Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-10-07
Situation in Tennessee.

We republish the following letter from
the Cleveland (Ohio) Herald, of the lst
instant, only that our readers may see
how infamously they are belied in the
Northern States through letters sent by
carpet-baggers and scallawags in our
midst. Notwithstanding the treaty CT
amity, offensive and defensive, between
cur neighbors of the Appeal and Bul-
letin, it puzzles us to keep from limiting
that the author should be no very distant
relative of the father of lies" If he
tells any word of truth in the following
letter, it is distorted as to make lie,
which would make Job swear. This
whole lstteris huge lie, written for the
express purpose of getting votes and ex-
cusing force, violence, tyranny and those
guns: .
MEMPHIS. September 16. 1858.
That the late elections North have done
much to raise the hopes and courage OF
Unionists at the South, is certainly true.
That corresponding feeling of despond.
ENJOY and detection has been manifested
in the bearing of rebel leaders since the
glorious news in all its certainty came
from the pine,clad hills of Maine, is also
true. There is little doubt now, in fact,
among Union men at the South that these
leaders feel their hopes and cause to be
desperate and chances of success some
what slim. To those who best know the
reckless and desperate feeling that long
has manifested itself at the South, how
ever, in opposition to what is looked
upon as final and lasting domination Of
the Republican masses at the North, and
total overthrow of Southern political con-
troll, the situation presents much to the
eve that is still very far from reassuring.
So long and persistently has the rebel
press labored, in working upon the old
sectional hatreds, and bitter memories of
the war, that through much Of the coun-
try the Southern heart" is fred to a
degree that will scarcely brook check
in its insane hopes and desires.
So much, in fact, has been staked on
the issue of the election of Seymour and
Blair, that prospective defeat, it is feared,
will render the fanatical believers in the
final resurrection of the lost cause
desperate and reckless to a degree that
will not be controlled.
OF all things temporal, apparently,
these former rebel leaders most dread
political DEATH To give up their former
absolute sway, to zee their hated Yankee
foes coming upon their chosen fields OF
action and gradually obtaining the as
cendancy their superior enterprise nat
urally claims, is dose Of gall, the taste
of which they are prepared to fight
against to the very death ITSELF The
sdvent Of each and every carpetbagger
h~ings but another proselyte of Northern
thrift, enterprise and intelligence, under
the teachings and examples Of whom q
spirit of eternal knowledge and self de-
pepdence is generated among the igno-
rant whites and the degraded blacks, that
bodies certain death 10 the former absolute
control Of these rebel sristocrsis With
such carpet-bsgger comes the deadly and
sworn foes Of Southern caste and exclu-
siveness-the spelline-book and the doc
trine Of equal rights for all. With hims
too, comes the hated and dreaded politi-
cal literature Of the North, tearing down,
ns il does. all the damnable heresies OF
State rights, secession. aud Southern
superiority; and opening up 10 view, 10
ali within its reach, the fundamental
principles Of justice and right, that
should unjerlie all party action. With
The election Of Seymour and Blair al this
is once more remsndsd 70 .hs oldeu style;