Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-08-13

IHE ArdldncRe OF yesterday boasts
that it "was the first paper in the
State TO raise the banner of Universal
Suffrage" That we take to be true.
1t was, indeed, an utter surprise to
Us, when, at the Brownsville COnven-
ton, the editOr-in-chief of the AUa-
lqHcHe introduced the following reso-
luton:
ResOIred, That, if the freedmen of
this State unite with the Democracy,
and BY their votes secure the enfran-
chisement of the white men who are
now d~isfranchised, common justice
and common gratitude command that
we should not disturb them in any
rights they may now possess"
Gen. PIKE, who sat by our side, in
stantly sprang to his feet in oppoSi-
ton. But, with aProtest in behalf Of
himself and Others, the resolution was
adopted by a vote not unanimous.
The Convention wasnot assembled OF
organized with the understanding that
such an expression would be given.
And, accordingly, neither the APP
PEAL. with which Gen. PIKE was
then connected, nor the Ledger, then
in the hands Of the editor of this
paper, felt themselves bound by the
action of that Convention, except so
far as the nominations were concerned,
which it was its legitimate object to
secure. The negro suffrage resolution
was, under the circumstances, in the
nature Of a snap judgment, by which
very many, and, as we believed, the
great majority Of the then Demo
cratic party refused to be bound.
There was, at that very moment, a
set of resolutions lying on the table of
the mother Democratic club of Shelby
county, which had only been
postponed for elaboration, and
in order that no indiscreet and
hasty action should be taken.
Those resolutions were introduced
by F. A. TYLER, one of the members
of the organization, and declared that
the African race, in the event of the
success Ofthe Democratic party, should
have all the ~liberality, kindness and
encouragement of the white men OF
the Democratic party which it was
possible should be given to them, and
everything that white men asked or
desired, except that, for which white
men alone We're qualified, the right to
vote, to sit on juries, and to hold the
Offices Of the State. They We're laid
on the table, on the motion of their
author and at the request Of several
distinguished gentlemen, for whom
the author had too much respect to
persist in any rash manner in pressing
his resolutions, and some Of whom
have since assured him Of their con-
| clusion that the resolutions were well
Judged andshould have been promptly
adopted. But, so it was; it was a time
when prudent men might well hesitate
as to the best policy, and when any
positive resolution thrown on the po-
litical arena might prove by the event
either right or wrong, good OF evil.
Before these resolutions could be acted
on In Shelby county, the Convention
met st Brownsville Convention
sent to nominate candidates, and fol-
nothing else, and wholly unauthOr-
lied to lay down as Democratic doe
trine a resolution in Indirect antagOnism
with the platform laid down at
Chicago, and by which the
whole Democratic party Of the eoun-
try was as unquestionably bound rs a
party could be, by a convention au-
thorized to give an exposition of Opirf
ions, and TO speak in the name of the
people. The Convention at Browns
vile could not thus legislate for the
nation or the State Of Tennessee; and
certainly it cannot be pretended that
the combination of the AUGJGache and
the Nashville Banner with that Con-
vention has given any higher law to
the party and bound the State.
We heartily consent that our neigh
Dor has been most faithfully consistent
with his resolution ever since he
hoisted the pro-negro bunting and
threw out that bait, which in the
pending election may have caught
some seventy negro votes, which were
about as sure without it. But the diff
hculty in the matter is to show that it
was right or expedient to hoist such a
flag. And it viii be still more diff
cult to show that the State has con-
scented to it. Certainly it was not de-
cided in the election then pending, in
which the Democratic party was bad
Iy beaten. How, then has it been de-
cided that the people Of Tennessee are
for negro suffrage on the sole ground
Of gratitude to the negro? What have
the freedmen done to warrant such
extreme gratitude as gives them the