Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-11-04

in Liberia-the advance guard OF iou'
millions of their own race, eager 10 ioi'
low them, that they may prove to th'
world that they are the equals OF white
men. They can prove It in no surer way
than building up a United states o
Africa, 10 rival the United STATES o
America.
EGThe Philadelphia Press OF 'h'
both, contains a last and long letter
from Thad. Stevens. He aihrms tn'
right of Congress, under the present
amended Constitution, and without goinl
outside. to make uniform and eon'ro
the qualifications of electors in all the
states. He insists that "life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness are IN
alienable for the negro, aud that to take
away from him his arms or the right 70
vote, would be to take an inalienaole
right He exhorts his fellows never to
Weld predicts the spread of his primer
Piles, and that by adherence to them the
United States is to become greater than
all the earth besides. Speaking OF the
authors of the Declaration OF lndepend'
ence, he says:
The grand idea of those immortal men
was that there we're certain rights, PRIV
leces and immunities which belonged TO
every being who had an immortal soul,
none of which should be taken from him,
nor could he surrender them in any ar
ranpement with society. So essential 10
the repose of the whole community was
Il that every man should possess each OF
these rights, privileges and immunitles,
that he was forbidden by bis creator 10
part with them. He could not sell MN
self he could not sell his children, into
slavery He could not sell his life Tor a
price He could not surrender the right
to pursue his own happiness, Every at
tempt to do SO was nugatory. Every IN
strumept founded on such contract, no
matter how solemn, no matter now
hedged about by broad seals, no matter
how stamped by State legislation ana
executive approval, none of these things
gave it life. 1t was null and VOID 1t
was a corpse incapable OF animation
This, it will be understood, applies to
black people alone. Again he says;
Disarm a community and you rob
them of the means Of defending me;
Take away their weapons of defense, ana
Won take away the inalienable right OF
defending liberty. This brings us no"
directly to the argument by winch. we
nroye that the elective franchise is
right of the Declaration, and not merely
a privilege, and is one of the rights ana
immunities pronounced by that lnstru-
ment to be inalienable." II, as our
fathers declared, "all just government
is derived from the assent oil tne gov
erned;" if, in federal republics, that as,
sent can be ascertained and established
only through the ballot, it follows that to
take away that means of communication
ia TO take away from the citizen his great
weapon of defense, and reduce him to
helpless bondage. 1t depriyes him OF an
inaiienable right. This clearly proves
that the elective franchise ranks with
"life" and liberty" in its sacred IN
alienable character.
And it is plain it should not be taken
away from black people. The preserva-
ton of liberty depends on disarming and
DISTINGUISHING only white people, not
blacks, even if disloyal." Again;
What a grand compulsion have these
desnots. rebels and murderers finally
forced upon the American republic by
their impatient, rash and bloody acts
How they have aided the just men OF the
nation in producing this great good IL
were we'll if they could claim some merit |
as compensation for so great a crime.
Rat If evil must come into the world, |
(" woe unto him through whom it eometh.
I fear that If good does come into the |
world through compulsion, no merit VIII
he attributed to the unwilling actors
Let no man now, then, who be-
longs to this great Government
dare to stand up in the face OF
high heaven and longer deny TO Coos
immortal beings the high, the inalienabie,
the God. granted rights which his immor-
tai Father gave them. Let no one in the
mast or in any future age attempt to pal
late bis offense, either before an earthly |
tribunal which is to decide between Gods |
creatures, or who is to plead his cause at
the bar of higher tribunal, venture to
insult Divine justice by longer pleading |
his inability to execute that justice.
We must remember that most OF us
are separated from the dread tribunal
occupied by Judge who cannot be de-
ceived by the narrowest isthmus that ever !
divided time from eternity.
Is not this vein of pious exclamation
and exhortation rather rich as coming |
from the man who, after buying three !
grayeyards, has finally found resting
place where he can lie down with darkies
by the side of his own life long lubly !
Dinah7 The letter is only interesting |
as coming from the master spirit OF mis-
chiefs. 1t concludes with a prediction
that the Esprit Of liberty" is about t.
set out on another tramp. 1t is to cross
the Gulf, lick up the islands of the sea,
consume the Southern continent, and
result in giving to the sway Of Congress
"a greater abundance Of riches than
either Europe, Asia or Africa"
b4rThe Lynchburg, Petersburg, Staun'
ton, Charlottesville and Norfolk, as well |
as Richmond and other papers in Vir-
ginia, TEEN with outrages committed in
the recent election. These obtained |
the whole State, and were not |
confined to the cities. In Prince George, |