Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-09-05

defeat that will and to this very end, for
this very purpose, the President has the
veto power, and the Senators are elected
for six years. The people elect but
those whom they elect are to gcveyn
them, and not to obey them. They are
the elected rulers Of the people.
The Congress Of the United States was
not meanttO be popular assembly. By
that term / mean such a body as the Ma
tional Assembly and National Conven-
ton Of Frances body that represents
the mob or populaee, and reflects it's
whims and caprices, its %f1uctuating hu-
mours, Its fantastic %follies, its savage
eruelties. I mean such a body So the
Congress Of the United States has be-
come, in exercising powers outside OF
the Constitution" The doctrine that
" the will Of the people IS the law Of the
land" Is ~atrocious, because it causes the
existence Of just such bodies and be-
cause these bodies always invest first q
few persons, and then one, with arbi-
trary powers.
such a body is too unwieldy, long to
retain the supreme powers Of the State
IN its hands. The National Con-
ventiOn Of France delegated them to q
Committee o PubHc Safety of five mem
bers, and it vas but a little while until
the Directory became the masters Of the
country.
But while such q popular assembly
does govern, it is also itself governed in
turn, and generally by the worst Of It's
members; and until the wearied land
rids itself Of it by any means in its power,
no matter how desperate, itimitates and
often exceeds all the worst cruelties and
outrages Of the most brutal desPOtsms.
BURKE most truly says:
It Is the nature OF tyranny aud rapacity
never 70 learn moderation from the III success
Of nrst Impressions: on the contrary, all Op-
pressions, all men thinking highly Of he meth
dds dictated by their nature, attribute the
Illustration Of their desires % the want Of sum
Client Tig5ur. Then they redoubie the efforts Of
their impOtsnt cruelty which producing, as
they must ever produce. new dfSappoiuenlents.
they grow irritated against the objects OF
rspaglty and then rage, fury and malice Jun
uIaCahls because uDproVOkedl recruiting and
reinforcing their a~varcer their vices are no
longer human. Fram cruel men they are Trsus-
formed into savage beasts, with 40 other YES
IiEes Of reason Left bat what serve TO furnish
the inventions and requirements Of ferdciCus
s~ubtlety, for purposes OF which beasts are inca
paDIe, and At which dends would blush"
All constitutional government is an
attempt; too often, and perhaps low to
be unavailing, to restrict and temper the
will Of the people, SO that when unjust and
unwise, cruel and savage, in violation Of
the rights of communities and indiyidu-
ais and Of the gathered wisdom of ages,
and Of the laws of GOD, it shall not be
the law of the land. When it RACES
uncontrolled by these saIutary restraints,
it is vomited out upon the country from
such popular assemblies S those Of
France.
We are in favour of a constitutional
government, OF the tchite race and with
WhRs electors alone Of a Constitution
thst is the supreme law Of the land in
war as well as in peace Of a confede-
rated republic Of States, such as was es-
tablished by the Constitution OF 1857; Of
s National legislature Of two branches,
in one Of which each State, large or
small, has its equal vote; Of the sgrict
confinement Of the National Govern
ment and Congress to the powers granted
them by the Constitution Of the jealous
retention by the States Of all powers not
granted or delegated to the General
Government, the sovereignty and indie.
penden0e % the States being, in cur
opinion, which long ago ripened into firm
conviction, that upon which the perpetu-
ity Of free republican government de-
pends, and the ~permanency Of q govern
ment where the mere majority ofuumbers
in 8 VISIT country rules being simply i'm
possible; Of the restriction Of the leg
stature, always inclined to usurpation,
within the limits Of its constitutional
functions, and the maintenance OF the
Just prerogatives Of the Executive of
such a government, in short, as we once
imagined we possessed, and which 20
exists even in theory.
II II WEAE A0L 81 4IAIlEAEAA aLAE pre-
sumption IN US to take for u own the
words Of a great Statesman like BURKE,
We should say, with him
We look with dlial reverence on the C0nsti-
tuEiOu OF our cQunbry-and never VIII cut Tin /
pieces ard pat 10 into tie kettle OF any magi-
clan IN order TO boil 10, with the puddle Of their Q
compounds, into youth and vigUUr. On the
contrary. we viii drive away such preteuders
viii nurse ~ venerable age. ana win IeuI-
emit arts extend a parents breath"
We will not hesitate to say, borrowing
in part his words: The men Of the South
have before them their constitutional
ancestors they have the doctors Of the
modern school. They will choose for
themselves. The writer Of these words
has chosen for himself. II a new order
IS coming on, and all the political opin-
ions must pass away as dreams, which
our fathers worshipped as revelations, we
would rather be the last, las certainly
we are the least Of that race Of men,
than the first and greatest Of those who
under any pressure Of force or stress Of
expedieney have coined to themselves
principles from a Jacobin die, unknown
to the impress of our fathers in the Con-
stitution.
Our correspondent concludes in these
Some Of Us have An abiding faith in the ulu-
mate triumph Of free institutions, and we look 4
with little pity on the -Crumbiug ruins Of des-
pglIsn- some Of these VINO fought the va
through under the southern nag, still believe
that tIIS Is the graad6st country, the ggsudest
and HL-n -LL.L #-.H Hm-.
tory commentaries. And 1 am one oitherl.
The young are naturally more hopeful
than the old. We shall not contrOvert
the opinions and estimates Of cur cores
pendent. It is well 20 have faith and
hope but these alone will not a free
Institutions, when they are threatened
with danger on every side. To point out
to the people these dangers, and en-
deavOr TO arous them from the apathy
~surrenders everything, and prevent
compliances that betray, will at least
tend to the good Of the commonwealth.
. We would fain add our part to those
who would animate our people, whose
hearts are yet right, to new exertions in
the old cause" And if we had no hope,
would still toll on, because iii Is a duty.