Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-08-13

| Is the irreversible fat Of the America
people. II avows this to be it's delibera
judgment, and believes II to be as muc
the judgment of the Radical leaders.
recalls the fact that these leaders in Isl
succeeded in retaining power, with con
paratively small msjorities, in New Yor
and Pennsylvania, "by a skillfal appe'
to the passions evoked by the war, an
by the pretense that they we're not reall
at issue with the policy of the President.
That in the year 1866 they retaine
the same power partly by melting sec
tional hatreds, by misrepresentation Q
the policy of the Executive, and by tb
insincere pledge that they would use thei
power in Congress to restore peace to tn
country" They succeeded so as again t
be tolerated by smaller msjorities, show
ing that their power was held BY but frai
tenure. But instead ofhseding the warn
ing and now retaining power by moderst'
counsels, as might have been done, the,
"sought to take bond OF fate BY manu-
featuring rotten boroughs at the South.
They struck down State governments TT
which they had given the highest sane
ton, by submitting to them for ratihca
ton their own constitutional amend
ment," and inaugurated military despot
isn, and "prt a sword, as their own
orators announced, to the throat oil
every man in the South, proclaimed
universal suffrage, and disfranchised
one third of the white population, pro-
yidinp for fraud by test oaths, and throw
ing offices into the hands Of corrupt ad-
yenturers as consequence. The Intel
lqencer continues:
sueh was the sin. Swift followed the
nunishment. The first State that voted
after these reconstruction laws were
nassed. and after the enactment of negro
suffrage, was also the first to repudiate
the Radical party. California followed
Connecticut Maine reduced Radical
msjority from $1,000 in 1865, to ii 900
in 1867. Pennsylvania blotted out a
Radical majority. Ohio elected a DEM
ocratic Legislature and repudiated negro
suffrage BY $4,000 New York and New
Jersey coming after this reaction had
been thus demonstrated, rolled up enor-
nous Conservative msjorities. The re-
action went on everywhere. in every
State, in the large cities, in the great
hives of industry, in the workshops. IN
the fields and prairies Of the West. Ey.
erywhere human nature rose up and
testified against the brutality and low
yillainy of these bad men.
Seeing their almost inevitable fate, the
Radicals abandoned all their favorite
statesmen, smothered their ambitious
aspirants--the Wades. Coliaxes, Buffers
and even repudiated SO great an intel
lect as Judge Chase; hoping that by
eyoking a drum and FIFE enthusiasm for
General Grant, they might delude the
people into allowing power to remain in
the hands OF these leaders. Their au-
tumnsl defeats of 1861, in effect, nomi
mated General Grant; the Chicago Con-
vention simply registered the foregoing
conclusion and expedient OF leaders who
saw no hope whatever for themselves in
the sober judgment Of the people. :.
The year 1868 has now more than half
gone, but shows no ebb in the great pop
nIar tide; no cessipg of the mighty cur
rent which has occasioned these conspir-
ators 80 much alarm. All the elections
held this year eginee q still more general
awakening of the peoples etill more
steadfsst determination to rescIe the
government from the hands Of the spoil
era. Gen. Grant has been formally
nominated two months and more, and as
vet we fail to behold particle OF the
needless enthusiasm which was expected
to drown all appeals to reason, and to
blind the popular apprehension in
respect 70 ibe cruel and profigste
band Of p,snderers, who bestride the
country like cGrse; The calculations
upon which Grant was nominated haye
thus utterly failed. What is this but a
proof that the causes of discomfort are
deep. widespread and universal; they
90 10 the very heart of the nation; il is
not question Of shows, canvass. bur
rahs. cstchwords, or clap-trap; but q
question Of Sread, human liberty, and
constitutional rigbt---of relief from the
tyraut and the spoiler, whose rple 10 In
supportable-s burden and an agony
under which whole nation cries ont for
a change.
And this word " change" is written so
broadly and legiblY on the canvass Of the
future that he who doubts the result OF
the coming election must be stupidity
blind. What good name has Radical
rule brought this land, that men should
desire or permit its perpetustion How
many persons are happy, how many are
comfortable, aud how many free under
this sEay7 What relief does il promise
to the taxpayer snd the lsborsr1 They
promised peace; aud yet, while using the
word, they tell US in the very next breath
that they have established rule at the
South so hateful, 30 unendursble, so
directly the reverse Of the principles OF
popular liberty, that bloody civil war
may become necessary at any moment
TO make apparent to this people the
blessings Of their rule. Nay, mere !;
they demard fresh army, large mill
tia force, for the North, 10 every con-
gressioBal district
This party has nov held almost undis-
puied sway for three long. weary years,
and Just 80 long has the whole land
grosned as in an agony. Never in this
country before has 80 much power been
welded By political party. They have
not merely used all the powers which
r;ehtfully belong to Congress, bot they
have taken 10 themselves the power O
the President and the Sapreme Court
and, lastly. BY treating the Constitution
a. : thing Of ns1ght, they have usorpe'