Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-09-25
eIve ma A ooNvKNTIoN.


illegal and bogus State government we
knew the legal effect of the proclamation
10 he the enfranchisement Of every man
who was voter anterior to the war, as
well as those who have reached majority
since, we suggested the inquiry as 70 the
propriety of holding State Convention
We never hesitated to propose It d.
rectly from any doubt Of its legality OF
Importance, but only from motives oil
policy, and with the hope that our sug-
eestion might awaken attention 10 the
subject and induce others to move IN the
matter. And we are now pleased to see
that AT least two influential coiempo-
raries, the Nashville Gazette and the
Dyersburg Gazette, have come out with
the proposition.
If there is a reason why such a con-
yention should not be held, and held at
once, that reason is not that any law OF
the United States, or any law oil
Tennessee, or any disloyalty in
the people, or any thing else,
but the power Of tyranny over
the sovereign people of Tennessee for
bids It. There is no argument or reason
which shows it to be wrong. The Con-
stitution, SO far from prohibiting, ex'
pressly declares the perpetual existence
of the right, And there is nothing to
prevent its exercise but the interest and
the power of contemplate faction OF
few interested officeholders and Office
seekers, who have neither the brains to
rule, nor the heart to govern well, it they
could. The Constitution is explicit
The first section of the first article Of the
declaration OF Rights afiirms p" That
all power is inherent in the people, and
all free governments are founded on their
authority, and instituted for their
peace, safety and happiness; for the ad
vancement of those ends, they have, at
all times, an unalienable and indefea
sible right to alter, reform or abolish the |
government in such manner as they may |
think proper" Aud the last section of
the last article of the Constitution says;
" The declaration of rights hereto pre-
fixed is declared TO be part Of the Con-
stitution of this State, and shall nerer
be violated on any fFetspse phatsoerer."
1t is only in the case of ordinary amend.
ments that the legislature is called on to
interfere. If the people in their SOW
ereign capacity choose to alter, reform
or abolish the government" they may
do it "in such manner as they may think
proper The legislature has nothing TO
do With it And there ia no power to
prevent known to the law. The reoog-
milton of this sovereign right of the
people is the Alpha and Omega of the
Constitution of Tennessee. How, then,
can any man deny the right of the
people so carefully and guardedly re-
served to them ?
If, therefore, we are . people from
whom legal disabilities are removed, We
see no reason why we should not exer-
else republican rights, common to free
people, What Wbbsst. good sense is there
in such timid counsels as admon-
ish US, nine tenths Of the whites
OF Tennessee, against exercising inalien'
able rights, now accorded to us by the
Executive and Judiciary of the country,
and which Congress has no right but
that of the tyrant to forbid or hinder
Before the war, we did not wait de-
cision of the courts, when we desired to
exercise inalienable rights, and that
most sacred of all, the right Of choosing
Dur own rulers. Why should we wait
now, when we are just as certain Of the
decision of all honest judges in our fa-
Vor, as we we're then, because every man
wearing the judicial ermine is sworn to
the law and support the con-
of the State, which, as the su-
preme law, declares the right to vote to
be inalienable to all good citizens. Why
not attempt the enjoyment of these rights
which are not legally denied to us, and
# any hinder US, appeal to the courts
when the occasion arises
This strikes us as the proper course.
And we see no strong probability OF any
effort being made to prevent
This expression of the will of the people
Of Tennessee. If there is, is it not plain
hat republican government is destroyed
roreyerG And is it not therefore reason.
able to expect ample protection from
The Executive of the United States, when
in good faith we seek the common good
and the overthrow of a self-constituted
authority over the State, which is as much
without the sembance Of right as it is
without the coloriug Of wisdom or worth ?
The Government Of Tennessee is despised
the North, even by a majority
Of the Radicals themselves. And they
will regard our longer submission to it
than is necessary to its regular, peaceful
aud legal overthrow, with contempt, as
eviucing that we have been so completely
,owed and cast down by bayonels that
no manhood is left us, and our teeth
chatter aud we turn pale at the mention
Of William G. Brownlow, as Commander
in. nhinf nf The urnalish - army and navy