Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-02-12

calculated TO promote harmony In tns
ranks Of the Conservative party. BE
sides naturalized foreigners, the grea'
mass Of enfranchised citizens were origi
nally Wings and Know-NothingA Null
titudes CO. operated with Democracy after
secession was accomplished who opposed
the act and theory. The great mass OF
arms-bearing soldiers were Wings and
Know Nothings, whose political assoc'a'
tons gave them no means OF access 10
the ear Of Confederate authority. Union
men Of the South were without leader
Mr.. Bell possessed few elements OF char
acter that fitted him for the mastery oil
great party. Douglas home was in the
Northwest, and Yancey and his adhe :
rents, a minority in fact, possessed those
sources of power resulting from COM
pactness of organization and unity oil
design. In the absence of reason, they
resorted to violence and denunciation,
and BY these agencies even State con-
yentions we're controlled. II now hap
mems that this same class Of party lead
ers would reassume supremacy in the
Conservative party, and the first step is
accomplished when, in the South, oppo-
nents Of Radicalisn accept the designa'
ton Democracy" In the North, the
word democracy has no such significance.
The World pronounces Vallandigham,
who is moderate in his opinions as con-
trasted with Southern Democrats, the
"pest of the party" To his "malign
influence" is ascribed the recent defeat
of genuine Northern Democrat in the
9Th Congressional District of Ohio. The
mildest phrase of Southern Democracy
sheds fiercer rays upon partisan char
acter than the MONDAY splendor OF
Brute Buffers genius upon the serried
ranks of militant, aggressive Radicaiisu.
1t happens that the mass of Conser-
yatiye voters in Tennessee were origi-
nally Wings and Know-Nothings. The
very reasoning which impelled them to
oppose the concession of the right OF
suffrage to foreigners, save that based
upon race. features, induces hostility to
Radicalism and negro suffrage. The
negro is incapable of wise civic action.
The facile tool of demagogues, the vic
tim of placemen, credulous, imposed
upon by empty shows and oaths of mid
night conclave, he does the bidding OF
new class of masters who rule him by
appeals to his ignorance instead OF his
fears and affections. A Know Nothing,
if honest and consistent, would restrict
rather than extend the right Of suffrage,
and therefore he opposes negro suffrage
If foreigner choose to concur we need
not render his ignorance absurd by as
sorting that opposition to African domi-
nation is war upon Know-Nothingism.
On the contrary, our Irish fellow-citizens
approve, as they must, the whole theory
of theKrow-Nothin party. In truth, just
now, there is no such pending issue as
that which city paper discusses. South
ern Know-Nothings, as represented by
Emerson Etheridge, would have this
government of white men. This is
enough, and we only fear that by con-
ceding the name we surrender the sub
stance. In other words, by asserting to
the substitution of the name T" Demcc'
racy" for that of Conservatism" we
may cause those ignorant of the facts to
mistake our purposes and creed. Those
who opposed Democracy prior to 1861,
and afterwards followed in its train, have
every reason to believe that their origi-
nal convictions we're well founded. We
then deemed the course OF that party
ruinous to the best interest of the North
and South, and history at last approves
these opinions. Since there is North
ern Democracy differing toto colo from
that known by the same term in the
South to which we must look for relief
from Radical despotism, we may assent,
with this exposition of purposes, to the
substitution of the term Democratic
for Conservative" as descriptive of the
party with which we are allied.
7. R. Mn.
In former times Wings and Know
Nothings alike claimed to be true DEM
ocrats. We see no good reason why
they should refuse name to which they
then said they had the best title. In COM
parison, names are nothing-principles
everything. When in former years we
ba,tled as best we could for Wing princi-
pies, we thought ourselves better demo-
Gratis than those who went by that name.
1t means those who favor government
wherein the sovereign power is lodged 10
the people, and not in the hands OF des-
pots, aristocrats or tyrants over the peo-
ple-nothing more. How then should 1t
be objected to; for no better reason than
that certain of our former fellow-citizeus
held il, who we're no better democrats
than we were2 Who that is in favor of
IL ..~t h.