Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-09-06

pray.
vertent errors. It mistakes in saying
| that state the negro majority Of Missis-
! sippi at $1,000. My letter proceeds, you
win observe, on the general proposition
of large majority. Your allegation OF
my claim to statesmanship has, you viii
find on recurring to my letter, no other
| ground than that, in rebuking The temper
| Of iITrtizdnsIip, Insist that the quss-
| ton Of the hour must be approached in
the temper Of craftsmanship. YoU mis-
| apprehend when you say that / expect
| TO cut down negro suffrage TO the least
dimensions. ] do not contemplate any
| thing 80 impraeticable. ] simply pro
| pose TO cut down The eUils Of universal
| suffrage to the least dimensions; 70 do
so, not, as you appear TO think, by sur
rendering all the powers Of the state into
! the hands of any one class, or any one
! color; but by taking steps to guard
| against parties based on race.
My letter sought TO lay down a means
| for drawing the lightning from the
| threatening cloud Of univeral suffragep
| by averting a domestic radicalism worse
| than that Of Tennessee. That radicalisfn
would bring ruin on every one Of IN,
| black and white, from the moment at
which it bore the aggravated form Of q
| pure negro majority. Instead Of such q
terrible condition of things, my views
begin With q broad justice to the black
man, calculated to win and deserve his
confidence and through that confidence,
which l for one pledge myself never to
betray, to obtain from him the deferance
due, and invariably yielded, in political
bodies, TO superior intelligence. Not IN
I NIasaM IL. Il l.
state from a domestic radicalism worse
than that Of Tennessee butt seek to go
further, by obtaining for our people, in
stead Of that Fadicalisn, state govern
ment that, founded in justice and gen
erOsity to all men, white and black, shall
scOrn to place any man under civil or
political disabilities.
Some points OF your editorial are
hardly just They are, however, but as
spots on the sun. They in no wise less
en- the sincerity with which / repeat
my acknowledgements OF the spirit in
which you review my letter. And / am
glad to find an opportunity of directing
the attention Of several journalists in this
state to the remoustTance ia which an
editor so eminent and able as yourself,
says; We detest the common habit Of
the partizan press to misrepresent that
to which it pretends 10 reply, to misstate
the position it impugns by
which means a dozen pages are often
required to correct the scoundrelism of
paragraph or two, and one lets the mat
ter pass rather than take the trouble to
expose the knaveries Of which the argu-
ment is the victim"
Allow me to add to your remonstrance
another Of urgent concern. RGce-par-
Ice fal~ g,f
Mississippi, prove our ruin. They can
imply nothing short Of negro domina-
ton. The loyal league, We may all con-
elude, viii take no steps to destroy its
party. Therefore may we rest assured
it will not, as you suppose, throw any
obstacles in the way Of a movement
based, like that which propose, on the
necessity OF transferring its friends from
rsdicalism TO cOnstitutionalism, from the
support Of a section to q support broad
as the restored union.
The men in power may be reasonably
counted on for assisting, rather than ob-
structing, the progress Of an organization
calculated to accomplish 4 purpose so
necessary to their political future No
interests of radicaiism apply, therefore,
to justify any interference with the happy
relations now existing between the great
body Of tue whites and blacks Of Mis-
sissipi.L
The danger to the harmony of the
two races in this state lies in the public
press. And here II is that l ask you to
give voice to my remOnstrances. COun-
tFy newspapers are very often the only
guides TO opinion smOngst people in
Mississippi. Those journals sometimes
vent their discomfort with the political
situation, upon the poor negro. Apart
from the gross injustice of that course,
protest against it az a thing Of policy.
Itcan serve no other purpose save that Of
aggravating, by arOusing the passions Of
race on both sides, the danger threaten
ing US with reign Of horrors. The iIs
Oonsiderate temper that falls into that
mistake msy, or may not, feel at liberty
to throw obstacles in the way Of the Just
and generous passion proposed in M
letter with single eye 70 the solution Of
an imminent political evil. But it ought,
certainly, not to feel at liberty to do so
by the employment Of sueh opposition
to that passion, as may be held to point
70 a war of races. /
I thank you for your courtesy. I &C
knowledge with pleasure your mOdera-
ton and fairness. Assuring you that
should aught in this mmunicatiOn oe-
eur to you as wanting in respect, nothing
is more remote from the intention.
lr ! haye the honor 70 bs, General,
Very respectfully-, ours, ETC.
J. !. AL-DItN. /
Gen. ALBERT PIKE, Editor siempuis Appeal.