Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-09-10


destroyed before the war II It has no
been vet restored, can and will II be g
Inv anv plan Of formal and forcible 70
construction ? It is impossible for an
real and vital union to exist under TIL
republican forms, when good will an'
tho heart is wanling2 You may have
union in form and name only but tina
ia despotism. There is no use to mine
words about It. That is just what sucl
union is-no more, no less. The Rus
sian Gear told us before wo went to wa
we should have to settle il by agreomen
at last His meaning was that tn
mower Of the sword was fatal to repnb'
lies. And he pronounced his Judgmen
on the supposition that the republican
form was to be preserved. In order t.
that we must agree-there must be sOm'
sort of union of good will.
We must at least come TO o definite un
dersianding to let by-gones be by-gones
and shake hands and live as friends sc
far as the past is concerned. Without
that, there is no possible reconstruction
which will bring union. To that should
every energy Of the government be
directed. Despotism may insure acqui
escence But charity and magnanimity
alone on the part of the victor States
can ever bring a real reliable and vital
union under the American forms and
principles.
To rely upon q union, wherein the
great body of Southern whites is ignored,
is to stop short of the mark and 10 rely
still on q union of force. 1t is nero
pretense and lie to say that the good
will of the Africans and few radicals
makes up such union as is real and
needed The radicals here are many of
them known northern mep. We are not
informed as to their standing at home
And it may be that in many instances
they remain here because, az is the case
with some, they can get on better among
strangers Such men are mere adven-
turers and birds Of passage who would
leave the South as certainly as the radi.
cal party should be defeated.
They are not permanent-they are no
representatives-and will leave as soon
az tho radical loaves and fishes give out.
OF those who lived here before the war,
if there is bakers dozen who bad any
standing or influence giving them a
commanding position, we do not know
where to find them. As for the negroes,
they run as sheep follow the bell-weathers
with these radicals now, because they
don't know them. They have no notion
of government, no true idea Of liberty,
and care nothing for the north, except
what results from two falsehoods, which
their radical leaders here have sue
ceeded in instilling into their minds
first. that the north went to war for the
express purpose Of setting them free;
and, second, that these radicals care
more for them than they do for
themselves. Is Union made up
after this fashion one vital enough
to have any permanency and reliability
Can it be said to express the wish Of the
Southern people2 A union of force is
easy to conquering States. But the
problem of republican government is to
find union Of sovereign and free people,
wherein oil are agreed, Ia spite Of the
past and the future, to consent and con-
tribute to the well being Of all. Without
that the government of the South must
be government Of force-a despotism-
and the only possible way to avoid 1t is
to do what ought to have been done be-
fore we fought, as well as the instant we
had done fighting, down with the fauati-
cal and ferocious rule, and substitute
that liberal and magnanimous course
towards the South which becomes q great
nation. The Southern whites will be an
element of national weakness until they
are trusted They will do then what
good faith binds them to do, II no more.
Since the above was written the am
nesty proclamation has come TO hand,
LII n atnr In thr rirhf 1irncfinn