Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-09-22
The Avalanche and Negro Suffrage

ton whatever with any newspaper since
the day the Avalanche was first re-issued
in 1866. / have been one Of its regular read
ers. and, instead of feeling ENVY" al
the g success it has attained, | have felt
and still feel mnch qualification at III
because / know this success has been
the well-merited reward of its manly and
bold warfare upon Radicalism in all its
phases. The success" Of which the
| Avalanche justly boasts is the support
VIII i;-h the people Of Tennessee, Missis-
sippi and Arkansas have literally and
| generously given to newspaper that was
| among the first and the most ale IN de-
nouncing negro suffrage and equality
| when these revolving doctrines were pro-
| posed by the Radicals in 1866 and con-
summated in 1867. So pointed and
earnest we're its assaults upon these
worst of Radical measures for humili-
ating the South, that the Avalanche
was Justly regarded as the true and
honest echo of the whole body Of the
Southern people; and they deemed it q
duty to sustain it and make it a "snc-
| cess" The Post was the Radical organ
then, and it ably advocated these odious
theories of negro suffrage, negro jurors,
negro magistrates and negro representa-
tives. The Avalanche as ably denounced
these cutrages, and did it in the name
and in behalf Of the white people of the
| State. The Post was selected as the
organ of the Radicals. and the legal ad-
| yertisemenis were given to it because it
was loyal" Loyal to what2 Loyal to
tie doctrine of negro suffrage, negro
jurors, negro magistrates and negro rep
reseutatives. That was the issue of R sd-
| icalism and the test Of loyalty" and
no paper in the land denounced them with
more ability than the Ardlanche did. Is
| IL a wonder that il was success?'
Is it strange that our people thought
| it their duty 10 aid in giving "suc-
cess" to an organ that SO ably and
so nobly denounced and exposed the
outrages upon their rights, when pro-
posed by the advocates Of these abomin-
| able measures afs 60
1t well and justly said, in 1868: To
suppose that our merchants and plant.
ers will patronize paper that mould
inrest the negro Nth all the social and
political rights which these merchants
and planters claim for themselves. Mould
be to suppose that they piH consent to
| their oscn degradation" This language
found an echo in the breast OF all true
men of the South; and the Aralanche
was rewarded for this, and such as this,
by patronage that won success" The
Post would have died long ago bat for
Government pap. The people never
sustained it. 1t died because il advo-
Gated doctrines revolving to Southern
men. Can it be supposed that the Ava-
lanche would have been patronized by
our people had it advocated in 1866, CT
aud '6S the doctrines it nop advocates
npon negro suffrage, negro schools, negro
Jurors and negro MAGISTRATES
The Post died because OF its advocat-
ing these doctrines. Are they less odious
now than thea Does any man think
the people OF the South will swallow
them merely because the Avalanche now
recommends them2 That paper may
rest assured that the same political dis
ease that killed the Posi- will kill any
other paper advocating it's odious doc
trines; for our people will be sure to
take The advice of the Avalanche, given
| in the extract above. Ii was sound 3D.
vice then; and it ia equally so now.
While willing to accord to the AUa-
lauche all the honesty and sincerity
Il claims for itself on this ques-
ton of negro suffrage and negro equality,
our people will not follow its lead in this
matter. Negro political equality is right
or it ia wrong. II wrong when the A5a
| lanche denounced il, it's wrong yet; and
| the people, at least. have had or seen no
cause or motive to change their opinions
about it 1t is the same revolving thing
now as when the Post advocated and the
Avalanche denounced it in 1867 and
| 1868; and it has been forced upon us
without the consent and in defiance oil
the known wishes aud convictions Of the
people. The law giving political equal
ity TO the negro was passed simply as
the only means left to perpetuate Radios
rule. In no other State 10 the Union
except in the oppressed Sou,h-would
such a radical change in the ad
ministration Of the affairs Of the
people have been attempted until the
people had discussed it and voted
upon il in their primary meetings
Had the people been allowed the oppor.
tuniiy Of voting upon II, II would nevel
have become q law; and il stands on ths
statute book to-day. not as the sense ant
will Of the people, but as the venom o
Radicslism which the Avalanche onc'
so ably denounced. The people Of Ten
uessee nerer sustained it and never will
If recolect Alright, the resolutions a
Brownsville, offered in 1867 BY one Of tn
editors Of the Araldnche, were that tn
whites would not take the right Of suf
frage from the negro, prorided the ne
groes would vote with the Conservative
: party in that contest. Have the negrne
. any claim upon US on that scorer Dii
they fken vote with the Conservatives
Have they erer done sol Then where j
the grsiilude We owe them on that head
: Tennessee sad North Carolina once per
: mitted free negroes 70 vote, That wa
, when there we're rot Eve hssare
free negroes in the State No.
{ there are 2T5, 600. Did not the men WI
= framed the Constitution OF 1885 take tbs
|. right from the free negro2 Surely the
did. II the wise men who framed ID
Constitution Of 1885 thought il vron
. 10 suffer the few free negroes in the Stat
: to vote. aad deemed il best 10 take tbs
franchise from them, Why should not n
convention which will frame our ne
Constitution take that right from N