Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-01-31

AR0AR II ~ AO AgAA@@A
ton to offer to universal suffrage, why
should it berate the Avalanche? III
TO this complexion il must come at
last. what is the meaning of the sky
scraping which the APPEAL has so
long INDUCED? We challenge the
APPEAL to show any reason for its
sudden change of base that did not
exist a year ago. More than a year
ago the Government, possessed of a
power that could not be resisted, is
sued the fiat of universal suffrage.
Now that this has been practically
enforced, the APPEAL sees it, has no
more opposition to offer, and proposes
to make the bestOf it. While the I'M
thinking, governed solely by their
passions and prejudices, and very
noisy in the discussion of whatever
they fail to comprehend, were ready
to denounce those who so long recog-
nized suffrag simply because it 1oGS a
TACT, the APPEALS was their echo. 1t
was either blind, like them, or with
out the moral courage to take a posi-
ton until it was taken by everybody
else. However that may be, events
have fully, completely and unequivo-
cally justified the course of the Ava
lanche. "-AUdIdnche.
We see no reason why our neighbor
should be so jealous of the APPEAL
as disposed to "berate the Avalanche"
There are t1o things which we pro-
pose to prevent and forbid in these
columns-One is any improper perso-
nal illusions in disparagement of the
character of our neighbOrs of the press
as private gentlemen, and the other IS
all unfavorable reference to their pc
cuniary resources or affairs. We de-
sire to build up and reform, rather
than to pull down and degrade the
reputation and influence of men in
our own profession. If we have OPP
posed the course of the Avalanche, it
was because we desired to make it aP-
pear that the view we entertained was
the right one. But this we desire to
do with all courtesy, respect and
friendship, because we know that to
be the best way to give force to what
we think to be the better nus and
the better reason. To others we
yield, not g~rudgingly, the same lib
erty. We deny the propriety of ques-
tioning the motives or character Of
others, when the issue is, not that,
but the fact and the argument
best calculated to elucidate the truth.
W. deal with arguments, and not
with the men who adduce them. Ana
we venture to suggest that our rule is
one which, if more faithfully followed
by ourselves and all other journalists,
would rebound to the public advan-
tage, without disparagement or injury
to any. And We may properly enough,
as the senior editor of the city, ask our
neighbors to strike hands with us,and
make an end Of all unpleasant and in
furious examinations and recrimina-
tons, which can have no other effect
than that Of mutual injury, without
compensating good to the public it is
our business to serve.
In the above extract the Avalanche
challenges the APPEAL to 4" show any
reasOn for its sudden change of base
that did not exist a year ago." We
submit that neighbOr is mistaken
in making this demand, because we
say that we have never advocated any
resistance to force. We are not proud
Of consistency as a virtue, since we
have more often seen men consistent
in pursuing wrong courses than
we have ever done in pursuit of
the right ones. But it so happens in
this instance that we have made
no change Of base. In
the nomination of our delegates
to the Constitutional Convention, we
consented to instruct them to vote to
submit the negro suffrage issue to the
people. They have done so. Wealso
cOnsented-as we understand ito the
full authority of the Convention, and
agreed to abide its action as a sover-
eign and peoples Convention. With
this obligation Our position is now pre-
cisely consistent. If the Convention
does not submit the Constitution to
the people, We propose to abide and
obey its command, so far as State pol
itics are concerned, however we may
d~eprecate its action on the suffrage
subject as unwise. We propose to
obey the law, just as we would if
monarchy or a~ristOcracy should be set
up by legal authority. While we
shall still think our own thoughts,
and, it may be, express our conviction
that negro suffrage is an inf1iction of
evil by enemies, which we may
hope in due time will be done away
with, we shall not agitate for mischief,
or seek to enforce views of right under
circumstances in which our efforts
would be futile, and might be also
baneful to the public well being. But
when in a national issue, or otherwise,
as in the past, we may hope without
detriment to bring about a reforma-
ton of the franchise laws of the Union
or the State, we do not promise, or
wish to be precluded from doing so.
Indeed, while we are willing to be
bound by all proper pledges, we de-
sire to remain always free to amend
our own errors, reform our own con-
illusions, and consent TO be led by the
force of truth and reason wbitherso-
ever it will; and at whatever expense
" consistency" which we consider
10 be most often a merit of question
able virtue. We are under the neees-
sity of confessing that we come short
Of infallibility, and SO it may be that
those who judge by the rule of con-
sistency alone may catch us tripping.
That may be our misfortune. But to
persist in a wrong would be eur fault.
We think that our neighbor is in
error in alluding, not only to the APP
PEAL, but also to those who have
thought with it, as failing to compre-
bend the negro suffrage issue. The
Avalanche itself admits the evil. If.
by reason Of superior prescience, it
was more prompt to yield up its resist
lnce, it may be entitled to superior
credit for sagacity than they. But in