Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-06-02
THE PRESIDENTIAL CONTEST.
County Conservative Conven-
lion at the City Hall
Last Night.
Delegates 10 tho state Con-
yentiOn nj Nashville
Appointed.
The Resolutions, Speeches,
Etc.-Great Enthusiasm
and Harmony.

at the City Hall last evening. Colonel
Sam. p. Walker was called to the Chair,
and in brief terms stated the object OF
the meeting 70 be that Of selecting dele
gates to represent Shelby county in the
Democratic State Convention which
assemblies at Nashville on the 9th inst
On motion, John W. Leftwich, M. ID.
L. Stewart, Colonel Phil. b. Glenn and
Jesse Page were appointed Vice Presi-
dents, and W. o. Loaand, Secretary.
On motion, Major Minor Merriwether,
John Mhoon and j. II. Miller were ap-
pointed q Committee on Resolutions
and retained to draft the same.
On motion, J. j. DuBose, F. Titus, M
C. Galloway, c. c. Ward, James South
erland, A. Seessel and P. M. Winters we're
appointed committee TO nominate'dele-
gates to Nashville, and likewise retired
to perform that duty.
The Committee on Resolutions return.
ing, submitted through their chairman,
Capt. Merriwether, the following:
Resolued. AS the sense of the Demo
cratic party of Shelby county,
l. That the late war was waged on the
part of the Federal Government for the
sole and declared purpose of restoring
the Union under the Constitution.
2. That the late war having extin-
guished slavery in the Southern States,
we pledge ourselves to abide that result
3. That while the freedman is entitled
to proper degree OF guardianship on
the part of both Federal aud State gov
ernments, he is totally unfit to exercise
the full prerogatives of citizenship 10
invest him with the right OF suffrage, OF
holding Office and sitting on Juries-in
word, to make him, in his present condi-
ton, a Souereign-is political crime,
the tendency Of which is to destroy the
peace, happiness and prosperity of both
the white and black races, and to sap the
very foundations of our republican instI-
| tutions.
4. The present crisis in public affairs
| is the most perilous to the liberties OF the
people, and to our free, constitutional
Government, that has ever occurred IN
our history as Federal Union. Although
three years have elapsed since the close
| of the war, the Union under the Constr
tution-the only bond of Union except
| force-has not been restored. Ten OF
the States of the Union are governed,
not by the Constitution and the laws
passed in conformity thereto, but as con-
ouered provinces, by military despotlsm
while the government Of our own State
| is a more oppressive despotism than that
by which any people of Europe is cursed
| More than seventy thousand white citi-
zens, representing the mass of property
and intelligence in the State, are dis
| franchised, and all political power is
| lodged in the hands of very small MI
| nority of the whites, and of the recently
emancipated and ignorant blacks.
5. The party in power in the Federal
and State governments is utterly iricom-
petent to govern, and especially to the
treat work of reconstructon. They have
set aside the Constitution, permitted the
legislative to absorb nearly all the
powers of its coordinate branches OF
government; they control elections by
fraud or force they have done nothing
to relieve the country of the immense
burden of debt and taxation that OPP
presses it, they are corrupting both the
political and moral sense of the people;
tanning the flames of hatred between the
sections and races and preparing, as we
believe, to revolutionze the Government
and establish dictatorship. We regard
their success in the pending Presidential
campaign as the death blow to our liber'
ties. and to our constitutional, republl-
can Government.
6. We are in favor of the Union under
the Constitution. Within the Consttu-
ton are peace, prosperity and safety;
outside of it are violence and injustice,
oppression, anarchy and despotism.
I. We are emphatically in favor OF
white mans government, and opposed to
military despotism and the negro su,
premacy of the Congressional plan OF
reconstruction. We will support that
party and that Presidential candidate
who are in favor of the restoration OF the
Union and Constitution, who will guar
antee to us an economical adminlstra-
ton of the finances, and the payment OF
the national debt, principal and interest
in greenbacks, and the taxing OF the
bonds, principal and interest, as other
property and incomes are taxed. In call
ing ourselves the Democratic party, we
do so without reference to former party
issues, and from the fact that the Demo-
cratic party of the North is the only one
capable of Offering effective resistance
to the radical war upon the Constitution
The resolutions we're adopted with
great unanimity and enthusiasm.
Calls were then made for a number OF
gentlemen among the crowd, and the
following came forward and addressed
the meeting in BETTING terms, viz {:
Col. CAN'T, Capt T. W. Brown and Hon.
John w. Leftwhich.
The committee on nominations return
ing, submitted the following names as
their choice of delegates to the State
Convention, viz: NJ. W. elusky, W. G.
Swan, N. B. Forrest, II. L. Priddy, W.
Y. C. Humes, J. P. Strange, Antonio
Cordanna, W. f. Tyler, Col. John W.
Dawson, Andrew ]. Edmondsou, Col.
NJ. Msgevney, jr., Thos D. Allen, Cham
berlain Jones, ST., William II. Walker,
John T. Trezsvant, Colonel L. c.
HAYNES, Theodore McGee, J. H.
Goodlett, J. d. Rufin, Gen. Albert Pike,
j. NJ. Coleman, Capt. J. F. Tobins John
Rosser, Col. C. d. Mclean, NJ. ]. Wal
dram. W. Mcclure, A. S. Levi, T. l..
Warner. Newton Hart, F. A Tyler, Msjor
| -, - rtT t-.W E;rl,r Penhan