Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-08-20
TIE TEACHINGs or ADyERsITT.

TIE TEACHINGS or ADVERSELY.
Rexperience is 8 dear teacher, it is q
so much greater folly not to profit by Its
lessons. It is, indeed, only by calsmities
and miseTies that nations are taught, for
they learn nothing from prosperity, and
ere only led by it into follies. Reverses
and sufferings are the divine means Of
instruction for men, and not TO learn and
comprehend the lessons which God
teaches by them, is 8 greater misfortune
lhau the calsmities themselves, which
are never 30 severe that those who sur.
vive them may not reap from them profit
and advantage.
Il Is often unrefiectingly and lightly
said, that it is useless TO discuss the i'm
policies. the errors and the knaveries OF
The psst; and that the present and fu-
ture alone should engage our attention.
But it is only by inquiring into the causes
Of cur misfortunes, that We can learn
what lessons the Deity intends by them
20 teach us and sill mankind nor can
men avoidin the future the auses that
lead to ruin, without inquiring whCtthose
causes were 10 the past, out Of which 50
dark and terrible q preseHthss been born.
But it is not necessary to the compre-
heusion Of those causes, that we should
Censure men; and it would be wellH we
could wholly separate the acts from the
actors and consider them apart. For
- H. ~ Fnw wannavTld from Nha
occurrences and actions upon which
they comment, utter, as they often must,
the language Of censure, something Of
passion and prejudice seems to actuate
them, the combativeness Of partizsns is
aroused, and new evils result from the
embittered discussion.
The most important lesson which our
calsmities teach US, the one which, If
needed, will be Of the greatest profit,
and which ought to be in season and out
Of season forced upon the consideration
Of the people, is this: That no party or
people can prefer expediency 70 right, or
in order 20 achieve a success, or carry a
measure, or win q present advantage, 10
do a base, unworthy, dishonest or unwise
act, without in the end reaping disaster
and calamity.
The disfranchised people Of Tennessee
have not yet learned that lesson. Ifthey
had, the Conservatives would never have
made universal suffrage Of adult negro
males an article OF their political creed.
For this was not only q great wrong,
bnt a terrible thunder.
A great wrong, fit almost to be classed
among crimes ;-~because Of the utter and
gr~otesque unfitness OF the negro TO be
entrusted with the ballot; o. his lin
tied capacity; Of bis profound and elm
merian ignorance Of every thing con-
nected with the government Of the
country and the duties % an %elector: Of
his only skin-deep standardization and
ineradicable barbarism, except in the
ease Of here and there an individual; of
the general faithlessness and worthless
ness, duplicity and treacheTy Of the race,
70 which Of course there are some ex-
ceptious Of the ease with which he +
duped and misled by lies and promises
sbove all, Of the ineKtinguishable hos
tility between the races which cannot
but be the dire and melancholy conse-
quence Of investing him with q political
power certain to be abused, and Of the
alienation from him OF the sympathies
Of his best and only real friends.
A great wrong, because by committing
itselfto negro suffrage, the Conservative
became the allies Of the Radicals in the .
most Radical and most desperate OF sill
their measures that Of establishing the /
Government not upon intelligence,
knowledge Snd independence in the
voter, but upon the feebIeness of intel
lect, Ignorance profound as the ~starless
darkness OF midnight, and utter want Of
Independence, OF q race either crineing.
abIect and servile, or insoient and rash
with the v-ici0usness Of folly. fla Gov
ernuent builded on such a foundation
can endure, history Is one huge lie, and
there is no use for intellect or wisdom
or prudence and sober judgment In the
Government OF Nations.
A great blunder, as a crime or a wrong
or A fraud always is; and by it the Con-
s~ervatiyes assented TO aud ratified q law
less outrage upon the white men Of the
state, perpetrated by their legislators.
negroes had, in u opiRion, no right
~ vote, and the law allowing it was 8
,,,,Ilitv. The State was created, and its
Constitution made, by white men, for
themselves and Others Of their own colour
"a race, and their descendants. The
Court of the State had decided.
!, The Sgate rs. Claiborne, Heigs ssl.
that free negro was not a citizen Of the
S,ste The Constitution confined the
-i-bt Of voting to the free white men of
state. citizens Of the United States
"a NJ the State, with the single Proyiso,
Dv way of exception TO this stern and
Deremptory rule, that free persons ofeol-
,ur should not be deprived Of the right Y
voting, who were then competent to
estify ia the Courts !.
The Constitution Itself provided IN !
hat manner Il might be amended. I
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