Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-07-14
INELIGIBILITY.

"A bright day is dawning upon Tennes-
see, and the people are full of hope and
confidence in the future. The letters that
bind us are breaking, but not removed.
A State convention will probably be
called before the end of the year, and
that call will be an Emancipation Procla'
nation to one hundred thousand dis
francbised citizens, which shall be heard
with resoundipg shouts Of joy from crag
to crag in the mountain Businesses, until
the grand Marseilles hymn sweeps from
the East to the West, and is caught mp by
the tideless ocean which laves our sunset
borders. The occasion will be a proud
enc in our history, marking the enfran-
chisement of the people who own the
State, without restricting the rights OF
auy other class. All good citizens,
irrespective of past differences, may
mite in making this complete
aud permanent triumph of 'Conserva'
tism, peace and good will. But
we are as yet upon our political Mount
Nebo, and have yet to pass through o
great struggle before we can, in 9 oonsti-
tutional manner, possess the land. The
great battle is to fight. and we have to
meet wary and desperate foe. To
waste or misapply any OF our force OF
this critical iuncture is to assist just that
much the swern enemies of White Snf-
frage. tits matter, therefore, of sur
prise that influential men are 10 be found
so sanguine of success that they are will.
ing to lose one or more members in the
Senate for the empty glory Of electing
candidate who cannot take the oRths re-
quircd or his seat. The result of such a
suicidal course would be that the Radical
candidate would get the seat, and the
clever Confederate gentleman would
come home, at his own expense, bearing
the cheap title of Hon" So and So.
This is not time for gratifying personal
ambitions at the expense of the State.
The people cannot afford it; they desire
to be represented, and they intend to be.
There are a few dozens of men, and
precious few, we hope, who desire to run
a candidate for the Senate with the lead
ing qualification of being unable to take
the candidates oath and the oath OF
office. No one has yet dared to advocate
such policy through the public prints,
but we have met score or 80 OF
highly intelligent gentlemen who are
ready to commit themselves to such
line OF action. They are so confident
that the next Legislature will be Demo
cratic that they are willing to take the
chances. As a Confederate, we have
never compromised our consistency or
permitted the ''lost cause" to be traduced
in our presence, but to this impractical.
BILE policy we are emphaticslIy opposed.
There are good, honest, available and
eligible men te fill all the positions at our
disposal What possible good can result
by the voters of this district running a
non.voter for an Office which he could
not hold if elected2 We have no favor.
lite, in particular half dozen good
names have been canvsssed within the
last few days, and several of them will
probably be presented at the Convention.
No doubt some one will be selected who
can take oil required oaths and at the
same time be acceptable to a majority Of
the actual and prospective voters-a man
who can assist in removing all our disa-.
bilities and in undoing the hateful legis-
lstion of the last four years. That being
done, then we will be grati6ed beyond
measure or expression to see any COM
petent and worthy ex- Confederate elected
to office. But we need workers at pres
ent, and not takers or mere honorary
members to the Legislature.