Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-12-20
.IDAY EVENING. DECEMBER 30. 1867

| reiOrmatiOnb are maue IN cOld DlOOu lhNe
reformations are made under a state OF
Inflammation. In that state Of things
the people behold in the Government
nothing that is respectable They see the
abuse, and they will see nothing else.
They fall into the temper of q furious
populace, provoked nc the disorder Of a
house Of i'll fame. They never attempt
TO corrupt or regulate. They go to work
by the shortest way; they abate the
nuisance; they pull down the house."
The perfect applicability of these
words Of Mr.. Burke to our present con-
dition, is to my mind most obvious II
you, gentlemen, shall Immediately call a
Convention, to be composed of dele
gates chosen on the principle of univer =
sal sufirage-neither excluding the pres.
ent registered voters, nor any portion OF
those who have been subjected to dis
franchisement, that body will come
together in a most amicable and concil-
iatory spirit; they will frame a Consti
tuition equitable, statesmanlike, and
pnrely Republican in all its features.
That instrument will embody in it pro-
vision securing indemnity for all past
wrongs, either real or supposed; it will
remove all doubts as to the validity OF
the Legislative enactments heretofore
adopted, and thus happily prevent much
strife and collision nov obviously me-
naced; and it will provide for the con-
tinuance in Office of all civil function =
aries heretofore elected or appointed,
until their official terms shall have re.
spectively expired We shall have a
friendly and united people, and such bles'
sings will be showered upon us as no part
of the world has heretofore enjoyed.
You, gentlemen, will be recognized as
wise and patriotic statesmen, and you
will receive the praise and gratitude OF
your fellow-citizens both of the present
and of future generations. But suppose
you delay this important action; sup
pose you endeavor to evade your mani :
fest duty toward patient and long
suffering people; do you suppose that
they will contentedly remain in their
present dishonored and distressed coH-
dition for one, two, three, four years
longer, or, as some, l am told, are
suggesting, for an indefinite period
Why, gentlemen, you would yourselves
hold them in profound contempt if you
thought them capable of pursuing such
course. True it is, there is not the
smallest danger of their rising in arms
against the authority which you are now
welding No scheme of seditious oppo'
sition to the existing government or its
chosen functionaries will be thought OF.
Whatever course your disregard of their
just wishes may compel them to adopt,
you may rest perfectly assured that all
their acts will be peaceful, orderly, and
strictly III conformity with the Consti.
tuition. They are entirely aware that
principles are embodied in that instru-
ment and remedies prescribed, which, il
appealed to, will secure to them prompt
and speedy relief from oppression; and
upon these alone will they rely. .
We have all received it in charge from
our fathers, to guard and preserve the
liberty which they have transmitted to
us as the most precious of earthly pos
sessions. We have been taught ever to
bear in mind that liberty can be only
safely sheltered and saved from 6estruc-
ton under the protection Of republican
institutions; that no government can be
truly republican in character in the ad
ministration of which majority of its
citizens are not allowed to take part; and
that no citizen can be truly free to whom
the right of suffrage is upon any pretext
denied. The declarations of our national
independence has given us to understand
that "these truths are self eyident-that
all men are created free and equal, that
they are endowed by their Creator with
certain inalienable rights; that, among
these, are life, liberty and the pursuit Of
happiness that to secure these rights,
governments are instituted among men,
deriving their just powers from the con-
sent of the governed that whenever any
form of government becomes destructive
of these ends, it is the right of the people
to alter and abolish it. and to institute
new government, laying its foundations
on such principles, and organizing its
powers in such form, as to them shall
seem most likely to effect that safety and
happiness.
| am wholly unwilling to believe that
there are many individuals now living
among us who are disposed to call in
question any part of this sacred testa-
ment of principles, however temporary
forgetfulness of them may in some in-
stances be more or less apparent.
Our own precious Bill of Rights, ex.
cepted out Of the State Constitution, and
made perpetual by that instrument, con.
tains the following precious declarations !;
"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 their
advancement of those ends, they have at
all times an inalienable and indefeasible
right to alter, reform, or abolish the
Government in such manner as they may
think proper.
Governments being instituted for the
common benefit, the doctrine Of non
resistance against arbitrary power and
oppression is absurd, slavish, and de
struotive of the good and happiness of
mankind"
Elections shall be free aud equal.
"The right Of trial by jury shall re-
main inviolate"
| should regard myself, gentlemen, as
doing you most grievous insult we're. to
suggest that you did not either comprs.
bend the plain meaning Of the several
extracts just cited, or that you had
ceased to consider the Declaration Of
Independence of eur Bill of Rights as
worthy of your regard. Yet, If both Of
these are not utterly worthless, IT is
most manifest not only that the people
of Tennessee have, in their sovereign
capacity, a right to alter or abolish their
government at pleasure, but that this
right is Of such nature that they cannot
either forfeit it or ceds it away. No
- -, a. l...-:,o H., Is tb;o rioht cap