Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-03-08


!. grants IN ne case than in the other.
! This very argument has been repeate
i over and over again. 1t was Iendere
. more plausible by the use of the wor
] 'Union,' and the abandonment of th
o words 'Federsl and Confederation i
4 the Constitution. To be sure, the wor
n tJnion had been continually used i
I regard to the Confederation; and th
' new instrument was called a FEEDERS
I Constitution Of Government; but ther
/ was enough left the Nationalist, il
phrases ard antiquities. for them to al
. que upon before the People. Phrase
J and the niceties of expression are no
critically considered in Conventions, as Z
l the esseni,e of things, but only whel
: they effect bargains, and compromises Q
, material and selfish interests. And whel
! the people is the Court of Appeals 4
settle the construction Of Constitution
very little light is necessary TO win
? verdict and a mighty argument ma.
? be built OH very slight phrase. Partie
/ are founded on antiquities, and civi
, war may result from an equiUOgue
/. When the large States were defeated
Justice and mercy to posterity, as well q
, honesty and patriotism, demanded that
it being determined that the CoDstitutidl
was a compact between the States, anC
5 that the government derive all ID
y powers from their grant, they shoulC
carefully and anxiously have scanned th'
instrument, and left no phrase or word IL
it inconsistent with this plan andidea. /
the consent of some of the States could
only be had by means of these iDconsis
tencies AMI antiquities, if it coud be cap
tured, only by Misrepresentation tC
which these gave colour and plausibility
far better have let the attempt fail They
always bear their aecursed fruits in due
time; and the children have in this case
reaped them, not only in war, but in the
denaturslizing Of the Constitution, which
is completed, and the consolidation Of
the States into an Empire, which is sure
to result from it. Every Republic Is led
by the nose by somebody. Each has
those who make opinions for it; and
there never was one, 'qtH ne robust de
tOute force en- estre cGjOlec.'
THE ADVANCING TREAD OF DIES.
/ POTISM.
From the n. n. Freenan's Is JournaLl
4 Congress, or what passes for congress,
has, in bogh houses, passed bill known
/ as the iSheTDld7l biz. 1t contains all the
I poison of Thad. Stevens bill of "TecOn-
/ struction.n 1t has, moreover, clipped
!
/ Stevens bill openly exposed to judicial
! sentence as unconstitutional. 1t pro-
[ vides for military government over the
southern states-supersediBg the SOW
! ereignty of the civil laws. 1t proposes,
/ however, to make the president the ex-
ecutive agent, in place OF his subordinate,
/ Gen. Grant.
: For the rest, it proposes to subject and
hold the southern states under the rigOFs
Of military rule till they consent to re-
nounce their rights, degrade their man
hoed, and launch themselves on the
unknown sea of farther experimental
revolutionism. We do not believe the
people of the southern states will accept
the degrading alternative, and so
the effect of the bill will be to
make them military provinces of
the government at Washington.
Men are idly speculating as to whether
the president will veto the bill in time
for this congress TO pass it over his veto,
or whether, according to the provision of
law he will suffer it to go without his
signature, and thus die with the congress
that expires on the 4th of March. If it
passes thus, the nert congress-, which as
sembles on the 4th, will re-ensct the bill,
and pass it over any veto that may be
interpOsed.
Are the people of these northern states
totally inlbeciies Are they sleeping
Or has apathy overcome them that they
are looking with cOnte ntment to the
complete abrOgation Of the forms of gov
ernment we have inherited? Crazy
apathy ! 1t is not the forms, it is the
nature of our government that they are
thus throwing away
Give US security for " life, liberty"
and scope to pursue happiness" ac-
cording to our own conscience, but not
infringing on the equal rights of our
neigh bors-and we care not button for
the form of government! Call it re-
public, or monarehy-let it be periodi-
cally elective, or during good behavior.
Call the executive q president, Jr an
emperor, or a king, or policeman-so
long as he protects US, and our rights,
and obeys the ldtrs to which we have
consented-and which makes him pres
ident, or king, OF Polieeman-we leave
it to scrambling politicians to get the
place of power. We value our republic
can forms of government only as the
best means to thst end.
But "the letter killeth-it is the spirit
that Riyes life :" Forms of republican
ism-as We have had sad evidence-may
he the cloak for the biSst intnlerable of
despOtisms. An emperor, or king, may
sedulously consult the liberties, and the
9rishes Of his people, and il is only by
doing 50, acr5trding TO the ancient princt-
pies OF the a5InInOn law as laid down by
Chief Justice BraeCoa IN the thirteenth
century, and by Chief Justice Fortescue
in the fourteenth, that he is really and
lawfully king or emperor. The kiDg,n
said the chief justice under Henry II. of
England--that proud Plantagenet Ofthe
thirteenth century" the king can give
to the law only what the lar has given
to the king" And again, g the king
hath his master-GOd. Also The ld1C,
according to whiels. alone he is king!"
Have our cOunrymen, Dragging for
everof their progress, /" and their better
understanding Of liberty than freemen /
have had under kings and emperors, lost /
the traditions of theiF fOrefstheTs 4
Have they become such simpletOns as to /
think that the lgorSt that is to befall |
them is to be a change in the form of our |
Foolish people 1t is a |
military despOtism that is before /
US But the military despot to be but a /
puppet in the hands of petty clique of /
loy-bred, and shameless |
wretehes who will displace one robber /
to supply his post with another.
The people of the New England states /
are still fond Of local self-government, |
for themselves, according to their own
notions. The comparative smallness of |
their sta -es, and the baTTenness of their
soil, has helped them to retain these
of better days. Why will they F.
promote The combining Of federal power,
and bufliBg it on the PROSTATE and de-
fenseless southern states? The federal
power of the United States may be used,
to-day, to annihilate state governments
at the south aud 10 subject those popu
latious to the despOtism of military
rulers, erected on the ruins Of govern
ment by law.
But is not change written on all things
bumsn2 Is anything in the future of
America more certain than that the
growing impoTerishment of the west
will, ere long, make that Immense re-
gion the ally of the down-trodden south |
Inside or outside Of Ongress-according
to constitutional forms, or ia defiance of
them, the vast regions that New Eng
land has by guile, made tributary to her,
win combine and demand a terrible
Where win the New Bnglanders find
a place to hide, in that coming day +?
From her rimy coasts she will, no doubt,
cry to O'd England for help, as in times
past. But, first, the tie of sympathy that
the puriians rely on will deceive them.
They viii fiud that the old adage honor
between thieves" is Jest And, in the
next place, that old harlOt of the nations
win not be able to help, il she wishes it.
New Hngland and her emissaries
would now arm the federal government
with more than imperial powers, to work
its despotiO will over the southern states.
il successful. Some new form
of avarice, arming itself with all the
agencies OF new fanaticism, may array |
the hordes Of whites, and negroes too,
thus make tools Of a central government,
TO regulate New England There ere /
state lines to be "virsG 0dt f" there as
well as at the south. There are hou- es
there, rich in goods however obtained.
that myriads Of gallant volunteers "
will be only too anxious to visit, ss
4" Shernr.sRn's PnmmersR Eisited the
south
Have these puritans no children I? /
Can they not see the seed they are SOW
ing? Or has God closed their eyes, in |
order that they, and their puny off
spring, may receive, even in this world, /
the reward Of their doings
We plead for peace, fer reconciliation, /
fol leaving to endiass eternity and To I
God, who IL infinite in his Justice, the I
unsettled accounts Of evil dOers. We I
want peace in our days, and in our coun- /
try. But we see the hone of It receding.