Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-08-08
yNESSEE. SATURDAY EVENING. AUGUST s. 1868 NO l35.

norant blacks and vagabond carpet
baggers Of the South. Prolonged APP
plause and cries Of "Yes. we do, and
we n save the country yet"
The people have never assented TO
these so.called recc6struction acts. Ia !
the election Of 1866, so far from present.
ing that issue, they lodged it-they pre-
sented an entirely different issue. The
issue they submitted then was what is
known as the Fourteenth amendment TO
the Federal Constitution, which con-
ceded to oil the States the right TO regu-
late suffrage for themselves. That was
the issue upon which the last congress
sional election was held.
After they had attained power bv ad.
hitting the doctrines on which the Dem
ocra,ic party always stood, they went TO
work TO disfranchise the white people OF
the South and enfranchise the blacks, de-
nying to the States the rights which were
contained in the fourteenth amendment
As soon as they showed their hands the
elections Of 1867 declared ngainst them.
In New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Michigan, California, Oregon, Connect
cut, and in enough States to carry the
election, the people decided against them.
But the Senators and Representatives.
from those States refused to obey the will
of the people. They put il at defiance,
and went on with their reconstruction,
and now declare they have fixed it, and
that it is not in the power of the people
to undo what they have done. And be-
cause, in letter | wrote pending the
nominations in New York, took the
ground that the will of the people must
be executed, they proclaimed me rev
olutionist," apxious to reinstate the re-
bellion. The idea that any one should
undertake to undo what has been done
by this great Congrost--this Rump-this
fragmentary Congress [cheers who got
into power by deceiving the people on
false issues, is monstrous in their vir-
tuous eyes. After their action has been
condemned by 10000 in Kansas. $4,000
in New York, by as many in Ohio, by
$4,000 in Michigan, and by overwhem-
ing majoriiies of the people wherever
there has been an expression of their
will, it is revolution to favor the execu.
ton of the will of the psople-Frank
Blair is revoutionst," and wants to
inaugurate another rebellion. Cheers
and laughter.
/ say the Southern States were never
ort of the Union; that is the doctrine we
held to and fought for four years; but
now the Radical party has taken the
exact position that JEFF. Davis and other
leaders of secession took at the com
mencement of the war. Applause, and
cries of that's 80. !"
l tell you have no animosity toward
the negroes, and those who are pretend
ing to be their friends are their orst
enemies. Every one knows, from my
history, that, when the negroes were in
slavery, / was an advocate for their
emancipation. / advocated it at the
worst times and in the worst places.
/ advocated it when the present pale
faced Radicals of Missouri did not dare
to lift up their heads. prolonged
cheers And now say that, unless the
negroes submit to the intelligent guild
ance of the powerful white race, their
fate will be that of the Indians; they
will be exterminated. The negroes can
only be happy and prosperous as long as
they are guided by the intelligence Of the
white race. [Cheers Whenever it is
sought to disfranchise the intelligence of
the country and make it subordinate to
the ignorance of the country, whenever
it is sought to subordinate the white race
of the country to the black barbarism of
the negro, the prosperity of the country
is at an end. [Applause and cries of
(" that's so.
But | come back to the proposition
with which / started, that the Radical
party has done these things in defiance
of the will of the people. Have the peo-
pie ever indorsed negro suffrage 7
Never Did you not condemn it in
this State2 Was it not condemned in
all the States of the Union at the last
election; and shall the Radical party
persist in pressing it upon the people,
that it shall be the rule? And when, as
have already stated, said in New
York, that if the Democratic party should
carry these elections; if the people
should elect Democratic President, this
pretended reconstruction should be un-
done; and if these miserable carpet. |
baggers in the Senate we're in the way OF |
it's being done the people will find way |
to execute their will; those miserable |
creatures who have undertaken to fore |
stall the popular will, say that any one
who undertakes to execute the will of the |
people is revolutionist [Applause.]
Look at the attitude of these men.
Who are the revolutionists Who has
put at defiance the popular will? Who
has taken away the powers of the Exec
ntive as granted to him by the Constitn-
tion2 Who has curtailed the jurisdic-
lion of the Supreme Court of the United
States Who has done all this? Why,
the Radical party. Cheers and cries of
- That's SOL Who has put ten States
Of this Union under martial law in time
Of profound peace2 The Radical party
in Congress. Who has taken away from
the President the constitutional powers
granted him as Commander-in-C Chief of
The army aud conferred it on their can
didate for the Presidency? The Radical
party. Who hold eight millions of white
people of the South pinned to the earth
with bayonets? The Radical party.
General Grant was selected as the can.
iidate of the party because they knew
they were beaten on their principles,
and because he alone, with his great
personal popularity, was supposed to be
able to arrest the tide that was absut to
Dverwhelm them; because, with the
almost omnipotent power now given him
in ten States of this Union, they thought |
be could control the votes to their own
advantage Is this man who has 'bsyo-
nets at the throats Of eight or ten mill
ions of the people the proper representa-
i've Of pesce2 mot much And are
hose who seek to turn aside those bayo-
nets and give the law aud the Constitu-
ion control revolutionists