Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-08-27
MEMPHIS TENNESSEE THURSDAY EVENING. AUGUST q. 1868

their reserved rights can interpose, TO
create a government 30 sensitive that 1t
will feel the least impulse Of popular will
and 90 strong that IL will execute that will
They believe this will be better, freer
government They believe that rather
than have the limitation imposed by the
Constitution, they ought to have the linn
itations imposed only by the unbridled
will Of an Irresponsible majority. Twice
since the close Of the war they have used
all the power which the possession Of the
governments, both State and Federal, has
given them TO amend the Constitution
and in each case the amendment has
been in derogation Of the substantial, i'm
portant, recognized rights Of the States.
BY the first Of these amendments the
power Of the States over slavery within
their limits wasJ abolished. BY the
second, citizenship in the States is to dc.
pend upon the win not Of the States, but
Of Congress; and the exclusion Of negroes
from the rule Of suffrage is punished by
the loss Of representation. Not satisfied
with this attack upon the States them
selves, with the true spirit Ct revolution
ary leaders they have turned upon the
Government ITSELF The Constitution has
vested in the President the powers Of a
department, and made him responsible
for the management Of the army and for
the execution of the laws. The Repub-
lican party has stripped him Of his
patronage, taken away from him the
selection of his Cabinet and the appoint
ment of officers. 1t was chiefly owing to
the indomitable firmness of one OF your
own Senators that it did not depose him
from office and put its own leader in his
place. AZ
1l[At this point Gen. Roberts proposed
three cheers for the Hon. VIM. Pitt Fes-
senden, the Senator alluded to, and these
we're given with the greatest enthusiasm,
the audience rising. atlftH
The State governments were in full
vigor and operation before and during
and after the war. During the war the
State government Of Virginia was
called upon to give its assent
TO the creation of West Virginia,
and members of Congress were ad.
mitted from Louisiana, so soon as Fede.
raj troops obtained foothold in that State.
After the war the States of the South
were invited to ratify, and did ratify, the
fourteenth constitutional amendment,
and it derives its validity from their as
sent. The Republican party, by the re-
construction acts, abolished these gov.
ernments, and created In their stead mill
itary governments, which no man will
pretend was 10 the constitutional
powers of Congress. By the aid Of the
army they have built up other govern
ments, not according to the will of the
people, but according to the will of Con-
gress, and they have founded them upon
the exclusion of the intelligence and
wealth and virtue of the white race from
the right of suffrage, and upon the ad-
mission of every negro to that right; and
they have made these negroes buy their
exemption from the interference of the
army, and their recognition as States, by
the ratification of the fourteenth consti-
tutional amendment, and q pledge that
they will never change the rule of suf-
frage. Do not their own acts, convict
them of the charge / have nader Are
they not surely and rapidly, even though
silently, sappiug the foundations of the
Governm ment, and changing its form and
nature Are they not accumulating
power in the Federal Government, and
taking it away from the States2 Do they
not declare openly, and make it the ba-
sis of their creed, that Congress has
power over the right Of suffrage in ten
States, which it has not over the same
subject in the other States. Why is it
they build up these governments upon
the basis of the negro vote alone2 My
friends, divest yourselves OF. passion;
look at this work steadily. Is not the
stolid ignorance Of the enfranchised
slaves too narrow basis for a prospe-
rous State, possessing equal powers with
the State of Maine2 Why is it insisted
on 7 The reason, the sole reason, is that
they believe they can control the negro
vote that by this vote they can secure
the election of President, and Senators,
and members of the Eouse, and Cover.
nors, and Legislatures, and Judges, and
10 WELD longer the powers OF the Gov.
/ know many Of these men
we'll. They are men of intellect and
iaring They are men Of firm resolve
ind lofty purpose. They are not actu-
,ied by low greed Of gain, nor love Of the
,moluments and honors of office. They
nave the true spirit of fanatical reform
,rs, and they seek power that they may |
,verturn this system of government, and
,uild up another system in its stead.
Ny friends, we are engaged in no scram-
,les.for Office. We are stimulated by no |
ust for power. This struggle touches
he life of our confederated system. 1t |
ouches the question of union or unity.
L will decide in the far off future the dss-
iny of our country. If our opponents
we will have first Unity, and
hen Despotism, and then Revolution,
nd then Separation, and then whatever
Tod in his wrath may infict If they
all, we will have the Constitution
,beyed, the Union maintained, liberty
,njoyed, prosperity abounding, peace
sAd oil the glories of our
,ast will be but as the early bud, compared
With the blooming besuties of the full
,lown flowers In this supreme hour of
,ur fate | beg you to pause and weigh
veil your duty to the country, as in the
lour of death you would weigh well your
luty to God. To experiment is too cost
v; we cannot afford it. We. might lose
,ur liberty, for there is limh to human
,ndurance. We cannot buy what we do
lot pay for, and we cannot pay more
han what exaction can squeeze from our
,eople. Freedmen's Bureau, military
military governments, the
upport Of ten State governments, con-
titotional amendments, negro suffrage,
are in themselves expen-
i've luxaries. When they bring with
hem stagnation Of business, small crops,
die hands. no cotton, no rice, no sugar,
r. |