Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-02-10
Attempt at intimidation.


laws of the land, it was acquiesced in at
once as proper to be determined accord
ing to the will Of the people on the ques'
ton of expediency alone. If any OBJ
jected or resisted, II was by arguments
and reasons, such as freemen use to en-
force truth. No man thought Of threat
and public officer least Of all. 10 have
made such threat against the VIII oil
the sovereign people would hese cost an
official head. But times have changed,
the servant has become the master, and
the Governor of Tennessee, through his
official organ at Knoxville, and his other
at Memphis. dares to tell the people OF
the State that they shall not hare a con-
rention, in which they may alter, reform
or abolish their existing government, or
determine by their votes whether to do
go is in accordance with the will of the
people The organ OF Knoxville tells
us that the men who 90 mp to Nashville
to consult together as the representa-
tiyes, and in the name Of the sovereign
people, to declare their will, whether
that be for or against change of the
State government, shall be arrested and
punished as traitors. And the organ
here says if that is done BLOOD WILL
~, ,.,, ,x Truproorpp
This is the language of the tyrant to
slaves-not the language OF republican
servants of the people to freemen. 1t is
the language of men who desire and
design 10 intimidate, because they
tremble for the places which they dis
grace, and the gains which are the
result of usurpation and dishonest prac-
tees. If they suppose the people OF
Tennessee can be intimidated and pre-
vented from The peaceful exercise of
legal rights which they possess by such
impotent threats, they have much less
respect for Tennesseans than they de-
serve. The white tyrants who hold the
Offices of the State and the reins OF
government will do well not to raise the
rod too boldly over its people. Do they
think the State so full Of cravens as to
down at the bidding of its handful OF
non. elected usurpers, when they have
the inalienable rights of q sovereign
people solemnly proclaimed as the
Alpha and Omega of their Constitution,
which is supreme over governors, legis-
lators and judges, by reason of the voice
of the people, who have the same right
to abrogate they had to establish itf
If any respectable number OF the peo-
pie desire to alter, reform or abolish
the Government, they have the right to
ask that the sense of the whole people be
tested on that matter. And if, on such
test, the people so will it, there is but
single legal restriction, and that is that
they shall conRne any changes they
may choose to make to republican, to
the exclusion of monarchical and des-
potic forms. The President of the
United States is required by the Constr
tuition and bound by his oath to see that
every State shall have q republican form
of government. And the republican
form of government is denied to State
the moment that any handful Of men, or
any minority, is privileged to rise up
and deny its people the privilege of
altering, reforming and abolishing,
which their recognised republican con-
stitution has solemnly guaranteed as
their perpetual and inalienable right
The moment that is done, and an attempt
by violent means made to prevent it, it
becomes the sworn duty of the chief ex-
exutive officer of the United States to in
terfere for the protection Of the repubh-
can right of reformation, to all the ex-
tent such an interference may be neces-
sary to its Accomplishment. 1t is not to
be supposed such an emergency can
arise, because it is not supposablc the
power of a minority can ever be great
enough to overawe the majority of the
people, and because, without such a
majority, no one would for an instant
contend for any changes antagonistic to
its voice. If the people of Tennessee do
not will a convention, or willing it, do
not choose to alter, reform or abolish the
existing government or any part of it, i;
will simply not be done, and no good cit
izen will have right to complain, or
refuse to acquiesce in the result. But if
they do will convention and do choose
to make such alterations and changes as
it is legally competent they should make,
what do these idle brawlers who tell us
Of treason, the halter, and that BLOOD
WILL FLOW IN TENNESSEE
But, frankly out, boldly spoken
daringly emblazoned in two public jour
nails Of the State, recognized as official
and one known as the Governors es'
pecial organ, stands the damnabl'
threat Is this free State2 Is Ten
uessee a member of the Union Hai
| it a republican government Does th'
star which glitters to her hitherto hon
ored name represent her truly as sove
reign State2 Or is the stripe the obviou
emblem of her degradation-the appro
m;ate brand Of her new made serfs an
| slavps2