Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-08-29
What ths Radical Party is---The Demo.
~ cratic Is the only Banner Ueder
which we can fight.


What ths Radical Party is---The Demo
~ cratic Is the only Banner UEder
which we can fight.
- @--IEBAEoS, TExS., aAngnst % ls7O
Msssrs. Douglass, Norment, FOute,
Avery aud Bsngh:s t9f Oh 4
=Cye-tdemen-As one OF the participants
in the long and arduous conflicts be
tween the .Yhigs and Denocratss, into into
in the former and better days OF the re-
public, You ask my views as to the duties
ftbe hour. After some hesitation have
Eeonclnded IL is mydnty 70 comply With
your request. M
I On the issues between those twe ns-
tional parties my Judgment and my EEL
iugs led me to do battle on the SIDE OF the
Wings. Nv opinions have now changed
on thai subject. Oar contests were upon
g1riucinle aud great measures OF -poiiey. (.
1t wss q noble strife, controlled by pa
triotism snd attended with vaned sue
90 cess. All were for the Constitution, All
aimed at the greatest general good. None
were insisting upon radical changes ia
. the system of government marked out by
the fathers. and venerated by their sons.
Both parties claimed to worship at the
shrine of the constitution, anu nlagnfned
the wisdom OF It's trainers III bue HappN
distribution of powers between the state
and National Governments, with the
strong safeguard provided against the in
yssion OF either by the other, and the en-
croaehment ofOne department oTthe gov
ernment upon another. Both contended
for equality of rights, and strict adhe-
rance TO all the established land marks.
o. There was no mRtsrial ference between
than in regard TO the rights of the States,
and in their opposition 20 consolidated
. government and concentration Of power.
g The only contest on these great subjects
was, who stood up most nrInIY IN the
support of these fundamental doctrines.
The difference between these two par
ties was 10 be found in the policy and
o measures which they respectively pro-
posed for the promotion OF the common
gooo snd general welfare. Iheir
platforms, aiter some gsnerailIles illss
common TO both, with debatable
variations, set forth their adverse
position on these questions of policy.
Currencv questions were made Perma-
nent always; so was the tariff, the dispo-
sition of the surplus revenues, The one
term, principle, etc.
These parties first assumed their dis
tinctive names aud compscS Organization
in 1856. It was q war OF q quarter OF q
century in duration between them, wit b
alternate success and defeat. At length
the infusion of sectiOualisn1 on the sla-
very iquestiOn into the northen wing of
each party 50 weakened them that new
party grew mp gradually of the North
against the South, called the Abolition,
the Black Republican, and finally the Re-
publican party. From contemplate in
significance, aided by the distractions
from, and divisions in the old parties, af-
ter their immortal leaders had gone down
to honorable graves. this One-idea and
sectional party boldly put forth giant
strength, struck down the shattered force
of the other parties, and by the hands Of
Mr.. Lincoln, seizsd the reins of govern
ment, monopolized all the offices, do
uestic and foreign, for their section and
their party. There was still noble band
of patriots in the North who fought on for
e1uaI rights and a fair distribution of off,
ces and honor over the whole Union, as
had ever been the case before, no matter
which party was in the aseendeney. The
whole South found itself without any
share riutire governsilent, but to pay taxes
and obey orders. This state OF things,
with the reasonable apprehension of
greater evils in the future, eliminated in
the most gigantic civil war known TO his
tory. Ny own opinion was, that it was
fuvisa 70 resort 10 arms and by force 70
sever the Union for the security Of our
endangered rights, as / thought, and do
= mot vet doubt, that by a close alliance of
the entire South, without regard TO former
divisions with our friends in the North,
the egoEernment could haYe1been soon ma
tioualized and restored to its ancient prin-
cipIes by the overthrow of the trium phant
marty and 1hB restoration OF the CONSTR
futiOn Butthe fatal course was taken,
the storm came on, compromise and con-
ciiiatiOn failed, snd nothing was left but
to choose SIDES and take the consequences.
was among the number who felt il
their duty TO stand to their section
and share its fate, whether for good or for
! evil The cause was lost, and dire have
been the. consequences Unnumberless
woes have been poured out upon the un-.
