Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-12-26
CONGRESSIONAL TOURISTS.

If any person is apprehensve in re-
spect to his own personal safety in the
presence of the tourists Of Congress, let
that apprehension be allayed. Ii chill
dren are frightened and old men and
women jismayed, we beg to assure them
that there is no danger. 1t is not a reg
ular raid, in the military sense of that
term. Our invaders bring no guns,
clank no sabres, and it is neither neces'
sary to run away nor hide ones treasure.
These civilians are quite harmless when
omtof Congress. They devour nobody,
drink no blood, and do not indulge in
the luxury of gunpowder. A child
might approach the worst one among
them and retire without scratch on its
face. We beg our lady friends to be
firm and look them in the face without
blanching. Remember that your hus-
bands, brothers and sons went up
to the Overton last night to re-
ceive them, to take them by the hand, to
eat with them, to drink with them, and
possibly to hiccup with theny Yes,
those so dear to you walked right into
the den of the civil raiders and came out
like so many DANIELS without "fiunk-
ing" They have come down too see u.s.
to see the terrible secesh, the bush
whacker, the guerrilla, the land made
famous by the arms of the poor white
trash to see the great plantations as
they stretch from hill to hill and from
river TO river. But we fear that no
comedy prospect will burst upon their
exnectant visions when they reach the
cotton States We fear that desolate
farms. and the ashes of former abodes
Of peace and beauty, viii be discovered
signing and sobbing to heaven the story
of a ruined country, bloody past and
homeless future. We would do better
if we could. But we could not dress the
skeleton South in holiday apparel in
time for the eyes of the rich, the proud,
the uncompromising the merciless gen
tlemen of the Congress of the North.
We do trust that they will not con-
denim us bee ause of our misfortune We
could do no better. If we are ragged, it
must be held in excuse that when the
war closed, the South did not possess a
dollar of money, yard of broadcloth,
and scarcely decent garment OF any
sort If we are looking hungry and lean,
il should be remembered that our barns
were burned and our grain persisted in
the conhagration. If our fields are
naked and bear no evidence of thrift,
we beg our visitors to consider that the
abolition of the organized industrial sys-
tenn of the South left US without labor
ers. If our people look gloomy,
respondent, sullen, and do not greet
them with the waving of banners, the
roar of artillery and the Shonts of null
ttudes, the omission may bs de9nced
from the fact that we are q conquered
race. and an anpardoHed community.
We are denied the right of free govern
ment. We are taxed without representa-
t;on. We are told that unless we do
that which is the option of State in the
Union, the SoutherB States shall be
reduced to the condition OF territories
audbe governed by the law of the shoulder
strap. The negro, the late servant OF
cultivated gentlemen of the South, must
be his equal, despite his traditions, his
pride. his habits and the instincts Of
race Is il any wonder, then. thst visit
fran members of a Congress that
DISTINGUISHES and denies us generally
the rights to which we were
born, should not excite any enthusiasm
in our bosoms? II is impossible. 1t
would be degrading. contemplate in us
10 effect that which our tourists know we
do not feel. They would justly despise
US il we made the attempt We are glad
they are come. They will be surprised,
perhaps, to find profound state of
peace where they have been told exists
a state Of war. They will see
with establishment the free, joyous
faces of the freedmen. and note the per-
feet freedom Of their locomotion. They
will discover no enmity between them
and their former masters, nor will thsy
discover a state of hostilities between
them and the ''poor whites" Let these
facts be noted, and lst our tourists, judg-
ing for themselves, act 10 their official
capacities upon fact as it exists, ssd not
upon the falsehoods Of hired assassins OF
truth.