Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-03-16
shall We DO somesnins or Nothinsf

know, that when the men OF tno oo""h'
who own property cannot prosper .
carrying on their business, he canno
Wages must be low, when men who hav
means dare not use their means in mel
enterprises, when everything Is so unstl
BILE and uncertain that none can tell wha
will come next, or what they can safel
do with their capital Men will not in
vest under such circumstances. The,
will hoard. Why not, when they do no
know what is safe? Does any one be
lieve that all the gold which was the ba
sis of the circulation Of sound and sol
vent banks before the war has fed Thu
country No. The most Of il is hoard
ed, and will come to light, and give AMI
nation and life to every branch OF bust
ness whenever we have our good OLE
government back again. And why should
we not have it back? Must we go undel
a despotism before we can have peace
again Or can the free people Of Amer
lea so will and so act that they will have
the government and the prosperity Of
olden times2 Speaking on this subject,
the Cincinnati Enquirer says, with its
usual force and truthfulness:
We are in the midst Of revolution,
bloodless as yet, but no one can see its
ultimate consequences. When it is
established that a fragment OF a rump
Congress can exclude moro than one
third of its members, depose the Presi-
dent of the United States, set the Su'
preme Court at defiance, establish a
military despotism in ten States, and in
augurate general reign of terror, we
are in vortex going straight to a whirl'
pool of destruction.
The day was when we felt no evil from
government, but that it was a blessing.
Why should we not have such govern
ment again, when all the honest people
so earnestly desire it and pray for it2
The day was when representation and
went hand in hand, and when
all our States were represented in Con-
gress, and the voice of all regarded. Why
should that not be so now, when the ex-
cuse that any State, or any part of any
State, is longer in rebellion is false, and
a lie as black as the hearts which have
devised it, and when the truth is that the
most anxious of all men in the land for
The old and good government of the
Union are those who were formerly in
rebellion against it 1t is only because
shoddyites, rogues, sneaks and tyrants
have their axes to grind and their beds to
feather at the expense of the peace and
happiness of the masses of their country.
men. The time was when men wronged
BY government or people, fled and chung to
he horns of the judicial altar with assur.
lnce of protection. But now the Judi
,iary itself is attempted to be thrown
Town; or, what is worse las has come to
,e the case in the South, is made the in
of oppression in the hands of
he tyrants themselves. Is there any
reed of all this2 Could new rebellion,
military government, or no government
t all make things worse7 The ruin is
low so complete that no possible change
an fail of being for the better, we care
lot what We, Of Tennessee, are in
hell before our time thanks
o the infamy and stupidity of the dolts
Tho set up for statesmen, and framed for
IS our despicable State government,
nd our ruin is even more complete than
iendish malice has made it for the ten
nreconstructed States, for here we have
dded the fool to the tyrant. For the
yhole land, the only remedy is in a
eturn to constitutional government, in
out the plan devised by the
Democratic party, and in the use Of our
Id fashioned common sense.
There are no traitors in this country,
nd no enemies to good government but
hose who fatten on the public distresses,
nd who to do it run with the Radical
artisans. Poor men ofthe country, and
specially of Tennessee, look at it Who
re they that hold Offices, and domineer
yer you, and keep your men that have
means from the profits necessary to their
Employment, and you that have none
rom the ordinary wages of laborP Are
hey not the men who pay little or no
axes, who have not particle of interest
n the country or 10 you, so they can get
at salaries and rich pickings and big
teaings, and who would not stay here
N hour after the Southern goose is
thoroughly plucked2 The patriotism of
hese Radicals is all tied up in the acres
md few bales and spoons we have left.
When these are gone what more do they
ARE for this country, its poor men, wo-
men and children2 They will fly in
They will not be here an
lour, but run with their internal gains.
How is it that such tale can be truth
ully told in the midst Of a people who
rave yet remaining pretense or hope
,ffreedom2 Isit not time for the women
% take the matter up, for the very hares
md sheep to stand at bay2 How long
hall we delay to act as becomes mem
Aye, and freemen-if we do not consent
Mat liberty is dead and gone foreverH
II not, why stand idle, as il to weep over
ts grave. when there is life in the land