Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-05-28

SPEECH or CoLoEEL JOHN BAXTER A.
oLRvELAsD, MAY 6, 1851.
l~CoNTISUFD1
&c eoTERNoR - rEa1sr.rrrr

OAItAnr AhAN aAA IEEuAAtAN GIeflHu. were uf
: MED their seats for ths same reason ana whsr
by this Iorcible andflegal pruning. BroiCnlou
ism 1and there Il no more appropriate term 1
: characterize The devilisb spirit that is preyiu
? upon the vitals OF our state) became stron
, enough, II put forth an amended OF seconI
, franchise law, the dfstinguigbiug feature d
! which IS that none could vote except such 6
held certificates from the governor 5 appointeei
This effective reach for power, like ali usurpa
/ In vas, a. alleged by tR Ahth6rsL Antroduee,
and adopted for the purpose OF keeping tn
, government In the hands OF the loyal people q
uestlte bat In THIS connection II must be 10
membered that the government Of the stat
was already in .ths1 gnardianahip o. iogl
secured by the franchise law which had beef
previously passed No! Let us not delude our
] selves by such q shall5v and unworthy pre-
tense Ihe secOqd law was passed 20 exclude
. loyalty nom the ballot box. It has excluded
loyalty. Yes, the purest loyalty aud patriotism
? of the state have been repelled from all par
. ticipation in the pubic anairs OF the state. 40
coru1ug 10 the provisions of this law the Cover
nor is authorized TO appoint a register OF voter
and who shan not Is entitled to be registered
, as voters. Among Others, soldiers VINO ha6
fought for the government ia the late struggl Z
and been 4onoraDly discharged are declared Il
be entfued fovOtea But then, The governors
! appodntee kmaoe the Judge Of this fact Hi
appealed from nor reviewed. III be decides erro
neOus'y, whether nom caprice, miSconception
OF his duty, malice or unworthy partisan con
/ sideratfons, there is nc way OF correcting the
error. TIE Applicant is deprived OF one OF the
dearest rights incident 10 a republican form o
government. Thus, yOn will see that the gov
eruor holds the whole gamein his own hands
and TO make mas power, II possible. more com
plets. Notwithstanding tins franchise act is 8
part or the fundamental law OF the land. en-
grated into and made a part OF the cOnstitu-
ton OF the state, which invests every one
! holding q certificate win the constitutions
right OF Vetifg, by ilster act Of the legislature
his cIcetleHcV the g0Uernor is authorized, at his
mere viii and pleasure, 10 annul he r~egistra'
tien in any county, appoint a new and more
I com nlanHnl register. and QEQEr or uuN ORDER. As
? he may suppose most pFomotiVe OF his faction,
a new or revised registration,
: Gle GOVERNOR SUPREME.
These laws are inteDded TO make the governor
supreme; they are intended to clOths him with
all necessary power TO force the reelection OF
himself, as wei as q legislature subseryient 70
his views. II IS with him 10 appoint registers
OF voters IN the Se7erhl ~counle NO one can
vote eycenFSSS-5he permission Of his appointeri
and ia reeStraaon is mgGet hoEeseF fair
which by any possibility Is hkeiy 70 cast a ma
jOrity Of votes against him and his time-Serving
blowers aud e1pectantS, a stroke OF his ON
nlpoteut pen anpuls the whole, and leaves the
~cltizens OF such counties as may come under his
| displetSure disfranchised as long as his malice
may choose TO continue them in that 2nditfoni
or he may order another regi- t%ration, in which
he can con6Ee the privilege OF voting 10 those,
and those only, WHO may be known 10 be IA
vorable tG his ~Co4inusnGe Ia ppwer.
III 5, falOw-clJlzens, ia no mere fancy pic
ture, or the suggestion Of a mere possibility.
He has already ATTEMPTED, under the proyls-
Ions OF this unconstitutional law, by procla-
mat on. TO disfrauchise the people Of seven
counries. aud viii. ere the August election,
make a further attempt to exclude from The
polls the people Of any county n the stste
which he may suppose will cast a majority
against him. 5uch Ia the spirit in which 1he
law has been and is now being executed. The
governors appolnlees, SO lar as lhey haNeconle
un6er my observation, in this end Of the state,
are generally tie most violent and unscrupu-
lous partt aHE They are, rs might be expect
ed, but the rehux OF Gov, BrownIow himself;
81" hEe master. like servantg" and this i sufi-
cIsnt to convey 70 clt zens and strangers
/ a fnTWa#r 1nnTaEGlfNDn OF me material nEf0
| los the governor, under the name Of registers,
for The purpose u controlling the elections II
is imI possible in the very nature Of things, that
a. should be otherwise. To entrust It's eIecu-
| tiou 10 honest. liberal, ana Just men would he
TO defeat the object uf its enactment Honest
men could uOl De USED lOr huch purpose, ana
| tHe mUnstrous injustice which conceived u also
! Iequir0s copsenientr faclie Instruments TO put
/ 10 into execution, so "a TO 1nsure 70 Us authors
thai mastery over the people which its enact
! ment was INTENDED te secure 70 them. And
under its provisions. as now administers by
/ these degrauing creatures OF ~gubeTnatorial
| condolences, a large number OF the most con
| sisienL, worthy and reliable friends OF the
| union, including large number OF the officers
ard soldiers OF the federal army; VINO fought
| with gallsnIry aud have been discharged with
honor, are robbed o this Inherent and jnestl-
! mabl8 right Il free citizens. Bat even with this
/ most uplEIe and pIacable machinery, ceutering
| in the govern r the whole power Of the state,
there is n manifest disuustfulness OF success on
! the part Of its trartOrOus authors. Why is this g.?
