Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-08-20

4 Ia - H&N1~
peoples party in Tennessee goes by
old names or new, is a matter of no
such importance just now as to require
| that the vast name Liberal" should
be adopted. That will not save the
country.
THE APPEAL is in no wise respon-
sible for initiating the discussion Of the
contemplated Constitutional reforms,
and would be none the less false to its
mission and convictions of right, if by
silence it had assented to the assump-
tions of the Avalanche and Republican
Banner. There is nowhere a white
community, acquainted with the re-
Gently emancipated Africans habits
of thought and action, which deems
him fitted morally or intellectually
for the proper discharge of the duties
of citizenship. No intelligent white
man, having opportunities for obser-
walton and to measure negro intellect
ual capacity and moral worth will
deny that the introduction of the ne
gro race into the electoral body will
reduce deplorably the grade of its
intelligence, independence and integ-
rity. Is it not a fact, confessed on all
hands, that the experiment of negro
suffrage in Tennessee proved most sig
nally the freedman's unitness for the
position assigned him by depraved
partnership? Has it not been dem
onstrated that, in his present state OF
moral and intellectual advancement,
he is more readily arrayed against
than induced to cooperate with the
the white race? Has it not been
proven by every political incident in
Tennessee for three years past, and
by every number of the AuaIanche
and other Democratic papers,
published during this period, that the
negro has been wholly subordinated
to the wishes and purposes of the
worst rather than the best men in the
community?
These are plain, simple questions to
which intelligence, virtue, truth, pat
riotism and common sense return q
single answer. Do not sound states
manship and true wisdom necessarily
approve at least the present exclusion
of these late slaves, recently enamel
pated, from the exercise of the high
est privileges of citizenship? 1t is ne
answer to all this that there are many
incompetent white voters. Should
the number of incompetent white
voters be needlessly augmented.
Should we not rather seek to mitigate
than aggravate the confessed and glar
ing evil? Moreover, ineompetency
cannot be predicated of the who'll
white as of the whole black C Tn,
ineapacity of white voters in individ
ual; that of blacks pertains to thu
whole body of colored voters. Ignor
ance in the white race is the eXcep
ton; in the black it is the rule. In
telligent negrophilists admit all this
and yet assert that in time Sambo will
be qualified for the position the Ara
Idnehe would assign him. Then lei
time do its proper work. This is
craftsmanship sufficiently "liberal.'
To go beyond it is sheer recklessness
Any untried race-Indian, Monaghan, /
or African-especially in a republic il
which law, order and the stability o.
government depend wholly upon the
ballot-box, should be tested and ap- ]
proved and cautiously and slowly in
vested with the sovereign scepter o
the ballot. We can discover in the
present condition of Tennessee, nc
reason why we should abandon intel
as the recognized and sure ba
sis of safety in free government. II
may be true that Federal power, both
the purse and sword, has been and
still is employed to eOnstrain South
arn States and shape their political
Even Northern States do not
menaces of the central despot
SIN. But as we read the signs of the
lines, there is a hopeful change ir
progress north of the Ohio and Sus-
Iuehanna. The press raises its potent
against these unexampled usur-
God be praised when they,
who pirate about freedom and boast o
he glOries of the great Republic, no
accept their opinions at the
oOint of the bayonet.