Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-07-20
PUBLIC LEDGER.
,mce. No. n Madison street
LARGEST CITY CIRCULATION.
TT To FINISHED.

An irresponsible body of men, calling
themselves the Legislature of Tennessee,
have contaminated an act of atrocity I'M
paralleled in the history of any country
claiming to be free. Against the wishes
of nine-tenths of the people, they have,
as far as they could, committed the State
TO Constitutional Amendment thatwill
if adopted, practically reduce the whole
South to political slavery. To succeed,
they fastened couple of corpses to the
House and counted them as members.
They were, politically, to that body, just
what corpses would be to family circle.
They were in the form of representative
men, but they represented nothing, be-
cause they would not consent to act in
that capacity. They could not be counted
unless present in person. They could
not be counted if brought in under guard,
or in chains. No man can be held to
answer for an obligation imposed upon
him by duress Whatever he may be
forced to do, either for himself or for
others, is simply null and void.
But suppose quorum actually pres
ent, and that body complete Looking
to its origin, and the nature of the work
to be accomplished, was it competent to
ratify an amendment to the Constitution
of the United States, to be forever bind
ing upon people who have no power TO
approve or object, because they have
been DISTINGUISHED and outlawed from
participation in civil government 1t
has been the custom of this country to
consult the people in the formation
of constitutions. As they are, under
our system, the origin of all
Just government they must be con-
suited, before any body of men, however
organized and for whatever purpose, can
bind them. The matter of ordinary
legislation is different That is ephem
eral, or may be easily repealed. One
Legislature may undo all that a former
has done, except that which relates to
organic law. A ratification of constr
tutional amendment by one Legislature
cannot be interfered with by another.
And besides, Legislature that ratifies
an amendment, is supposed to have been
elected to represent the wishes of the PEG
pie But in this case, the people of Ten
nessee have not My not been consulted,
but they have been gagged to prevent
their kRown opposition from finding
voice They have that forced upon them
which in no probable contingency, they
will ever have an opportunity of throw
ing off If that opportunity should occur
from possession of power, the con
currence of two-thirds of the States
would be requisite to render it effectuaL
1t is not Tennessee that ratihes this
amendment 1t is the work of cabal
who assume TO be masters of the people
who proceed upon the assumption that
nlne-tenths OF the people who constitute
the commonwealth of Tennessee, are not
people, not citizens in contemplation of
Law, but simply animals, just human
enough to be taxed to support those
masters As an outrage, for hesrtless,
beastial atrocity, this act of BRowNLOw's
teols at Nashville, has no parallel in
history. 1t is simply a nullity, and
would so be declared by virtuous ma
tional government Tennessee would
not be counted as one of the ratifying
States by an honest Congress But it
ioiH be counted by that which is now
drunken and reeling upon the nights of |
power