Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-03-24
Letter from faystts County.

fips Candidates elect 10 be deJrauded
of their 6ices--Ldtitudinai C6n-
sfrucfion and Consultation breaking
The Kukiur = Lagrange Schools
and Cblieqes-Rev. J. d. Meredith
DR.. Biggs Foundry and Pioo Fac
fory-Lagrange as a Manufacturing
Poiat-The topn elections, etc. 'as
LAGRANGE. TKSS., March %. 1858.
At the county elections a fortnight
ago, the Conservative candidates in this
county (Fayette) were triumphantly
elected, and yet authentic intelligence
has just reached us from the county seat
-Somerville-that the Commissioners Of
Registration, Wilson, one Of Brownlow's
ready minions, had resolved to throw out
the votes Of all the Conservative pre-
cincts (or enough 10 serve his purpose),
and to count the votes Of only one or
two precincts, they being Radical, SO as
to declare the Radical candidates chosen
and give them the certificates of cleo
tioni A more infamous, high.handed
outrage on the sapctity of the ballot box
has not been psrpetrated in this county
before. / can hardly believe that the
people of the county will submit to it.
Even the few white Radicals here, that
have heard speak Of it, denounce it in
unm easured terms; and, somewhat sin
gular to relate, they lay it at the door of
a certain Radical family in the county,
who, they say, have such an inordinate
greed for Office as to hesitate at no
political enormity to compass their dar'
ling object. One of this family was
beaten two weeks ago for sheriff before
the people; but now, it seems, by the aid
of Brownlow's viceroy and lord lieuten.
ant of the county, the Commissioners Of
Registration, he is determined to have,
and is going to have, the office anyho,O !
Thus, the little dogs and big dogs of
Radicalism everywhere, patterning after
their grand exemplars at Washington,
trample upon civil liberty, stab the Con-
stitution, and ride roughshod over the
dearest rights of the people and the
most sacred bulwarks of true republi-
can freedom. Nothing could more
clearly mark the rapid strides our
country is taking on the broad road to
hopeless anarchy and ultimate, absolute
despotism, than the audacity with which
the supporters of q Constitution break
ing Congress are everywhere nullifying
the will of the people as expressed
through the ballot-box. In Tennessee,
particularly in this corner of the State,
popular election (so-called) has come
to be what might be called farce, q
broad burlesque, were it not also a
dreary, mournful, hideous mockery. !.
And, gentlemen, did you ever think OF
it? the present latitudinal construction
Of the Constitution by the Republican
party, and the downright ignoration (if
may coin the word) of that instrument
by the Radicals, are but legitimate re-
suits of the teachings of that school of
Northern politicians who, from 1880 to
1860, under whatever name they acted,
we're always consistentin their disregard
of the constitutional rights Of the South,
and in their malignant hatred of what
they were pleased to call the "Southern
aristocracy that is, the whole body Of
the Southern people. They have gone
on from one step to another in their en-
nifty to our national compact-the great
charter of liberty regulated by law -
until, by their own shameless, diabolical
confession, they are now, as national
legislators and rulers, acting "outside of
the Constitution" and are guided alone
BY their own wicked passions and venge-
ful prejudices. Verify, we have fallen
upon evil times, and the only hope of
salvation for the country is a return to a
strict construction of the Constitution.
But hoie are we to return, it may be
asked, to any sort of construction of
that glorious instrument when its ene'
mics and violators have blocked all hope
Of peaceful issue out of our present
difficulties by taking armed possession of
the ballot-box in ten States, overslaugh-
ing the executive and the judiciary, and
corrupting our form Of government at its
fountain head2 This allimportant ques-
ton must be left for the people to an
swer; and they must answer quickly.
The chains which are to bind them for
ever to the Radical car have long been
forging in the Congressional shops at
Washington. You can hear the sound
of the forgers' hammers every day.
Speaking of the Kuklux, there is little
doubt now that a lodge or circle of that
famous "Klan" will soon be formed in
every village, town and city in the whole
Union. And they will do good, if in no
other way than to Offset the innumersble
secretRadical Leagues-black and white,
particularly black-scattered over the
land, from sea to sea; they will offset
and neutralize the evil Vaccinations OF
the black leaguers, with the good works
of order, law, justice and Christian char
ity, keeping ever in view the all-glOrious
doctrine that this is a white mans gov
ernment and must so remain, steadfast
and eternal as the rockribbed, everlast-
ing hills. There is some talk of the K.
K. KS organizing here, but nothing has
bean seen Of them further than one Of