Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-06-08
Tennessee Republicanism lis Fu me-
raj About TO Start.


From the New York World
The Times at last admits that the Re-
publican party in Tennessee and other
Southern States has been conducted on
the proscriptive and intolerant policy.
The acknowledgment is also made that
the party in those States has cultivated
bitter and intolerant spirit" and
made blatant loyalty the sole condi-
ton Of political privileges" This is the
admission of one of the papers which has
heretofore upheld and lauded this very
policy, and Joined with the other Radical
papers in denouncing those who opposed
this mode of governing the Southern
States. This confession of that error
comes at a late hour, but better even
now than not at all, and we trust will
open the eyes of those who have given
the party which has been committing
these outreges their support.
The truth is, the management of polit'
ical affairs in Tennessee by the Republi-
can party has not only been disgrace
but mockery upon our form of govern
ment. There has been neither freedom
of speech in that State since the advent
to power of Parson Brownlow. All man
ner of crimes have been committed, in
the name of liberty and under pretense
of law, not only against the rights and
liberties of the citizens of that State,
but also against their persons, and the
State kept thereby on the verge of an
srchy. All this has not only been up
held by the entire Republican press, but
the Times admits that the proceedings in
Tennessee have been taken as model
for the management Of the other South
ern State governments. 1t has been
worse than despotism, exceeding in its
intolerance and proscriptiveness that of
any of the monarchial governments of
the Old World.
The reign of Republicanism in Ten
nessee has partaken more of the fanati-
cism of the French Revolution and Reign
of Terror than anything else. Yet it has
been upheld by the entire Republican
party press, and all who protested against
it denounced as traitors and copper.
heads, while such as resided in that State
were disfranchised and often compelled
to submit to the bayonet.
The Republican party, having done
nearly all the damage that it was possi-
BILE in the enforcement of this policy,
and seeing that the people are rising up
in mass against the authors of these out
RACES upon liberty, is now endeavoring
to make virtue of necessity by confess
ing all that has been charged against its
course, in the hope of thereby obtaining
new lease of power. The leaders and
organs Of the party are pretending to ad-
vocate more liberal policy. In the
anxiety for further control in Tennessee,
they are compelled, according to the
Times admission, to acknowledge that
the policy of the party in Tennessee has
been that "of hate" that the Governor
has heretofore been vested with power
fatal to the freedom of elections; that
the work of reconstruction has tended to-
wards anarchy; and that the measures |
adopted by the party heretofore have
been mere contrivances for the gratifica-
ton of enmities and the furtherance of
selfish lends"
In these statements are admissions |
that all we have charged, in connection
with other Democratic journals, against |
the Republican party in its treatment Of
the South, is true. These confessions
came at late day, and, accompanied as
they are by the announcement that a
change of policy is required to save the |
party from defeat, they look very much |
like death-5ed remorse. We mistake |
the sentiment of the peopla of that State
if they are csjoled by these confessions |
into giving the Republican party another
lease Of power there. On the contrary, |
it shows more plainly the necessity, if |
they wish to maintain their POLITICAL
freedom end deslrs to secprs their politi-
cal and personal rights Of repudiating
all who have had any part or lot in en-
forcing the proscriptiye aud iutolerant
noliov In that 9tato,