Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-08-19
UNDER wH1oH,FLAGi

UNDER WHICH, FLAGi
The Union and American publishes an
article beaded as above, which meets our
hearty approval. and will bear republish-
ing. at is said that the party which
elects the Congressional majority in the
election previous to Presidential cleo
ton always elects the President. We
have not consulted the statistics to as
certain the correctness of this assertion
Whether true or not, ii cannot be doubted
that the influence Of the Congressional
majority at the time Of Presidential
canvass must be exceedingly potential.
Under a full conviction of the impor-
lance of the fall elections in the next
Presidential campaign, both parties in
the North are preparing for the ap-
preaching canvass. There but two par
ties are known; The Radical, or as it is
sometimes softly called, the Republican,
and the National Democratic party. In
the former is found Ben. Butler,
Sumner, Morton, and those poll
ticians who favor the concentration of
all power, Executive, Judicial and
Legislative, both of the State and general
governments in the Congress of the
United States. In the latter are found
Fillmore, Winthrop, Brooks, Adams and
those statesmen who insist upon the
rights ofthe States; who insist that the
Federal Government is one of limited
powers. tits not government of inhe-
rent but of delegated powers, delegated
by the Constitution of the United States.
The Constitution expressly declares that
the powers not delegated to the United
States by the Constitution, nor prohib-
tied by it to the States, are reserved to
the States respectively" 1t is for the
maintenance of these reserved rights OF
the States in their full yigor that the
National Democfacy have been, under
old Wing and old Democratic leaders,
waging the unequal war for the past five
years. 1t will not do to say in reply, as
is urged by those in the South who oppose
an alliance with the National Democracy,
that they fought fouryears put down our
doctrine of States rights. 1t is true,
they did fight to put down the right Of
secession, claimed by the majority of
the Southern Democracy. In that light
this doctrine, under the arbitrament OF
the sword was surrendered Radical
ism claims that the result Of that fight
was complete extinction of all State
rights, and that henceforth, according to
the idea of Senator Brownlow, the States
should bear the same relation TO the
Federal Government which the counties
bear to their respective States. Ii is to
combat this fundamental doctrine of
Radiealism, and incidentally to prevent
its administrative corruptions, that the
National Democracy keep up their or
ganization in every State of the North
and set their squadrons in every field
The question presents itself most forci-
bly, to the people Of the South, who have
been SO crnelly outraged by Radical
usurpations, whether they will yield the
doctrine of States rights, or herthey
will dare assert their political manhood
and contend for it. If they intend the
latter, can there be any doubt that it is
their high, solemn, bounded duty to open
Nv proclaim their determination to con-
tinue united with the National Democ-
racy, and with that party make com
mon fight against a common foe? This
is an important question, and il is i'm
portart that it should receive the imme-
diate consideration of the people Of
Tennessee. The Governor, members Of
the Legislature and members of Con-
gress whom we elect next November viii
be in office in 1872 1t should now be
known whether they are willing to pledge
themselves to sustain the National De-
moeracya in that contest If there be
those aspiring to Office who deny the
truth Of the declaration of the Davidson
county Convention in June, 1868, that
it is the unquestionable duty Of all the
true friends Of constitutional freedom,
by ~hatever name heretofore designated,
TO come forward and exert themselves
zealously and energetically in support Of
the Democratic cause; if there be those
aspiring to Office who believe that the
union with the National Democracy,
Which was formally made and pro
claimed in the State Convention Of June
9, 1865, should be now dissolved, it is
the duty Of the people that they should
require from every candidate an explicit
avowal apea this subject LET The
County CoSyESTIoxs LOOK TO Il"