" Conscious guilt, gentlemen, makes towards
| Of Us ALL" None, gentlemen, knew better than
! they the extent Oh llGlL bslsE hELfaA al OF the
people. -, under the guise OF friendship and
| loyalty tHey sought your confidence, begged
| your permission to serve you in p~osttlons OF
/ public trust, and Whsn commissioning, they
/ nave basely used the power obtained through
! insiuceIiiy aud fraud 10 rob you Of your Aber-
ties, auSto betray you into the power Of The
! most cons nptials and corrupt oligarchy thA
| ever over an ~enilghteaed people.
] Aud ftis a consciousness Of this fsct that makes
them afraid 20 I~rustany portion OF the peop4e
h3uFered as they are by the IRON hand OF
power Thai seeks 10 control them through the
complicated network which have attempted
! TO Unyell and lay bare before you.
| But what more could fraud and cowaTdice
! suggest? What resource was left by which
the.e accidental oeegPants Q fplaee could drive
crisis had been reached, aud something must
be done, and the negro, Che poor, harmless
suG, II lei alone, inOh~nslYe negre is by a
third " franchise act enlanchised. Thus, an
element capable OF voting from 4,OO0 70 50i0O
votes IN TIE state, uDaecustomed 70 the e1er-
else OF political rights, uneiucaied' unfamiliar
with the theory or wants and necessities OF the
government, and as a general thing incapable
Cgiving an enlightened vote, is crowded and
thrust MO the political arena. 10 be gambled
for by demagogues, and lEVeigied into the
| party harness. But even here their confidence
was not entirely free from mfsCtVngs. Doubts,
distorted theiT minds. II the Stake-the negro
Vote-Tas LEFT tots own Nolition, or TO an i'm
pTualscrambl or Interested politicians, uuln-
Hueuced by the nresen-e Of force, il might, and
probably wouid, be cast against them.
III srANnESN ARMY,
Hence another step became necessary. and
JhereupOn these Oppressors Of the people, these
men who sought places as servants, but who
now claim 20 be masters OF the cOuntrg. by
another act Of the legislature, made provision
for The organization OF a Standing army OF
eight thousand men in q time OF peace; aBd
these men. 10 be organized. equipped, fed,
clothed and paid by taxes 10 be gathered nom
you and /, are 10 be ouicered and commanded
by our most crceHcRt, Just aud discreet g0tern0r,
70 move at his command and TO execute his
bloody, oppressive and Illegal DEGREES. Yes,
fellOw-citizeus, in q time OF profound peace,
when the machinery Of civil government is in
full operation, and in the hands Of their own
friends i'm allits departments. with "a submit
sive and non resistant population readily aid
ing the execution q the laws and acquiescing
i'm the DEGREES Of your court, a formidable mill
tary power is being organized, in violation OF
the constitution which all these men have
swaHstaNpport for no other purpose than 10
control the elections. The negro, like some OF
you. can vote, provided he gees a permit from
hegOvernDr through one OF his registers, and
n divided further. that he votes in accordance
with the governors wishes. And this, gentle-
men, he will be required 20 10. such is the un-
mistaSable giyings opt Of the governors organs
aud mos trusted Tools.
BALLOT IN rHE HANDS OF REGISTERS.
Heretofore, the appointment Of judges of
election was. by law existing from the Organi-
zation Of tine state till q few moRJhs ago, made
by the county Court-a tribunal elected by the
p.ople OF each county, and, it may be fairly
Presumed. representing their views and wishes:
but this aug-estahiished law has been invaded.
10 Sill left g remnant OF power with the peo-
pie. which. i'm the opinion Of our Legislators.
was necessary to be Withdrawn, in order to =
complete Capitalization Of power in the gov
eruOr's hands, and forthwith the duty Of an
pointing the judges Of election, the men with
whom i entrusted the purity of lie ballot
box, is taken nom the county courts, and inn !
posed on the registers Of U0icrS in the several
con lot SO you VIII perceive that the system |
is now comPlete-eFery par being in harmony
with every Oiner part an centeTlng in our mist
e~rcsfC7t goreT90r, who is ensconced behind a
"a military force, provided at your expense, by
which he can Stihe discussion, crush out OBpQ- |
Sition, and reduce you to ths most AFFECT State |
Of dependence upOn his VIII, What a huge |
privilege is is to woe under such circumstances,
To vote in the presence of uayOnets, and at the |
dictatiOn OF an upstart and an unscrupulOus
military organization, TO vote as Gov. Brown |
10" MHE requires 70 HGh the manu- thaI suites
you, and 70 be made the unwilling instrument
Of fastening the chains Of slavery upon Your
selves andUpOn your pOSterityl
1t is the duty Of Congress, by the Con-
stitution, TO guarantee to every State in
the Union a Republican form of Govern
ment; and under the pretext of doing so,
it is proposed that it shall exer-
else the power of giving the right of suf-
frage to the negroes in the Northern
States. Ofcourse this would be e mere
bold usurpation but there is certainly
not even a Republican form Of Govern
ment, where CUeyy mars right to vote is
utterly at the mercy of the Governor,
and he can, by his sppointees, decide
who shall and who shall not vote, and
annul the right Of all the citizens in
counties. We need add nothing,
on all this, to the indignant sentences of
Col. BAXTER; but we cannot refrain
from adding q word in respect to the
standing army Of 5000 men.
It is said that this IS merely sre-Organ-
Of the militia of the State. But
his is itself a d~isingenuous evasion Of
The truth. Every one knows that no
such organization Of State guards VS.
necessary ; and equally well that the
Of it is to overawe the Conserva-
i've men Of the State and prevent free
discussion. Indeed.% purpose and OBJ
ect are broadly avOwed. The present
Governor desires to use It to keep him
and his friends in power as to the
means TO effect which it will hardly be
pretended that he is very s~crupulous.
is q persan who has very little con-