Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-08-19


nayTherc is muoh said about crime
Astounding in the cities, and too justly
There is moro concealed than sees tue
light. There is as much reason iof
comment about crilno out of tho clties'
and throughout all the Southern States,
Outraaes are numerous everywhere, ana
not a few are concealed, because expo
sure would add to the crime disgrace
and additional injury to the victims
There are sensiti 20 plants which, when
once Iacerated cannot be healed by being
touched by rude hands. In all parts oil
the country crime seems on the increase
The common effects and Generalization
of war are exceedingly enhanced at this
time by the peculiar circumstances OF
our case, growing out of the sudden lib
grafton and en(sanchisement, UMPIRE
nared. Of an ignorant and servile race.
No combination Of causes could we'll
secure more certainly an aggrega-
ton of the worst evils. The blacks are
occasionally emulating the melish,
and they are thieying everywhere dd
ibifuba, and almost with entire impu-
nity. The business OF the bureau is to
protect-not to punish. And hence the
vicious are without restraint A Radical
paper at AtlaMta speaks Of couple OF
enterprising blacks" as it takes delight
in denominating them, who have been
detected in forgery. Many others have
commenced counterfeiting and violating
the excise laws. These things are new
to the negroes. AS white boy learns
To smoke, chew and drink as soon as he
is old enough to put on the brooches, SO
the negroes are early beginning to prac-
lice the manly arts. The Indian tribes
imbibe the vices and some Of the virtues
of the white man withal. The blacks
drink in the vices alone. The gorilla
would do the same. Their Radical
friends have promised that freedom and
enfranchisement would elevate and
make them happier. The result,
as their real friends foresaw, is to
degrade and sink them in the vortex of
the vices. Black equality and enfran'
chisemsnt has been tried in the West
Indies, and the result is ruin to all in !
terests and all races there. 1t will be so
here. and cannot be otherwise. When
YOU nut Lees and Grants in the ranks,
do you expect victories with the most
ignorant of subordinates in command 7
When the CIays and Calhouns are ST.
fenced, do you expect good government
from the John Browns and Uncle Toms ?
Nobody expects it. With bad govern
we shall have bad citizens. And the
victor who enchains vanquishcd peo-
pie under such rule, must both know and
intend the completion of the ruin he has
wrought.
Go anywhere in the country, through
the plantations, and you will be told
not only that the blacks viii not work,
but, also, that they take everything
available, belongingto the whites, which
they can lay their hands on. How is
such a state Of things to be endured
II white man were to take their fowls,
stock, grain and vegetables he could be
convicted and punished without diff
Guilty. There would be both law ard the
proof But when the negroes do the
same thing, it is unknown to all but
his color. To punish the guilty, indeed,
you must arrest and convict them all.
And you can never get negro to testify
that one of his color has stolen from a
white man. So that, not being able to
punish the crime with law or without
law, the planter is victim. No won1er
they are moving for white labor. Ten
years hence there pil be but one race IN
the South. Black or white will abandon
it.