. fortunate South. It was reduced TO pow
.ertv and bereft of all the rights Of free
men. intoxicated with success, and in
famed by the lust OF gain and thirst for
Office. the dominant party have dehed the
3 Constitution, mutilated its proyisionsand
safeguards by amendments imposed upon
the people by force and fraud; set AZ de-
daneA the rights of tie States, and the
Dower of the people; placed the military
above the civil authority; abrOgated the
writ of habeas corpus whenever IL came
in the way of their unholy schemes; en-
Iarged the salaries in every department.;
increased the number of pubic officers
and agents without advantage to the pub
Lie service, but to make place for them
selves; treated with contempt the right of
. the peoDle to elect by choice their own
representative; rejected the choice of ma
forities, and let into high places of trust
such plant and INSCRIPTIONS tools as
suited their wicked purposes, and made
bribery and corruption the order of the
day from the highest TO the lowest posi-
~ tions.z Against this wicked. selfish and
destructiVe party a noble band Of patriots
Throughout the North have been fighting
earnestly and constantly ever since the
reign Of terror commenced. Every inch
of ground has been contested, and defezt
has produced no sign of submission in the
valiant defenders Of equal rights and
constitutional liberty. They have not
been intimidsted by power, awed by su-
perior numbers, nor discouraged by re-
S1aatesl defeats. Feeling that they are bat
Sfiug- -for. All [ hat is dear to themselves and
their posterity, they quail not at disaster,
q but after each hard fought and unsuccess-
ful bettle they k4ye turned again and
again upon the foe with redoubled herce-
ness and increased Numbers. The chart
of liberty and the sword of justice are in
their hands. Already they have carried
lseVera Of the strongholds Of tho enemy,
and are pressing on upon Others, and all
along the line We see prep srations on both
sides for a general and decisive struggle.
Our noble State has her part to act in the
great contest for liberty and constitution
al government. She has never been found
wanting in times of difficulty, and will
not be now. She is marshalling her forces
for the field. and is considering as to the
selection Of her leaders. The question
arises, under what banner shall
our forces be arrayed. All agree
that we must stand as one man
against the cohorts OF Rsdieahsnn, and
f'gbt shoulder to shoulder with those who
strike TOR the country and our institu-
tions as they were. There must be no
division among us. "a house divided
aRaipst itself cannot stand" Under what
name shall we do battle, Democrats,
Wings or Conservatives? Whatever name
vvili 1--WE us most strength is the one we
b -houfd adopt. Abstractly, that Is 3 ques-
- fion on no consequence at all. We prove
= ,ourselves nrisSorthy OF the cause to quar-
rel about a mater 50 MINISTERIAL. The
Whie psrty Is numbered among the
things OF the past. IT vas noble, patriotic
and conservative party In It's day, but
ft has long since fought its last light, and
ONLY lives in the bright page Of history.
. No one now proposes to resuscitste IL.
Though il was defeated in its measures
and p0ilcy by its great rival, its funda-
mental principles still survive and ara
fneorporated "a The creeds Of its former
ANTAGONIST They cannot perish while
the republic lives. There Is but one great
national party now in existence and that
Il the Democratic It is not the Denoc-
Tscv OF old; not thati against which the
ILdWiftgs eontended, though il retains
.ntsuy of its original principles as well as
thoas of the Wing party. Those ISSUES
.upoa which we differed have now passed
of. and others have been made up with
ehe new ssctions', tyrannical, selfish and
wicked political orgauizstion called the
Radical party. A portion of both the old
parties have gone into that, and consti-
fIsfe a fearful conspiracy against our