Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-08-15
ANSWER OF GEORGE R. PHELAN.


Editors appeal: 1 notice in the APPEAL
of the 18th inst. a suggestion of my name
as a candidate for the Legislature, and
while my vanity Is not sufficiently great
to allow me to mistake the ebulition of
personal friendship for the sentiments of
the public, yet It compels me to state
plainly and positively my intentions as
to the canvsss In b first place then, l
can not under any circumstances become
a candidate. The confidence and trust of
the people l shall ever esteem the most
precious of possessions, and to attain
them is the dearest hope of my life; but
it would be a poor presage of this, were I
to seek to fill such a position, at so grave
a juncture, while there are SO many older,
wiser n more experienced citizens at
the service of the public.
Now, more than ever has the Democ-
racy need to put forward Its best material,
and especially to place them in the Leg
islstive Offices. The condition OF affairs
in our State is so delicate, that it will "a.
quire in its Legislators the greatest tact,
GOODNESS and discretion.
After many years o. outrage and OPP
preston, we have at last, not only re-
gained ouE liberties and rights as citizens,
but u party snd principles are in the
ascendant. How carefully then should
we select our legislators-how important
it Is we should take care lest the smarting
recollection of suffered wrong should
make Us unjust, OF the promptin9s of re-
Venge lead us to fatally injure the best in
terests of our State. Vengeance is a poor
forget, yet it is both polite and right to
Lei the forgiveness of silence fall over the
Interchangeable past.
The responsibility of interpreting our
laws is nothing to the gravity of creating
them; yet, while we seek the gravest
counsellors of the State for the Supreme
Bench, how often are the legislative halls
filled with those whose ignorance is only
equalled by their ipexperience and vio-
lence? The n makes the laws, which
the other can only construe.
Above all, as the nominees of our party
VIII sc certainly be elected, they should
be fit representatives of its principles.
This demands that we should all be able
to know 4OhGt is Democracy, u it was in
order to fill This need l ventured to offer
the Executive Committee the platform to
which your correspondent has referred.
AS he has done SO, l may be excused for
attempting to explain.
There are two parties here founded upon
principles which have been and will be
the same In every age n under every
government b one eager to change,
struggling to advance, willing TO destroy
the other averse to action, anxiousfo pre-
serve, refusing to demolish.
No one can fail to perceive that Radical
isms Is active Democracy passive; the
one violent, aggressive, and only DESTROYS
of finding q weak point to attack-the 9TH
err defensive, guarded and conservative.
In 1855 they were called Democrat and
Wing; now they are Democrat and Radi-
cal; and the first, finds himself, in all but
name, an "old-lfne Wing; e~ndeavoring
to cheek the rushing tide of Radical de-
struction, and TO prop the lettering frag-
ments of the Constitution, against the
reckless attacks Of Radical progress and
change.
As we are thus conducting a defensive
war, the urgent necessity Of having our
frontiers clearly defined Is plainly appar-
emit. In the year 1906, during the excited
contest between Mr.. Jefferson and Charles
O. Pinckney-between Federal and Re-
p~ublican-the Democratic party was first
ushered upon the arena of American poll
tics. 1t was not an inopportune moment
for 70 important an occurrence TIE