Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-08-19

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ting it be taken, involves trouble.
But the champions of wholesale, In
definite prescription p~ersistently shut
their eyes to controlling facts. They
talk as though a ryramid would
stand on its apex forever; but 1t
won't. Had Seymour been elected
last fall, the CONSERVATIVES" would
have enfranehised themselves by the
shortest way, law or no law. There
would probably have been collision
and a season of anarchy-possibly of
bloodshed-but they would have been
voters in the end. They have now
attained that end in a better way, !
though not the best. The last Legis- !
lature should have enfranchised at
least the better half Of them.
We hope soon to hear that the Re
publicans of the South have every
where discarded the policy Of pro-
scribing or DISTINGUISHING the late
rebels. True, they may be beaten by
the votes now nullifed by this policy;
but triumphs won by combining the
suffrage practically to one party are
fragile and illusory, as Andrew john
son found, when he made Tennessee
vote for Lincoln and himself in 81
| as Col. Stokes has just discovered.
| The only safe and solid ground to
stand on is that Of All Rights for All.
The Tribune is quite right in saying
there was no outright bargain
when there was no bargain at all.
1t was clearly enough understood that
enfranchisement would be secured in
this election, in the event of the cleo
| ton of SENTER. That was the great
and chief end to be obtained. But
there was no understanding, tacit or
otherwise, that Republicans should be
elected to the Legislature, to the ex-
clusion of Conservatives. This must
sufficiently appear from the fact that,
with such an understanding, the bar
gain would be all on n side. 1t
would be "you vote for Republican
SENTER and for Republican Legisla-
tors, and we will vote for Republican
Stokes and Republican Legislators"
There would be no guild pro quo. Who
would be green enough to believe
that? Was it to be supposed the
Conservatives and Democrats would
bargain to vote for a full set of
Radical candidates, out and out, and
get nothing? 1t is fortunate for us
that such an absurdity is so patent on
its face that bad faith cannot be reas-
onably charged, and that the luster
of victory cannot. be dimmed by any
suspicion of unconscionable practices.
That victory was fairly won on the
part of the Conservatives, not by
frauds on their part, but in spite of
them. The white mans flag of white
Acknowledgement floats proudly and
unstained on the breeze of heaven.
The necessity for such a flag was an
outrage on the rights of the people,
which the people have wiped ont.
That is what the election means, and
no more-that the people of Ten
nessee have taken into their
own hands their ancient right
to govern the State, which had
been illegally wrested from them.
What next? Anarchy, injustice, re-
belliOn, bIoodshed? No-nOt one OF
rthese things, but order, Justice to all,
obedience to law and peace. That IL,
what thespeople mean by their verdict,
and it is what they mean, and have a
right to have. They propose, as the
people of one of the States of the
Union to govern the State, under the
Constitution of the United States,
precisely as NeW York, Ohio or Mas
sachusetts would do, yielding no
rights and usurping nc powers, EEt
exercising such as pertain, indispnta-
bly, under the American system, to a
free people. And this they will do
with such dignity, moderation and
magnanimity as will brand the
infamous charge Of a dis
position to persecute indelibly
on the foreheads of those, who,
for party purposes, have been weak
and brazen enough to utter it. Such
restrictions or changes will be made
in the franchise IS the good of the
State may require, whether it results
in more restricted suffrage, or in uni
versal suffrage, diluted with African
and woman's rights" Officers and
salaries may be abolished and changed,
and some who have riOted for four
years at the expense of the taX-ridden
people may be displaced. But none
who are not entitled to hold Office for
ever, and to have salaries and per-
quisites they cannot earn, will have
any reason to complain, when, by
rotation in office" they will have,
according to their merits, every priv
Hege which pertain to others of their
fellow-citizens. The SANDER that
Northern men will be socially Ostra-
cised or otherwise ill-treated is and
will be especially put down. No re-
spectacle Northern man here will af-
firm any such thing. That is exclu-
sively the work of unprincipled parti-
san correspondents. Wecongratulate
our fellow-citizens and the country
that we now have it in our power, by
discreet and magnanimous acts, to
disarm every SANDER against us,
which at last is nothing but words,
words, words, infamous words. Such
viii be the "efect of rebel enfran-
chisement"-fair justice, statesman
like legislation, and a new are of
public and private prosperity. That
is the "glory enough for one day"
which the election of the 9TH instant
has secured to US. 1t was the work of
the people rather than the politi-
cians-reaction against prescription,
abuse and outrage. And it is a result
which there is no power to reverse.