Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-02-14

AM NLE Ak4 - ~ ~ = ~ ash
vile on the twenty-second instant. The
conservative citizens Of the ward, as well
as Others Of like sentiment throughout
the city, are invited to attend. We
refer our readers to the call in another
column.
SUFFRAGE IN TENNESSEE.
We are unwilling TO believe that the
General Assembly Of this noble old State,
viii abandon themselves 10 the narrow
and uroscribtive policy Of ARNELL and
his co-workers, in the matter Of suffrage.
That policy, palpably and confessedly
based upon the mean and paltry fear Of
the loss Of Office, is contrary to the spirit
Of the people of Tennessee; for, what
ever may be said of them, they have
never been a craven, or a narrowly self
ish people. From Kings Mountain in
the old, 10 the surrender of 10. JOHNSTON
in the late Revolution, they have
been a manly, a frank, a coura-
geOus and a direct people-seeking
10 attain their ends boldly, rather
than by indirectness and trickery. Their
political party contests have been, for a
quarter Of a century, the fiercest; but
they 'have eve been fearlessly above
board-each party relying upon the in
tellectual power of its leaders upon the
stump, and among the people, without a
thought-of REFRESHING or e%orrupting their
suffrage. A fair field and no favors,"
has ever been the motto Of Tennes-
seeans, in their political contests
and be who should have sought 10.
win by means and articles other than
that Of legitimate influences exerted
upon the minds Of the voters, would by
that very act, have forfeited whatever Of
favor he may have enjoyed.
Nor have they been less manly and
straightforward in this tremendous Civil
War. They have not been skulking neH-
trails, nor gvasive shirkers Of the respon-
sibilities Of their position. According to
their lights and their consciences, they
have borne arms on one side OF on the
other. Without the pressure Of conscrip-
ton, Tennessee contributed TO the Con-
federate army, a fraction less than one
hundred and twenty thousand men. and
without a draft, she swelled the host Of
defenders Of the Union thirty thousand.
There were no class exemptions among
her people, on one side or the other.
The conflict is ended. The passions
which provoked it, the convictions and
sentiments which sustained il. with q
constancy almost unparalleled in the
worlds history, have yielded to the de-
cision Of that tribunal which is the last
resort Of human controversies. The sons
Of Tennessee bore themselves manfully
and well; and whether viewed from one
stand point or theOther, she has no cause
to blush for her loss Of true manhood.
Can such a people wish, viii they ap-
prove, Of the meanness Of one side op-
pressing the other, simply because it has
the p0rsr 10 do so? So great a change
cannot have been wrought in them-it
is impossible they can have so far degen-
Grated in four years-as TO wish to take a
mean advantage Of each other. Don't
strike him when he'sdown - commands, /
yet, responsive approval from the de-
scendanJs Of the mea who, under CAMP
BELL and SHELBY, conquered the British
at Kings Mountain, and repealed them
under JACKSON al New Orleans. Itcan-
not be that she Is not Yet the Volunteer
State, imbued with all the generous and
chivalric characteristics which that
proud designation includes.
We adjure the General Assembly,
therefore, to do themselves the juatice to
review their action hitherto, and take
the sober second thought" as to what
viii be seemly in them to do, touching
the matter Of sufrage in Tennessee. We
adjUre them to think Of the si~ngularly in
consistent attitude they will present to
the world, if they leave disfranchised
men over whom the Federal Govern
ment has thrown the mantle Of oblivion
Of all past political offenses. II can
not be pretended that we have COM
mltted any crime against the State OF
Tennessee. II any have, let them be
tried and punished under the law they
have broken. Nor can it be pretended,
without the most ~egregious ignorance,
and an egotism in the State that would
make her supremacy ridiculous, that She
Is, in any degree, the guardian Of the
"loyalty" Of her citizens TO the Govern
ment Of the United States. That
would be an exaggeration Of the
doctrine Of Estate Sovereignty,
such as even YANCEY never
dreamed Of en~unciating. No-the strong
arm Of the Federal Government is far
reaching enough, and powerful enough
10 ~vindicate and maintain its lawful and =,
constitutional authority over the citizens
Of Tennessee, not only without the aid,
but in despite Of her State Government.
A contrary doctrine UaS held, and,
through the de-magoguism Of Politicians,
practiced upon to a limited extent; but
Of late the doctrine, and its upholders,
have sadly come to grief and the doctrine
now is-roOted a. the hills by the verdict
Of the people-that the Federal Govern
ment, within it, sphere, is supreme.
It Is against this Government, and not
against that Of the State, that we Con-
rederates have offended; and we submit
the plain common sense Of the Gene
raj Assembly, whether they have any 4,
moral Of legal right-whether il is in
hem either seemly or consistent-to at Z
empt 10 neutralze the action Of that q
government in the premises The Fede- ,
al Government has pardoned and put ,
uto oblivion the ofTense Of revolt from :
nd resistance % its authority, Of the =
mass OF the people Of Tennessee. o
-uon what ground, but upon that q
T the narrowest and meanest Of
le-sogal motives, can the Genera
assembly OF this State justify them I
elves for 50 perverting and abusing their ID
functions as a Legislature, as 70 interp0se {
or the notification Of this restoration to #
citizenship Of the men 70 whom 10 has q
extended amnesty? j. it the public d
If So, surely The experience of d
be last four years, ought 10 he sufficient n
o inspire them with confidence IA the ci
Of the Federal Government 20 So
make it, clemency respected. Should h
abuse il that Government j. strong
nough 70 punish the offender, and TOO
20 inhict punishment upon any but y
be offender. y
We adjure the Legislature, therefore, ID
b put themselves in accord with The s.
Government, and not to stand n
'ut any longer in faetious rebellion G.
It's policy. BY making suffrage
n Tennessee ia harmony with its elem
.ney, they viii best provet their "loyRlty" g
o ii, and provide for themselves greater a
urety for prolonged political life, than Of
hey possibly can provide by passing Il
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