Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-01-18

AAOAhs AAAE GANAEA& AA1A
has called on Gen. TERRY to aid in
the organization of the Legislature,
and require all members objected to
TO stand aside until their cases could
be heard through the dilatory process
of the courts. TERRY refuses, and so
there is a hitch in the business. A
message has been sent on to Washing
ton that all is lost unless more recon-
~structiOn tinkering is done, and q
supplementary bill passed. BULLOCK
wants a row out Of which more Radi-
cal capital is to be made. Congress
wants the XVIII Amendment, black
votes and more strength to the Radi-
cal party. If BULLOCK has his row
the amendment is postponed. II
Congress has its amendment Bull
LOCK makes no capital. Five
years after the close of the
war and one year after GRANTS cleo
ton, Georgia still has no "peace."
The Radical authorities have had it
all their own way, with negro suffrage
and officers, negroes elected, andjudges
who enforce the law against whites
severely but not against blacks, and
still no improvement, no peace, be-
cause the occupation Of the Radical
Othello's would be gone werei it other
wise. Miserable Georgia, wretched
South, unhappy country! We ap-
pend the following historical resume
from the st. Louis Republican:
The Georgia business is assuming
deeper phases of crime and trouble.
The Georgia bill itself was a foul
wrong, but the licentious and arbitra-
" execution of il possesses incidents
that almost pass belief.
There are conservative Republicans
in the assembled Legislature who de
test Bullock for his meanness and dis
honesty, and refuse to follow his lead.
They act with the Democrats, and
this gives BullOck's opponents in the
House a maiOrity-in spite Of the bill.
The Democrats make no fight on their
own behalf, but give the weight Of
their influence in favor Of the cOnser-
Yative or anti-BullOCk Republicans,
and support Bryant, a Republican, for
Speaker, and other Republicans for
the remaining Ofices-of course, with
the understanding that the cOuServa-
tive Republicans will unite with
them in opposing the reduction of the
State to BuiiOck's control. This is an
emergency which Congress and the
administration were not prepared for,
and there Is no provision in the GeOr-
gia bill 10 meet it.. General Terry,
commanding in the State, don't know
what to do; he therefore telegraphs
to Washington for instructions, and,
knowing very well what he is wanted
to do, he furnishes the administration
with a preteXt for commanding him
to DO that thing, by asserting that
several members OF the Legislature
have taken the test oath who could
not cOnsCientiOusly take it, and
who committed perjury in do
ing it. This dispatch comes to
the hands OF Gen. sherman, and that
distinguished soldier, who detests the
whole miserable business, and vet
cOuntenanceS it, out of a mistaken re-
gard for the President, replies by in
structing Terry, in " cases where there
is 10 doubt" of the perjury, to deal
with the periureTs in his discretion!
OF course Terry Will find Just enough
eases of perjury, and will turn out
just enough perjUred members of the
House 10 destroy heanti-Bullock ma
iOrity, and give control to the Bullock
party. This was the sole object Of the
Georgia bill, and it would not do to
have it fail. 1t was a crime itself.
and il must be made successful, even
if other crimes are necessary.
Charges Of perjury are usually tried
by juries, in courts. They may be
true; they may be false. An open
and fair investigation of them is de
manded by the first principles OF JUS
tice. But here is a case in which Terry
makes the charges, assumes the truth
of them, gives a verdict. and inflicts
the penalty, all by himself. And this
is the despicable reduction to which
reconstruction has come.