Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-02-10
M II, M PHIS,
wednesday Evening. Feb. 10. 1859.
Universal Amnesty and Impartial
Suffrage.

M IL
Universal Amnesty and Impartial
Suffrage.
Several gentlemen of Nashville, and
among them Gov. Neil s. Brown and
Henry s. Foote, have written letter to
Horace Greeley on the political situation
South, in which they assume to speak for
the people of Tennessee and to pledge
themselves to the heresy of negro suf-
frage, if the ballot is restored to our dis
franchised citizens. We are not at all
surprised at this movement on the part
of these gentlemen, but are rather amused
at their unparalleled presumption and
egotism, in arrogating to themselves the
right to speak for the Conservative
masses of our State. We have seen Neil
S. Brown and Henry s. Foote, in the
dark and gloomy days that tried mems
souls, turn political summersaults with
all the ease and grace Of the most accom-
plished gymnast, and, therefore, were
not the least surprised by this last base
and cowardy act Of desertion, by which
thew have, at last, thrown themselves,
body and soul, into the arms of ultra
Radicalism. They will there find that
congeniality for which they long have
sought among their numerous prototypes
in venaliiy and utter disregard of prin-
ciple.
The glittering prize was too tempting;
principle and duty to country weighed
but little in the scale against the loaves
and fishes when there was the least
probability of promoting their own per-
sonal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. The manner in
which Longstreet and others Of that ilk
had been taken to the bosom Of Radical
ism, inspired them with desire to be at
the feast of the fatted calf on the re-
turn of the prodigal son. The base de-
sertion of the South by Henry s. Foote
in her dark and gloomy struggle for
liberty and free government, is still fresh
in the minds of our people-it, like the
bloody shirt Of Nesus, will stick to him
to the last of bis days. All the waters
of Lethe could not wash out that dark
spot Of his treason, or again restore him
to the confidence Of the people He is
q political mountebark, and would barter
away the honor and peace Of his country
10 gain public notoriety. Like the
chameleon, change is the law Of his
nature, and we might as we'll expect the
leopard to change his spots, or the
Elhiope his hue as for Foote to prove
consistent, or trae to principle.
Neil S. Brown is demagogue and
political trimmer, who has been upon
every side of every question that has ever
agitated our people. A bankrupt in
principle, he has long since sacrificed
whatever respect the people of Tennessee
might have had for him. The other gen.
tlemon who compose this self-constituted
committee are yet unknown to fame; and
in that privacy to which the indignation
of our people will drive them, they will
find ample opportunity to repent of the
part they have played in this infamous
proceeding.
When the soldier deserts bis comrades
in the hour of danger, the memorable de-
mand of duty requires that the extreme
penalty of the law should be melted out
to him. No considerations of policy can
mitigate the cffense. The law commands,
shoot the deserter. In this struggle for
liberty and national life thers must be no
tagging, no surrender Of principle to ex-
pediency, while ray Of hope remains to
nerve our arms and cheer our hearts on
to action against this merciless despot-
ism, which is now lowering over the
South like a dark cloud, blighting and
whitening every department of trade and
commerce.
But by what authority do these gen.
tlemen assume TO speak for our people,
and pledge them to a dogma that is re-
pudiated by ninety-nine of every hun
dred Of our citizens as unwise, impolitic,
aud subversive Of the best interests Of
the State. To say that our people, or
any considerable portion Of them, are in
favor of negrO-suffrage, is to assert that
which is palpably untrue. It finds no
advocates, save 10 the fertile magma
tions Of few weather cocks, who are
less patriots than politicians, less true
men than time-servers. Yet this self
constituted committee assert that negro
suffrage meets with the approval Of our
people. We submit to il here 10 Ten
nessee because it is forced upon us by
the userpaiious Of an olargarehy, snd
we are powsrless TO prevent it, aud not
as matter of choice. We have al
ways regarded negro suffrage as lille
gally forced upon us by the party
in power. We believe that this is q
white mans government, and that
the fundamental idea Of the Government
is that the constitutional governing power
Of the nation is the white race. This