Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-12-03

A u it was intended by anybody
to " restrict the rights Of the eolOred
people" the 4Ca5Gaehe of yesterday,
avows earnestly that "there is an
overwhelming, irrepressible majority
Of the people of Tennessee opposed
TO such restrictions. We fully concur
in this statement. We do not believe
there VIII be a delegate elected to the
State Convention, either from Shelby
or any other county, who will advo-
cate taking from the negro a single
right On the contrary, the people
of Tennessee are of one mind on this
subject, and unanimously in favor
Of giving every man of every
color every right necessary
10 life, liberty and property.
But it does not follow that the peo-
pie Of Tennessee are in favor of con-
tinuing to. the negroes a privilege,
which, on pretense Ofright, they have
so long enjoyed, and so exceedingly
abused. IT does not follow that Ten
nesseeans desire TO increase the num-
Der Of s~uffragans, beyond the number
which has governed the State wisely
and well in former years, by adding a
further number of ignorant blacks,
known 70 be utterly incompetent,
and, as a body, destitute both of the
intelligence and virtue necessary for
a voting population. 1t does
not follow that Tennesseeans
r disposed to give as a
right to the negro population a privi-
lege to hold a balance of power by
which it Is 10 be expected they will
cause the election Of bad officers, ex-
clude the best, give power TO dema-
gOgues and designing men, and WELD
the administration OF public affairs in
such a manner as viii prove injurious
to the property, liberty, rights and
happiness Of the white race, while its
consequences viii be equally deStruc-
tive to their own. What is proposed
by the opponents Of negro suffrage
in Tennessee is not to take away
4" rights" - but SO to regulate
public matters through the elective
franchise, as that the rights Of both
black and white shall be best pro-
tected. U1 Is Injurious 10 the White race
that the blacks shall hare p0UeT TO OUer-
come and dEjure them in the elections,
(perhaps from sheer Ignorance and
not knowing what they do are we
to be told that the people of Tennes-
see have decided to continue such
power in their hands; and this in ad-
vance Of all discussion Of the question,
and even before the Convention has
met TO consider it? The AvaJanche
says:
Georgia and Virginia do not pro-
pose TO disiranchise the negro. Are
the people of Tennessee more holy
than their sisters? Arkansas is anx-
iOus 10 secure peace upon the basis of
universal suffrage. Are her people
less patriotic than our own? Can't
Tennessee indOrse what has been in
hicted upon Louisiana, Texas and
Mississippi? All the Southern State
have accepted universal suffrage As
the price Of restoration and a
and Tennessee is not 50 immaculate
as 10 scOrn what her sisters are eager
70 accept and what is 50 essential to
her peace. The proposition of a few
crazed blOck-heads in Memphis to
deny the negro the ballOt-bOX will
hasten the adoption of that unconsti-
tutiOnal iBiqgity, the XVIII Amend
ment. 1t viii give vitality to eX-
piring Radicalism, and viii renew
old prejudices. The Radical party
consider the negro the ward Of the
nation, and they will never permit
him to be deprived of the elective
franchise, and any effort to do so will
only give strength to the Radical
which subsists on passion"
As Georgia and Virginia, as well as
Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Mis-
sissiPpi, r yet acting under force,
we do not regard it as strange that
they should not propose to disfran-
the negro" They may be
. anxious to secure peace upon the
basis Of universal suffrage" Some
things are worse than Others, some
about as bad as they can be; and
here is a caution against " jumping
,ut Of the frying-pan into the hre.D
Arkansas and Mississippi may be
to escape their present dis
on the basis Of universal suf-
rage. But set them free, put them in
be place of Tennessee, give them
learly to understand that the are not
D be restrained, prosecuted or injured
consulting wisely their own inter
and doing what they judge to be
lost advantageous to those interests,
nd then see whether they viii ex- {
ress any decided preference for ne {
yoes over donkeys for rulers, and