Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-08-09
Our so-oalled Elsction-spirit Of the Radi-
cal Press North.

Our so-oalled Election-spirit of the Radi-
cal Press North.
A few excerpts from the columns Of
our Northern exchanges touching upon
the result of the recent farce in Tennes-
see cannot be other than interesting and
acceptable at this time.
Col Halpine, through the New York
Citizen, says: l
We must either exterminate the abb
origines from whom we stole our pleas
ant homes and their pleasant hunting
grounds, or we must give them the great
franchise. with the ballot in his red
right hand the wild man Of the woods is
the equal of Sambo, Cufy, or New
York loafer, and may strike the fire.
water selling trader, or the meek and
aspiring politician, to his feet 1t is
hardly humane or civilized to endeavor
to annihilate the remnants of people
whose only crime is that we robbed their
ancestors of their patrimony. The in
ouisitive world, in these investigating
times, might appoint a commission to
inquire into atrocities inflicted upon our
dusky Poles. So we had better give them
the ballot at once. AS for degrading the
suffrage, that cannot be done; we may
thank the negroes for that impossibihty.
Every argument that justifies the grant
of the ballot to unlettered, down'trodden
serfs, just freed from bondage, applies
with equal force to the red skins. The
latter have more intelligence, greater
selfreliance and infinitely more claims,
and we should terrible war and i'm
mense expenses by doing simple act OF
consistency. An Indian can be educated
and will settle down to civilized labor, as
he has done in Massachusetts,, Tennessee
and this State whereas the future career
of the colored man is as dark as his skin.
1t has cost us $500, 900, 900 to enfranchise
the negro; let us save the few odd
millions that are left by doing the same
by the red man. Cannot our Western
frontiersmen consent to try ballots
instead of bullets, and stop firing the In
dian heart by robbery and murder, till
they see how the change works 7
The New York Herald, speaking from
Radical standpoint, says;
The Tennessee election, the returns
from which are still pouring in upon us,
marks the Inauguration of O new political
revolution in the South and throughout
the United States. The results of this
election are so remarkable, so unique, so
sharply defined and decisive, that they
cannot be measured by the ordinary
ups and downs of our political parties.
We have here the first test on large
scale Of Southern negro suffrage under
the new dispensation, and in regard to
law and order the experiment has proved
most gratifying success
We think, too, from the successful ex-
pertinent of negro suffrage in Tenne ssee,
that we need no longer hesitate in giving
the ballot to the Indians and Chinese
where they may be regularly established
in the community, especially when the
sovereign authority of the United States
over the several States is beginning to
be clearly understood by men Of all Sec
lions. parties and races We say that
this Tennessee election marks q new po-
litical revolution in the South and new
dispensation in our political affairs. The
Democratic party goes to pieces the
Republican party must take new de-
parture or be broken up
Thurlow Weed, conservative Republ
can, speaks through the columns of the
New York Journal Of Commerce as
follows:
The best men of all parties must have
felt positive relief in the news from
Tennessee. II is true that all sensible
people had perceived for some time that
the election would either be a tragedy or
farce. and the alternative was not
thing in itself to be desired but bloody
collision would only have given TO the
tyrannioal Brownlow an excuse for fresh
outrages upon the majority, and was
therefore to be avoided at any personal
sacrifice. A. large part of the citizens
were openly disfranchised by the regis
try, ard, Of course, took no part in the
election. OF those who participated,
only the most independent could feel
any freedoms of choice, as they
we're acting under the watchful eye
of their armed oppressors: Even
the negroes, Notwithstanding all
their pariy drilling, required to be
looked after by their master in person,
according to the telegraphic reports. The
fact that, amid all these occasions tor ex'
citement, the election was one Of the
ouietest ever known in the State, is not
oHly highly creditable to those who must
have made great sacrifices OF feelings 70
insure this tranquility, but is one of the
most hopeful indications Of future peace.
It shows a power Of elfrestraint for
which the people Of the South have had
little credit, and which is part Of their
most recent acquisitions They have
been ehastened by suffering into pa
tient endurance Of ofopposition, not to say
wrong and insult, which wOuldOot have
been possible 10 them before the war.
From the New York Times, which is,
nerhans better posted in regard to affairs