Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-03-18
ALABAMA SPEAKS.
Public Meeting AT AshviIIe.

Pursuant to previous notice, a large
number of the citizens Of st. Clair county
met at the court house of said county, on
| the 23d day of February, ls66, Washing
| toms birthday, when the following pro-
I ceedings were had
On motion, the meeting was organized
/ by calling J. Campbell Calhoun, ESD, to
/ the Chair. and appointing Monroe sand
I eTs Secretary.
BY request Of the Chairman, the object
Of the meeting was stated by Hon. i. L.
| Pope, member elect "a Congress from this
District, upon whose motion the follow
ing resolutions, previously prepared by
him, were read. and. after being explained
adld enforced by him, I'm an eloquent,
able and patriotic address, We're adopted
separately by a unanimous rising vote:
ReSOtUcd, That we yenerate the name
and dmemOry Of the great and good Wash
ingt0n, whose birthday We this day COM
memorate. He was and Is " first in war,
first in peace, and first in the hearts of
of his countrymen.n
R6so}red That we are UuiOn men, sin
cerely attached 10 the Government un-
der which we live State and National,
As established by Washington and his
noble cOmpatriots; and We viii ever do
all in our power to promote the purity
prosperity and happiness Of our whole
people under these Governments.
ResO1re6, That we disapprove of all
efforts to produce disc0Td and division
and strife among the conservative men
of the country; and We will ever do all
in our power, which honorable men can
do, To di-countenance all such efforts
In union only can we have strength 90
have union there must be harmony Ga
have harmony there must he Cancellation
and tolerance. We must have UTlity i'm
eSssHiiGlS-in liOH-eSSfJitidls, ii5oTy.
Rcs0lre3 That We do not expect per
fectiOR in judgment, or in action, in the
administration Of amy guyprument or
party which has to be administered by
merely human agents; and, therefore,
we cheeriuiiy tolerate such differences of
opinion, as honorable and Intelligent
men, having a common object in view,
may reasonably entertain.
Hcsoitsd, rIhat whatever may have
been the motives Of those who ATTEMPTED
10 disrupt the Government of the United
States, ~ lapd we believe the motives at.
most OF them were good, "the effort has
been productive Of evil, and only evil,
and that f-the most terrible character
Win aii the faults Of those who then ad-
miuistered the Government, We were the
freest and most prosperous and hg-t pro-
tected people ON egrtA,
ResGiptd, That spbWissIon 10 law jQ 2
Republic, even when we think the law Is
wrong, and % the result Of the hallot-bOX,
when We think that result is wrong is,
i'm our opinion, virtue. Il will NOT 80
70 say we must have all thiugs, in an re-
specis, just a. We want them, and just -
Ne Ihink is right, OF We viii resist them.
This spirit has brought " On the very
verge uf absolute destruction. 1t Is right
that sr yield a proper Difference 10 the
adverse opinions Of others. Those who
think there can be no honest and in-
telligent difference af opinion, claim
iniallihiliiy uf Judgment and motive aud
action,
Resolred, That we bitterly feel aud
deeply deplurc the evils which have
grown out Of the attempt 10 disrupt the
Government but, calamaties, not yet
fully developed, now threaten TO over
whelm our beloved native land, and sink
MS 20 a depth Of degradation, than which
there Is no lower. We see, with the
most fearful alarm, the recent move
meuts in Congress To reduce the South
ern States to Territories; deny them
their righliul representation Ia Congress, I
and put upon us, against our will, negro
sitUfd9e and negro equality in our midst.
hfs0tredi That ours j., and was in
tended by our fathers 10 be a irhHc gl0ais /
Government, both State and National
and while we would cheerfullv accord "a /
the Indian, or the Asiatic. OF the proro
while he remains Ia our midst, safety I'M /
his rights OF person and property. and |
viii gladly encourage them mall honest
efforts 70 do well, We are infIexihly on
posed TO allowing either TO vote OF hold |
aiiipe among Us. Neither has ever been
placed upon social or political equality
with the white man, in the same COM
munity, without manifest and great 1
injury TO all parties 80 thrown together /
Resoiced, That the great doctrines Of |
the inyiolabillty Of the reserved rights of /
Tue states and the saeredness al our |
Tgbis under the Constitution Of the /
United States are equally dear 10 Us, |
aud viii eyeg call forth our warmest /
support.
ResolUod, That legislation for any |
State githOU representation Is gprOa0, i
because il is anti-Repuhlican. lf intend 4
ed as punishment Il Is wrong, because il /
Is not legitimate mode OF punishment, !
and because IL Furnishes the ianOcenf with /
the guilty. Crime can only Be- committed |
by mdtpidUots and not ~ States or COM
muniues. II every member Of a COM 4
munity commit even the same aFime. /
the guilt Is individual aud H0t collective
Only individuals, and not communities /
can be punished; and no map can urop.
erly be punished Tor another mans /
crime, Nor should any man I've nun
ished without a trial nor for that for
which he has been pardoned; nor for
which Others, under similar circum- /
stances, have been pardoned.
Res0ired, That, in our opinion, crime |
consists alone in the intention 10 do /
wrong, or, IA reckless disregard of the /
rights of others. And as We believe that 4
many We'll meaning persons We're led /
into :he late effort 10 seeede by the fraud /
aud falseho0d OF Others and many Others I
were forced 10 assume positions which 4
they did not approve; and still many 4
others were led astray by their own mis- I
guided convictions that it was right 4
aud, indeed, that very few went volun
tarily into the effort TO secede, without I
The conviction that il was right; And Il
being impossible, ip most cases, 10 dis
lriminate between the Innocent and the
guilty, We, therefore, earnestly hone that
al merely political or military ofFapses
In the late war, viii be par