Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-04-15
PUBLIC LEDGER.
THEY PITY us.

Numbers Of our exchanges in the ter
ritories lying east, west and south of1s,
are plying the condition of Tenneseeans.
What do they meanf How dare they
speak thus of people forming one of
the States in the Union? How dare
they provoke the ire of the " torch and
turpentiners," those spirits of wrath,
those sluices of lava, those avengiug
angels who fly over our people and pour
out upon their heads walls of wrath, in
comparison with which these mentioned
in. scripture are as tame as milk and
waterH Wby2 Are they not afraid 7
Pity us, do y0u2 Have we not the stars
and stripes floating over US? Behold that
bannerl You see the stars, you will,
like us, yet feel the stripes How well
they will be laid on, time will tell. We
are aristocratic in Tennessee-real quail
ity folks. We have given up voting, as
it is plebian affair Really we cannot
afford to visit the polls, as it takes too
much of our time from the patrician
amusement of calling on the tax collector.
We cannot think of giving that up.
Some people shuttle cards for amuse-
ment We, more aristocratic, shuttle
greenbacks into the hands OF the funny
fellows who stand smiling to receive
them. That prince of aristocrats, Gov
ernor Brow nlow, rakes them into his
treasury. From that stuffed hole, our
prince of humorists shufles them
out again to another set of fellows who
neither toll nor spin, but wear fine
clothes every day. OF no, you must
excuse us. We cannot think Of voting,
or exercising any of the ordinary, vulgar
rights of freemen. And beside, the
freedmen can attend to these things
They served us faithfully long years ago
in the fields. Will they not serve US as
faithfully long years to come at the pollsY
Pity us, indeed You cannot boast
Brownlow. You have not the material
Of which to construct one. Ifyou should
boil down and make an extract of your
whole population-men, women, horses,
COWS, raccoons, possoms, rabbits, alliga-
tors crocodiles, etc., you would fail
to find IT. We are proud Of him. Don't
you envy us2 Don't bother us with your
pity. Attend to your own affairs in the
territories, where you are so old-fash-
toned and plebian in your habits as to
cling to the exploded idea Of liberty, and
the horrid practice of governing your
selves. Mount the current of events and
outride such follies. Procure. at the
earliest practicable moment, q Metro
politan police system. Give every body's
life and property into its hands. Let it
fasten on your vitals, on your purses on
your treasury, on everything you possess
Remain away from the polls, take no in
terest in the reconstruction of your
States. Allow the Radicals to carry
them BY default to frame your vulgar
constitutions, enact your nasty laws,
elect your rotten legislatures, send to Con-
gress your mournful members-do this,
and you will be happy as we in Tennes-
see are happy. Then will come the mil
lennium. The eagle that used to scream
the wild note of liberty, will fly away
to Timbucto, or New Zealand, or New
England, or some such horrid place.
Rise to the hight of the occasion. Rise
to the lofty hight of Tennessee. Look
at,us-survey us from head to foot-see
how erandly the stripes dance around Us,
aud how proudly we swing of on the
billow that is to bear us to-what haven
we do not know. Be wise Let your
voting, your reconstruction, ali 60 by
default, and you will soon see yourselves
by our side, on the high sea of glory.
Pity us, indeed