Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-05-23
rREEnnM nR aprrCu


FREEDOM OF SPEECH.
Every q who knows anything,
knows that freedom Of speech and Of
the press are the atmosphere in which
liberty lives. Nothing is so odious to q
truly free people, as that extravaganza
of tyranny which muzzles the press, and
makes the free utterance of thought in
speech an offence, or prevents 1t In adj
vance.
Despotisms do not dare to tolerate free
speech, because it is dangerous to their
power. Therefore in France neither the
journals or debate is free. But in our
country, heretofore, the right to speak and
print Bhatsyerone may choose, subject to
proper responsibility for the abuse Of the
right has been always deemed i~ndisaens-
able TO free government, and guaranteed
in the most solemn form by all u Con-
stitutions.
But now, in Virginia, a General for
bids a citizen TO lecture on the Chivalry
Of the South, and one in Georgia in
struets the Governor of the State that
he must net dare to advise the people
not to engage in the dirty work of recon-
struction: and in Tennessee, which la
bours under the halluciratlon that it is a
State, the Governor says, in an address
to the voters !:
Wherever these violent speeches are
made, inhaming the bad passions Of bad
men, l deem it my duty to station troops,
and shall do so, although the greatest
imaginable freedom of the press and OF
speech should be allowed to men of all
parties, and the conduct Of public men
and their measures should be criticised
without reserve. I do not conceive ii 10
be the duty of the state guards to stand
quietly by and hear any man excite the
mob spirit by d~enOuncing the federal and
state governments resistance TO the
courts-and tbs setting aside Of their de-
cisioDs by force or mob violence.
But an impudent negro from some
Northern state can claim freedom of
speech to declare that every man who
ever owned a negro ought to have his
beart-strings cut out and retail States
men, like WILSON and KELLY, can
travel over the country, inAaming and
exasperating the negroes, and doing their
utmost TO create q war Of races. The
New York Journal Of Commerce, struck
with the villainy Of the thing, fofeaX
"This is Roteas4ctly free speech. On
the CONTRARY, il is a very un-American
sort Of proceeding. What can be
more ridiculous than to style this
Of things freedom in any
sense Of the word. It is not even
probable that northern politicians held
ing views counter to those of Senator
Wilson, should go down to the south and
address the people. They would IN
.doubtedly be suppressed with summary
proceedings. The consequence of this is
plain. The southern country is, by mil
itary power, made free to only one class
Of politicians, and the first great result
Of the military reconstruction bill is to
launch On the poor southerners q flood OF
men advocating d set of views, while
their opponents are excluded by the mil
itary commanders. The south is recon-
strueted into a form OF government once
detested by the good sense 1f every good
American, and the sad spectacle is Of
to the world Of a free people using
military power for the prOpagsDdism Of
one shade Of principles while it uses the
same power TO suppress the advocacy Of
ANY other shade"
1t would have been in better taste for
The Wilson's, and men OF that sort, when
they heard that Gov. Jenkins was for
to address the people on his side
Of the question, TO withdraw from their
and decline to appear az advo-
cates of liberty which was confined to
only. 1t should be mortify-
.ng TO such men to find themselves
in such q ridiculous position, for
which no one a have any respect.
The Louisville Courier says, in regard
o these itinerants:
We have TO- TO ssy that every liberty
owing man must regret the necessity
be southern people are under of tolera-
ing the seditious and revolutionary
laraDgues Of the Jacobin emissaries now
ngsged in attempting to iBaugurate a
var Of races. The enforcement of GER
ain salUtary laws of the southern states
q the olden time would, il practicable,
q E1AlChNAF HAODCA III LIZ L1oC VI IIC5E I
of strife, sedition and revolution.
hacked as the southern people are by
be chains of an ~unrelenting despotism,
Il they can do is TO look, with as much
as they can summon TO their
id, upon the measures taken by the
against their peace and welfare.
hey are not even allowed the privilege
{ criticising the speeches of the yankee
emagogue5, as the interference OF Gen.
cofield with the Richmond Times for
s ridicnle Of Wilson's speech shows.
The radicals have destroyed freedom
( speech AND Of the press at the south,
ad they will do the same thing when
yer and wherever they have the power.
Those who are sngagedin harsngui1g
le negroes, ia order to place them in
atagonism to the people among whom
ley have always lived, and to whom
icy must look for employment, must
now, for they are not fools, that they
thus making collisions and riots in
all the blame of which, they !
lite as well know, viii, justly or I'M
silly, be cast upon the whites. 1t is not
lcharItable to believe, as we do believe,
they desire that these disturbances
IoUld occur, in order that the total sup ]
-ession Of freedom Of speech and Of the !
may seem TO be justified, and that
le party in favor of conhscation may be ]
.cruited. Foolish and rash men.cannot /
lore completely play into their hands, :
ian by allowing themselves to be pro-
into the commission Of acts of {
elenee, that will bring upon the heads, =
OF themselves, but Of those who ;
holly condemn their rashness, the Q
ost terrible consequences. .
1t is true that the right of free speech
mot be pleaded in Justification OF such
Irsngues as have been made, here ard
ieghere, 70 an ignorant and ~unreason-
; race, drunk with a sudden freedom,
d drunken still with the right of suf- Y
,ge, to exercise which they are totally !!
fitted. Think only Of JOHN w. For
Y, in his speech to a colored delega- e
q which waited upon him just before 8,
sailed for Europe, saying y
Z I halieVe the dRy ia coming. and that r.