Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-08-23
HALF-mEAsUREs

The Commander-in-Chie Of the Army
and Navy Of the United States has
transferred General SHERIDAN to the
Department Of Missouri, replaced him
with General THOMAS, and assigned
General HANCOCK to the Department Of
the Cumberland.
General SHERIDAN has claimed and
exercised no larger powers than SICKLES
and SCHOFIELD, nor l~egisIsted half as
largely as the more notorious Of these
two e the negro freemen and white
slaves Of bis District.
It is therefore to be supposed that
SHERIDAN has been transferred for in
su~bordination and d~isrespect to his supe-
rior officer. In that view Of it, the
President has only done what self-respec.
required, and the rules and interests Of
the service, ana hdrdIy thar.
But, after all, what is effected by these
changes? ? 1t is not new officers that are
wanted, but stern and peremptory orders
10 all Of them, declaring the IotO, and
restricting them to the exercise Of such
powers only as they can possess under
the Constitution and the laws made in
conformity to it, Of the United States.
A great multitude Of public journals
are daily occupied in giving advice to the
President of the United States. Those
inflated sheets, each made ridiculous by
its p~reteatious and pompous ~seIfconceit,
the New York Herald and Tribune,
rarely appear, without administer
ing q dose, large or small, OF
advice to the Chief Magistrate,
sometimes wise, sometimes merely nau-
seous, often singulsrly insolent and i'm
pudent. OF course, IL is not expected that
these counsels will be needed or rel
seen by the President. The unknown
persons who help edit these and other
journals Of the great cities, are not men
whom he would permit to intrude upon
his privacy and advise him in person.
There are fifty thousand men in New
York, quite l. competent 10 advise the
President, as any who make 1t their daily
business to do so, not expecting to inhu-
ence him, but writing for effect upon
their psrtisans and the ~populsce. The
arrogance and egotism Of the m%etrOpOli-
tan press has reached q height that Is as
near sublime Rs anything can be that is
disgusting. GREELEY has lately under
taken to advise Governor BROwNLOw,
and got himself snubbed for his pains,
We do not presume to advise the Pres
ident. We do not suppose that he has
ever seen 8 number Of the APPEAL. The
responsibility for his action In any case is
with bin, and he undoubtedly claims
the right to be his own counsellor, and
does not look to any journal for advice,
too often Extensively given, and ma
liciously intended.
Even if the distance between us and
the President were not by far too great
70 permit it, we should not assume to
have the right TO tender him our advice.
We do that in private life only to those
who ask it, or TO one bound to US by the
ties Of the most intimate friendship. 1t
is 8 singular insOIence to advise those
who are Indifferent 10 you, and q still
greater arrogance to counsel those 70
whom you are unfrieHdly. We are not
%unfriendly TO the President, politically or
personally but neither are we his parti-
zsn. We have not RETAINED from speak
ing plainly, sometimes, OF his short
eomings and imPolicy and bis submits
siveness 70 the tyranny Of Congress.
Aud yet, if a journal in Tennessee could
support an administration, or give il any
efficient aid, We should support and de-
fend his, for the one sufficient reason
that Radiealism hates him, because he
has ~ebdeavOred to deal somewhat geue-
rously with the desolsted South.
Everybody thinks himself competent
70 advise others. However badly he
manage his own affairs, he can always
instruct others how to manage theirs.
We are not exempt from the general iu-
hrzity. We think that We could now
suggest to the President q wiser course
&c be adopted 10y him. and one much
more consistent with his own dignity
and honour, official and personal, with
the interests Of the country, and with
the demands Of constitutional liberty.
In the case Of bred Scott q. Sanford,
10 Hot0qrd, 893, the Supreme Court Of
the United States said: at may be
safely assumed that citizens Of the
United States who migrate to s Territory
belonging TO the people Of the United
States. cannot be ruled as mere Colo /
nists, dependent upon the will Of the
General Government, and to be gov
erned by any laws it may think proper
20 impose. A power in the
General Government to obtain and hold
Colonies and dependent territories, over
which they might legislste without res
friction, would be inconsistent with its
own existence in it, present form"
"The power Of Congress over the per-
son or property of 3 citizen can never be
a mere discretionary power, under our
Constitution and form Of Government.
The powers Of the Government, and the
rights and privileges Of the citizen are