Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-08-13
A CRIME TO vOrE.

From the Chicago T1mesl
Congress, on Friday, the 24.h day O
July, deliberately eBscted, on the mo-
ton Of MIR. Lawrence, e loyal membei
from Ohio, that sit shall be penal OF
tense, punishable with fine and iUPris
eminent, for any person in the Southern
States TO vote, or to act as an officer OF
election, in the ensuing Presidential
eleetiop.u The bill, TO which this pro
vision was adopted as an amendment,
passed the House by yeas III, nays q, -
''a strict party vote" Congress has
thus made it,-COngress, of course, can
do spything,-i0 the States of Virginia,
Mi .sissippi and Texas, a crime to vote
This infamous device Of tyranny is in
tended to enable the Washington usur-
patton to carry out the purpose OF the
so-cslled g Electoral College bill" by
declaring Grant TO be the President 10
spile of the constitutional requirement
Of majority Of the electoral votes.
That high-handed measure is S plain
violation OF the Constitution, aud is
therefore null and void. Judge Cation,
lately Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
of Illinois, and one of the ehlest juTists
in the country, says it is the most direct
and internal attempt at Usurpation Of
power that has ever been made 10 Amer
ics. Judge Chase, Chief Justice Of the
Supreme Court of the United States, says
il is q " foreshsdOWing OF foul play" Il
means revolution. It means another
rebellion. 1t means a seizure OF the
Government by desperate oligarchy of
b0nd-bsrons, sud s subversion OF its pop
ular form TO form better suited to the
purposes Of q moneyed minority. It
means defiance Of popular rights, and
the assertion OF moDeyed interests ut the
point of the sword. BARS letter.
ssys Judge Chase, " is simply up to the
eXigsneies OF the times. He sees MOTH
ing revolutionary IN it. On the contrary,
he is inclined 10 think that it aims 70
stop the revolution which the admission
of csrpet-bRg Senators is undoubtedly
working in our form OF government"
Tyranny has often made innocent
acts criminal, when il has bsen inspired
by fear or suspicion: for it is Of the ma
ture Of fear and cowardiee to be cruel.
The JacCbins know that the People OF
Mississippi, Virginia ana Texas viii vote,
If they have the opportunity, for Sey-
incur and Blair; and they fear that ii
they should SO vote, although not recon
structed, and their votes, if counted,
would elect those candidates and defeat
Grant and Colfax, the Democratic party
would resort 10 arms rather than permit
the latter to be installed in Office. T6ers-
fore it was proposed to make It crime
for men in those States to vote.
The bill did lot pass the Senate but
its passage IN the House completely
fastens upon the Radical party the iBfA-
my OF the proposition to make it crims
in freeman to go to persons selected for
the purpose by the citizens, and declare
that If he were allowed to vote, he
would vote for Seymour and Blair, or
Grant and Colfax. Hei is to be punished
for endesvOring to make known how he
would vote, if he could. Was q more
moBstr0us proposition ever before made
in legislative assembly Was more
tyrannieai rescript or edict ever Issued
by Roman Emperor ? A tyTant might
and It prudent 50 10 prevent the express
sion of opinion of part Of his subjects.
1t certsiniy was never before attempted
by Republic.
TAe proposition shows The alarm and
Of defeat Of the most des-
perate fseiien that ever possessed the
powers Of government In a common
wealth. 1t is confession of weakness
and Of anticipation OF defeat. A party
must be in deadly fear S ID sorely pressed,
o venture upon so desperate and shame
ess a measure: and ii the people Of the
North sustain such party ia Novem-
Der, they viii confess themselves not lit +
o be free.
Faithless and false in falslfying the
'ledge given TO the people of Alabams,
hat the Constitution to be made for that
s.ate should not be deemed adopted, IN
ess it received the votes Of majority Of
ii the registered voters; seeing with
nerciless indifference the torture resortsd I
o In Georgia to extort testimony from
White men and negroes; exhibiting
contemplate poltToonery in emasen-
sting the bill for the protection of net
rallied citizens introduced into the Sen 8
Re by COnness, Of California; Radical /
I'M has at last proposed to make ii a crime
. cote. It's record of infamy is com I
lete. G