Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-01-19


/ liberty everywhere.
In presuming 10 address you, we do
not suppose that you have been inatten-
! tive To the progress Of events here, or
/ that YOU are entirely unapprised Of the
present situation. Your active cham
| pionship of the Union cause in Tennes-
see, at a period when that cause had few
| advocates among the prominent men OF
our State; your administration as Mill
tary Governor meeting, as 1t did, the ap-
/ probation Of loyal men, and the earnest
/ solicitude which You have manifested as
/ Chief Magistrate Of the nation, preclude
all possibility that you could be a careless
OF inattentive observer Of the course and
/ tendency of events in your State of Ten
! nessee.
Believing, moreover, that yOu viii
gladly avail yourself OF all reliable
/ sources of information, and sustaining
As We do, in some sense, representative
relation to the Union party OF Tennessee,
with facilities for ascertainiug the true
| condition Of public sentiment, we have
/ felt II our duty to lay before you the re-
suit of our observations.
AOu are, of course, aware that very
/ large proportion of the citizens of Ten
nessee, were, either at the inception, or
during its progress identified with the
] recent IthtllNll. 1lllOA5lA tAAt AtAAluNliNN
/ of bad men whom they had been accus-
/ toned to regard rs leaders, they We're in
duced TO embark in the fatal enterprise
which has entailed upon the country SO
much Of wretchedness and woe.
/ ythe devotion of Our loyal people TO
/ the sacred cause OF free government, the
galiantry of our citizen soldiers, the skill
Of our commanders, and the wise admin
[ istratiOn Of our national affairs, under the
I blessings of Providence, the Union was
maintained i'm IL integrity, and the
/ rebellion was OverthrOwm.
Armed opposition to the Government
I having now ceased, the permanent OBJ
I ject of all good men should now be to
restore fraterual feeling throughout the
country, and to extend TO the masses
who have lapsed into rebellion, so soon
As practicable, the blessing Of civil gov
eminent, with the restoration of such
political privileges as may be compatible
with the security of the Government,
and the maintenance of the plighted
faith of the nation.
Obviously, the difficulties Of states
manship al the present time, consists
largely in determining the real temper
and disposition Of the masses Of our people
who have been engaged in the rebellion,
and il is in reference TO this point that
we desire mainly 10 speak.
The difficulties attending the Org3ni-
zation Of our present State Government
are familiar to you, for We do not for
get that it was mainly owing to your
earnest and patriotic efforts that il was
inaugurated. We do not propose 10
argue any abstract question as To our
State Government, whether II was q
reconstruction, or simply a "restOra-
81
tions had been suspended by violence
and treason. The convention which as
sembled in this city in January last,
proposed certain amendments TO our or
ganic law. These amendments were
adopted by the people the vote, there
fore, being almost unanimous, so far as
any expression by the loyal people was
practicable Under this Constitution as
amended, the machinery of the Govern I
ment was put in operation, taking as its /
guide the Constitution and laws Of eN-
istence prior TO the rebellion, except as I
the former was amended, rs above /.
stated, and assuming all the obligations .
of the state incurred before the war.
BY virtue of the schedule adopted by I
the people, the Legislature which assem- I
bled i'm April last, enacted a franchise /
law, which was intended 10 exclude dis I
loyal persons from the polls, and thus
prevent the enemies Of our National I
Government from controlling the pOlit-
ical action of Tennessee. This law, how
ever partly from its want Of cOnSpiculty,
and partly because many of those charged
with its execution were unfriendly to its
objects, was in many counties practi-
caily disregarded, and the loyal people of
the State have now little hope that its
enforcement can prevent the political or
ganizatiou of the State, from passing, at
no distant day, into the hands of those
who have been in active sympathy with
the rebellion.
AH effort will, it is understood, be
made during the present session, 50 10
amend il as TO make il more efficient,
but grave doubts are felt as 10 whether
the present Legislature will pass any law
which will prevent the political ascend
ancy of the rebels in Tennessee. The
returned rebel soldiers, and those who
affiliate with them, openly boast that at
the next general elections they will OBJ
tain entire control Of the State Govern
ment. Indeed, il is now the case in
many counties, that those who have
been most notorious for their advocacy
and support of rebellion, are the
first to receive the support of the
people for office. Service in the rebel
army is, in many parts Of the State, the
best passport TO position and power while
10 have been connected with the Union
army, is regarded as alliZing a stigma,
% deeper and more indeliible than the
brand upon the brow of Cam
Under the appointing power, as eHer-
cisei by Gov BroWnlOw, we now have a
loyal Judiciary; yet all their power and
influence cannot prevent rebel iuries
ffl4fr
wards loyal men, while it Is almost inn
possible 70 bring rebel offenders ujustice.
Should the Judiciary Of cur Stale fall into
rebel control, sad indeed will be the con-
iition Of those who, trusting to the ma
tons faith have breasted the storm Of
treason here. In a social and business
point of view, Union men and Union
families are prescribed and insulted. We
mention these points simply 10 show the
spirit which still acluates those who
have been engaged in rebellion, and 10
indicate the policy which they viii pur
sue, if, rs they anticipate, and we fear,
they should Ice restored to power IN Ten
nessee. They now submit TO the ma
,ional authority simply because they can
no longer resist il; they "accept the situ-
alton" for the reason that they cannot
avoid It: they acknowledge their defeat,
\ D
they resisted; they resign their hopes of
The CoHlederaoy, but maintain the just
ness of their cause.
With them language is inadequate 30
express the scOru and contempt which
they feel and cherish toward Teupes-
-eeaus who, as they allegr, betrayed
southern honor and Southern indie
pendence 10y joining the ranks Of the op-
prss5or
Their protestation OF loyalty and
sheer Hypocrisy mask assumed for
3n object, 10 be thrown Of when that
object is accomplished. In the opinion
of some, the masses Of the common
people, who We're mislcd and he-
.rayed 10y demagogues into rebellion,
have in sincerity and truth, returned to
their allegiance To the Government Of
their fathers. We do not see that the I
masses are not honest and patriotic ac-
cOrding TO their convictions, but their
were formed under the false ,
teachings Of those who educated the }
mind, and fired the SOuther:.
heart for rebellion. Those false I
teachers still direct public SEN
.imcnt. Rebel lawyers are still ,
their trusted legal advisers - rebel +;
still illuminate from their pull ,
physicians still visit their s
teachers still instruct their S
and rebel presses still dissemi- q
nate among them the perverted views
and preCariOus doctrines which have / !
wrought all this ruin in the land. / is, ;
IN fact, among the common people who
lave less reason for pIacticing dissmula- .
ion, and who are les influenced by mo
ives Of policy, that we find the most I'm
squivocal expressions Ofdeepseated hos 7
ility b the Government and ihe friends !
IF the Government. s
In reference tu the freedmen, there is /
10 mistaking the ultimate designs OF :
hose who thus aspire 90 the control Of q
he future legislation of the State. They /
acknowledge emancipation as an accom- /
1iisled fUct, but by no means re- /
gard il as a fact legdhy accomplished. i
They denounced il as an act Of foul injus- O
ice, and will, so surely as they attain c
he ascendancy under circumstance a
which win permit them 10 carry out
heir designs 10y legislative provisions,
educe them to a bondage more abject I
han that from which they have escaped. .
{ is 20 be regretted that our present e
legislature has evinced such tardiness in
0nferring upon our c0iOred citizens those i
ivil rights 80 necessary for their security
nd well beingin the community. Most !
kelly it will yet redeem itself from tie {
aof,-1aal. anuna f,rp triafgrl. I q