10 the policy
leemed necessary by President Johnson
in his work of reconstruction They
have Tepressed everything like guerrilla .
war and disorder. They have submitted
quietly to the Federal authority. With
much provOcation from the blacks, and
whites still more vile, they have /
endured insOlence, theft, spolisti0n, and
trusted TO time, the Government, and
the justice Of the nation, for relief and re-
lress. They have repealed their Ordi-t
lauces Of secession, and they universally (
discard the notion that secession can or
ought, ever hereafter, TO he employed as /
a remedy for real or surpassed injury.
They believe immediate emancipation 10
be a great evil 30 the black population, /
and they know that it his disereanized :
their whole social framework, and para
yZed industry. Nevertheless they have |
recognized the fact that slavery, as an
institution, is hlotted cut forever, and
anxious 10 give proof of their frank ac-
neptance Of the political situation and (
to remove all causes Of enhancement. (
they have abolished the institution i'm
their new Constitutions. In their clec-
,ions the chiefs and prominent men of the
Southern movement have stood aside, /
and the result is that we have, generally, /
men sent to Congress who declare that
they can take the cath, or if not, are
from their previous moderation, the least
Objectionable OF the Southern people to
the North at this time.
We think the Southern States have
done enough TO Justify their admission
into Congress, and We feel assured that l
.he Democratic party viii henceforth !
res0lutely insist upon their right oI
until It shall be fully and
fairly established. In his anxiety 10 /
secure the admission " these States and
to prevent all excuse for factiOus OppOsi-
ton, President johnson has gone on TO
suggest other measures a. proper for
mean the repudiatiOn of
the State war debts and the ratification ,
Of the Constitutional amendment. We I
hold that tine advice of President John
son on this head ought to have great
weight with the Southern people. He ]
has shown himself their friend. He
is anxious to restore the South to the
Union and TO representation with ali
her manhood IA noble sentiment re- ]
corded by a radical i'm his condemnation,
but which viii rebound forever to his
honor on the page of history. As to tine
debt, whatever be the senseof the South
ern States a. 10 the duty Of paying it,
they cannot realize that they cannot act
on this matter rs free agents. Over
whelmed in arms blythe North, aud help
less before the power OF that section, if
the latter refuses to permit them to pay
that debt, how can they be blamed for
declining to make provision for it? We
are aware that they are sensitive on
this point, Lut this tact, that the North
will not permit payment, would be
sufficient plea for avoiding any debt,
whether legally or morally binding or
not. There j. another view which should
reconcile them to this course. They are
not now able to pay even their old debts
contracted before the war, and vet these I
undoubtedly nave a priority. As to she
ratification OF the Constitutional Amend I
ment their action is purely formal The
adoption Of this amendment is secured
BY the late result in New jersey, and
without it and before il slavery was for
ever eXtinguished. Their ratification Of
the amendment can do no possible harm,
but Il ;,isy 30 much good by strengthen
ing the hands ofthe President, who earn
estly desires TO see them regain all their
Constitutional rights. Tho Northern
Democracy DO not require this step on
the part Of the South, but it is obvious
that they would be greatly helped by
il in the struggle which thrT aIe now
making 10 SECURE peace TO The country
aRd the just rights Of every section upon
the basis Of the Federal Constitution. In