Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-09-05
oogeruor Helm's Inaugural.


largest majority ever given for gov
ernor Of that State, will be looked L
with interest as Indicating the real senti
ment Of the public he represents. W.
give below the principal part of thu
address. Referring to the fact that Ken
lucky has been traduced by evil minded
persons, he quotes the resolutions
adopted by the convention, which noml
mated him, and which express the deter
mination of the State to Support the
government of the United States in al
measures sanctioned by the Constitu
ton" the warm attachment of the State
20 the Union, and the purpose of the
Convention and the people to "heal
dissentions" and endeavor- to bring
back the government to it's ancient
purity" He says:
These enunciations OF our political
faith are clear, truthful, and patriotic,
and here / most solemnly proclaim, in
the presence of my fellow. citizens, who
know me so well and whom / have known
so long, that il is my fondest wish, most
ardent hope, and earnest prayer, that
all the States may be restored to their
equal rights under the Constitution, and
that the Union may be as lasting as time
itself. Thanks to God, the tread of
hostile armies is no longer heard, the
roar Of cannon and the peals of musket-
~ are hushed, and peace, blessed, glo-
rious peace, sheds her benignant and
effulgent beams throughout the entire
length and breadth of the Republic.
Now, my countrymen, is the proper
time to calm the troubled waters, to heal
all wounds and discussions, to restore
concord and fraternity, and nobly to
redeem the pledges which we voluntarily
and frankly made at the commencement
of our late and unhappy civil war,
As. early as 1861, Congress adopted
almost unanimously the celebrated Crit
tenden resolutions, in which they pro-
claimed to the world, THAT this war is
not waged on our part in any spirit of
oppression; nor for any purpose of con-
quest and subjugation, nor purpose of
overthrowing or interfering with the
established institutions OF the States
but to defend and maintain the suprem.
acy of the Constitution, and to preserve
the Union with all the dignity, equality,
and rights of the several States unim-
paired; and that so soon as these objects
are accomplished the war ought to
cease.
Fortunately for us all, the war is now
over, the authority of the Federal gov
eminent is everywhere fully restored, land
it is full time that the faith of the nation
so solemnly plighted should be re
deemed. Let us forget the bitterness of
the past, let US forgive its errors, remem-
boring that to err is human, to forgive
divine, and then, when we no longer
keep the heel of military despotism upon
the people of ten sister States, we may
cry out against the oppression of Eng
land against Ireland, of Russia against
Poland, of Austria against Hungary,
but the world will think that we may
we'll be silent until then.
The Governor next, by argument and
extracts from the Constitution, shows
the injustice done to Kentucky in the
exclusion of her representatives; that
Massachusetts or Kentucky has right
to send Turk or Mormon, if the
qualified electors so choose; that if |
Congress can rightfully exclude repre-
sentatives on account of any political
position, then they may with equal right |
exclude men because they happen to be |
Protestants, Catholics or Democrats, !
and the people will have to ask before ]
hand of Congress for whom they shall |
vote, in order to have any assurance of
being represented; and proceeds as
follows:
feel an unwavering confidence that |
the people will yet stand by our glorious
Constitution, and demand that its pro.
visions shall be respected and obeyed. |
Let US uphold and maintain it, for it is
the sheet anchor of constitutional liberty,
and, if it shall go down, anarchy and |
confusion will stalk through the land,
and unbridled license will produce uni |
yersal distrust and misery.
In times OF high excitement, when our
judgments are clouded by passion and
reason has been dethroned by frenzy, we |
madly leap over all legal barriers to at
tain our ends, but sage experience |
always shows that all such acts are pro-
ductive of nothing but folly, regret and |
crime. In our own country some have
been denied even the right Of trial by |
jury, though itiwas as clear as the noon |
day sun that they were entitled to such |
trial by the Constitution, and, under the |
sentence of mere military commissioners |
unauthorized by law, have been i'm
INJURED in prisons or led to public execa-
ton and died upon the scafold by the |
hands of the hangman.
Many persons may now believe that |
some of those, who were thus unlawfully |
punished, we're innocent of the offenses
charged, but the dead cannot be brought |
back to life, and neither unavaIling re-
grets nor bitter remorse and tears or even
judicial decisions afterward rendered can
recall those who have passed the slender |
bounds which separate time from eter-
nifty. These acts, with all their attend |
ant horrors, have passed into history, |
and cannot now be amended, but they |
remain a perpetual warning unto us that
there can be safety for none, unless the |
Federal Constitution shall be held the |
supreme law of the land There can be
no higher law than this.
The negroes everywhere throughout
the United States have been emaucipa-
ted, and, whether wisely or unwisely, it |
is needless now to say. 1t is an accom-
plished fact, a fixed, memorable fact, and |
as such we should receive it. 1t becomes
rs also to.see that the negroes are pro-
tected to the fullest extent in both their |