Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-09-06

- AA0kHNrEAA W 1l ANaaAAE NS1NA~ -
Z CORN, would be, it seems to us, land We
say it in entire respect and kindness, t.
3 commit the terrible mistake OF uniting
with the enemies of the Constitution tc
carry forward the revolution. 1t would
be to confirm their prestige Of success
and to admit that their policy had been
!, right and wise. IF radicslism cannot
live long as a sectional organization
why unite with It, to give it a new lease
Of life? II its transitiOn-periOd has now
come, why not let it plunge down into
the damuation it deserves?
We cannot see, in General ALCoRN's
project suppOsing it feasible, and that his
sanguine expectations can be realized,
ANYTHING more or less than an alliance
with a waning faction OF revolutionary
anarchists, by which the party in
the South, proposed to be formed,
will make a most shameful compromise
Of principle, for a most insdequate COM
p-ensation. We do not meant that General
ALCORN looks upon it SIS such, or is con-
scfous that such is its nature, or that he
would deliberately and Intentionally en-
gage il measures aud propose courses
that could be justly stigmatized as
shameful: but nothing is so easy as to
deceive ones self; and fit and proper,
and wise and polite, and lsudable and
honorable, as be undoubtedly believes
the proposed coalition would be, we,
looking st il as calmly aud coldly as if it
had been done, under the same elrcum-
stances in some former age and by men
of another race, cannot believe it to be
either. 1t will be to give an unqualified
assent to negro suffrage and to the right
Of negroes to hold the highest offices; it
will be to abandon the Constitution, the
rights Of the States, and all the principles
80 many years dear to the South, for q
mess of pottage, and to put the white
race, bound hand and foot, at the mercy
of an inferior race, whom every conees-
sion will ever embolden to further de-
mands. There have been races of men,
| there were men in the South and in the
/ North once, who would have preferred
exile ami even death to a degradation 50
| complete and so irretrievable.
Wehaye not now at hand the letter on
which we commented ; 50 that we will
not say that we may not have misunder-
stood or inadvertently misrepresented
the meaning of it, in the particulars
alluded to by General ALCoRN. We GER
tainly e~ndeavored to state its tenor fully
and fairly, and to draw from it no infer.
ences not fully warranted by itslanguage.
We do not care to comment upon the
points in which General ALCORN thinks
we have fallen into error, or are not just.
We are quite willing he should correct
us, if we have done him any injustice.
We did not mean 10 speak ill-naturedly
Of his claim to statesmanship, a claim,
the justice and propriety of which We do
not deny. The subject is,by far tOOgraye
a one for tEunts and gibes; and we
learned long ago that these and sarcasm
are weapons Il which no one party in a
controversy has an exclusive proprie-
torship. There are passages in the pres
emf letter of General ALCORN, likely to
provoke, from some quarter or other,
sharp retorts. Others will proba-
bly, think as We do, that
the scheme proposed by him is purely
Utopian, and his dream of a harmonious
future between the black and the white
races as unreal and visionary as Ponce
DE Icons hopes Of finding the tabled
fountain Of Immortality, or the delu-
siOns Of opium-esters, dreaming delirious
dreams Of divine distractions; - and
some offended and sbarp.tempered Dem
ocrst may perhaps suggest that it is the
author Of this scheme who is "the politi-
cal Millerite, anticipating a millennium
that does honour to his credulity." We.
do not take this to ourself; for we are far
from anticipating a millennium, or even
any considerable period Of harmony and
peace, to be secured either by General
ALCORN's scheme or by any other,-by
his least Of all. There is a dark curtain
Of cloud let down between all Of US and
the future, through which the keenest
vision cannot penetrate; but all the
omens are Of disturbances, disaster and
calamity.
OF the subject on which General AL
corr touches in the concluding para
graphs Of his letter, we have for some
time intended TO speak; and shall do so
at an early opportunity. The feeling OF
enmity towards the negro race is a very
unworthy one. To vent spite or anger
upon them is not a fit thing to be done
by 3 gentleman. AS a measur of justi-
fable self-defense, demanded by consid-
erstiOns Of our own safety and welfare,
and by our paramount interests as free.
men, but not in any spirit of anger and
revenge, we have advised Conservatives
to cease to employ those who vote to
continue their Acknowledgement, and
their Odious political ~vassalage and infe-
riority TO the negro. On whatever
ground this proceeds, anger is out Of
place. II it is 8 wise policy, because
it viii tend to teach the negro
that his true interest is to be just to
those 70 whom he looks for employment,
and among whom he expects to live, an
ger is the enemy Of policy. And if it
were even meant for punishment, the
only proper object of punishment is re-
form. The negro is misled, duped, de-
ceived, cajoled, eTPlotered, and to be
pitied and not hated. II he were intelli-
gent and ~sagacious, he would know In
what direction his true interests lie.
RFhe temper and courtesy Of General
ALCORN's letter entitls him to our re-
spectful consideration. The country
would be greatly the gamer, il ali dis
cussions were conducted in the same
spirit. He has commenced the canvass
Of his state; and it is quite evident that
it will not be safe for any one who meets
him in debate to undervalue his ability.
We only regret that his efforts are not
directed to persuade his c~Ountrymen to a
very different course.