Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-02-17
PUBLIC CITIZENS MEETING.

county convened eccofuihk 70 huJoufh
ment, on Saturday, the 10Th instant, al
the Exchange Building, and was called
to order by the chairman.
The committee appointed at the preyi'
Gus meeting to prepare resolutions
through its chairman, John Donovan,
Esq, submitted the following for adop-
ton, viz:
WHEREAS, Now nearly three years have
elapsed since the close OF a war disas-
trous TO our State, and during all that
time we have had profound peace and a
perfect observance Of the laws by the
great body of those who were recently
in rebellion against the National Gov
eminent, whereas the great majority OF
the white citizens of Tennessee are still
DISTINGUISHED, though their acts, their
characters and professions, have shown
them TO be the equals Of the most patri-
otto people Of any State, whereas no
good thing is to be expected or is even
promised by our State Government, or
from the so-called Congress of the
United States, after lapse oftime suiii-
cient to have restored our prosperity,
and whereas il behooves US to engage
with all energy and resolution in the
peaceful and necessary work Of restoring
republican governments and in order
thereto it is we'll to express our convic'
tons and organize for the purpose,
therefore be it
Resolped, That the present government
Of Tennessee was adopted on the procla'
nation Of President Lincoln, in 1864,
that when oue-tenth of the citizens of
any seeded State should vote to return
to the Union, such vote should be recog-
nized as the voice of the State, and such
State be restored to its former rights as
one of the family of the United States ;
that thereon q vote was taken, but that
the number of those who voted and who
were qualified voters by any then known
law was not one-tenth Of the people OF
Tennessee; and that the aggregate OF
said vote was only made to reach that
Rumberby frauds, ballot box stuiiing, and
illegal voting in fraud of said proclama'
ton, and of the rights of the people of
Tennessee.
ResOlred, That a government thus
founded, organized and administered by
men having less interest in the future
welfare of the State than in their own sci.
fish purposes, whose power grew up with
out right under the shadow of the bayo-
net, and is subversive of all the rights of
q free people, is not republican govern.
ment.
RESOLVED, That the present so-called
Congress of the United States, consisting
for the most part of men who have per-
verted the very objects ola Federal Legis-
lature, by refusing representation to ten
of the States of the Union, and receiving
from our own, men who are not the true
representatives of our people, is by rea-
son of its existence in its present form, a
revolutionary body, whose usurpation
challenges the opposition Of every Con-
stitution.loving citizen.
Resolred, That this assemblage have
usurped the authority of the Executive,
and so have broken down the balance of
power established by the fathers. They
are now planning to rob the Judiciary OF
its powers, in order that it may be pre-
vented from deciding in favor of the Con-
stituton; they have deprived the Legis-
lative body of its own integrity, by so re-
ducing its numbers as to enable the
usurping remainder to carry out their
destructive plans; they have denied the
sovereign power of all the States, by
placing a portion of them under mill
tary despotism; they have erected a
number of new offices, and sent
to portion of the Republic a
swarm of officers, unknown TO the law,
to harass the people, and they are now
loading with taxes the citizens OF the
North, for the purpose of enslaving their
brethren of the South; they have in
many instances abolished the right OF
trial by jury, and the right of habeds
corpus, and by military force have over
thrown the civil power, and deprived our
people of their liberties; they have made
war on the Constitution, on every depart
ment of the Government, on the States,
and on the people, and have enslaved
the white man, in order to give the ballot
to the negro.
Resolped, That the continued and in
creasing wickedness and usurpation of
this fractional Congress, has aroused a
popular indignation, so just, so deep,
and so universal, that the doom of the
tyrauts is already written, and the
prophecy of their destruction is sure to
be accomplished at the ballot-box,
Resolred, That the unconstitutional
legislation which we denounce, while tits
established for the presumed benefit of
the negro, has no effect for his benefit
and operates to his injury, is deranging
business, paralyzirg industry, running
the merchant and the manufactures, and
depriving the laborer of employment, and
is a crime against the civilization of the
age, impossible in any Northern State,