Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-04-02
rur noRALITY or POLIrTCs.
OF TENEE'

The pobIest speech that we ever heard
uttered by TIE lips Of man. was made By
that ueerless orator, SERGEANT 5. PREM
Trss. in 1874, in Nashville, on the mora.
ity Of Politics.
In every country where the people rule
they are too little in the habit Of weigh
ing the fairness, the honesty, and The
morality Of public measures, snd The
means which parties use to win v.ctoHe.
withaL. The crooked and tortucus policy
Of mouarchicsl diplomacy, and the habit
ual ovsr-reaching Of one nation by al
other. are rivalled, and in republic:
surpassed, by the mRnGuvrings OF ca
balls. the vile means to which caucusses
resort, and the un~gcrupuloUs cbicsnerle'
OF legislation. The evil il greater and
grows more rapidly and rGnkly, aud BE-
comes more a settled and fixed vicious
habit IN republics, because in them re-
sporrfdutyis enthusiastically divided, and
a vote may almost algsys be explained
away. and there are, ct any rate, many
knsves TO keep eseh other in c~ounteHaHce.
The consequence is that liberty soon
devsnerstes into license, legislatures reg
lister the costs OF secret csucdsss and c.
balls, corruption becomes the most GER
tain means Of securing the adoption OF
measures: and the most disreputabls and
universal and ~6ishonoTing devices Of leg
isIation and p~artizanship are resorted &c,
10 attsin questionable ends.
Mortal diseases afiict She body, and
psstIendsI ones s~atursteit with their poi
so1. long before the symptoms aPpssr (;
so that commonwealth often seem
fourishiDg and prosperous after 3 losg
ourse Of dishonest and immoral lsgisla-
ton, and when the disease, OF which
such legislation is the cause, has spread
through the whole system, aud thrusts
its poisonous roots even into the heart Of
the state.
Tnis is the worst feature OF all the late
legislation Of Congress in regard to the
Southern States, that it is dishonss. and
immoral. It is unmanly, -uBgeHeC9Us
and ipnoble; and these characteristics
are the symptoms Of the deadly disease
which perhaps no medicine can cure.
Everything inst is enacted seems to pro-
coed from bed motives, and TO seek to
attain evil means. AL is immortality
and corruption. In the words OF 5.
Northern journal:
uBsS men, aetu2ted by the most cor
r1pt motives, have been ~pluDgiuE the
couutry from one frightfuI extreme into
another Tor the past three years. Their
legislation az Washington mas been tEe
most atrocious that " o~isgraced civiii-
zetioa. Gigantic frauds go UNPUBLISHED,
gross eorruptiOns are w~hitewsslsd or
covered up, u~nprincipled character WELD
the greatest power and TO despise The
Constitution, 20 break down the Duiwarks
which the fathers of toe republic erected
eo-reach the acme Of republican distinc-
ffon in Washington. Impeachment D.
Ieygued with and is only another name
for Reputation. Ts punish s temporary
DolitiesI offender they would crush for
ever the credit Of The uaNOn. IOdestfgg
fine Democratic party they would not
hesitate 70 drag the country iHtO thev YER
4sx of i~rretrievEbie bankruptcy. anarchy
80 ruIu. The more effeetuRllv to sub
dne a. already subdusd portion Of the
country. once In rebellion, they have
brouoit 10 their sid a raes OF barbarisns
and clothed them with ali the prerogs-
ffyes OF the ~rgigning race Of the land
.nd through their fundamentally they
hone 20 perpetuEte ard strengthen Their
hold upon 2 political power they were
only created 70 abuse. To build Up theIr
nsrrow-minded oligarchy they nave laid
hands upon that gallant soldier,
Gen. Grant, and are endeavOrlug 70 use
MIN lur their partisan purposes. With
prestige Of his name and the assist
~ncs OF the southeyn negro vote they eZ-
II 70 carry the next Presidential cleo
In and thus entail upon the American
Deoeia another -four years Of intolerable
misruls,"
Psrbsus no more grossly immoral or
measure was ever proposed
th., that which Congress would hsve
if Mr.. STEVENS had insisted
,,o, IL. of which he became ashamed,
11t which was r~e-propossd by another, /
- s.rmulous than he. or that meas
as proposed by Mr.. STEVENS, We
,orrow the language iof the New York
70 cay, ia words not too severe:
II is not easy 70 conceive Of a more
OF unjustihsoie political pro
49, than this. Congress enacted a
DECLARING that unless the whole
v,9ting amounted 10 q mejority
IL ragistsred voters, the Constitution
y .lid not be cdopted. TAOse opposed
80 Coustituti0H, setting under this
. nd FOR the purpose OF carrying out
vievg. ~abstsinea from voting.
a-sre entitled TO do this by the law
Lney !, fact invited to do il as the best
49, III giving effect to their wis5es
! "a now Mr.. Stevens proposes 10 repGs
- one1ly and shamelessly the pr0Ei-
- ~ the law on that point. 1t 70 q
49, and simple fcsud-one OF which
SHsvens ought TO be heartily
nea Party necessity may 90
49, but il cannot give s EemblaDce Of
lucy 70 such s proposition a. TINS.
tUbst object it Is intended 10 serve II
easv to see. II may be Mr.. Stevens
r. IN This way TO get into the senate
Radical Senators 10 vote for
injection and deposition OF TIE !
Sut the motive, n MS De II,
If-eSds 10 the turpltude o. me mems
- Il II easy to Sc nov she ot9se Z I
-o,,ant Is to be OrgaA4zsu, me Lsslsla !
- snmmoned and the oehatoFs erected 8
are 81 take part IN fhe trial, Per- :
n is thought they may reach Wash !
= - time to Uote, and not % hear c
N1t5sucs or the argument. {
PC G~onsatgtion might be again . ]
ane = 80 sscple Of Alabama under !
. sw isw-anG aas people OF n stste .
-. BE- bela to ebids ~ mat result :