Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-04-23
" rds Of WaFniBg-Ah Address
from the Democratic Members
Of Congress.
The Crimes and lHfsmiss Of Grant
and the Radical Party.
q Fssrful Yet Truthful ArraigulHsnt
Enormous DsfaICaiiOns.
Dsspotls Legislation The Enforce
msnt BdI-ProsCripti0n and
EnsIaVement Of tbs Senate.
Excessive Expenditures Of The Fad
Ical Psriy-Adm9nitiOn to Keep
thB Feacs.

WAsHrNGroN, April % The Dem /
Ocrats in Congress have just issued the
following address;
TO THE PEOPLE or THE UNITED
STATES
Our presence and official duties at
Washington have enabled Gs 10 be |
come fnfIv acquainted with the ac- /
tiOns and designs Of those who con-
dr0l the Radical party, ana we leel /
called upon to utter few words OF /
warning against the alarming strides |
thev have made toward the centrah- |
zatiOn of power in the hands of Con- /
gress and the Executive. The time /
6nd attention of the Radical leaders |
have been almost wholly directed TO |
devisipg such legislation as viii 10 /
their view best preserve their ascend /
encv. and no regard for the wise re- !
straints imposed by the Constitution /
has checked their reckless and de5- I
perate career. The
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES |
mas been formally announced az |
candidate for reelection. The decla- /
raa0ns Of his selfish supporters have 1
haau echoed by a subsidized press, |
and the discipline Of the party has al /
ready Ugade the adhesion to his per
soDaI fortunes the supreme test OF pO- l
lftfcaI fealty. The partisan legislation !
20 which we refer was decreed ana
FhaDed in secret caucus, where the
EXTREMIST councils always dominated, /
and was adopted by a sub5ervient ma /
joritv. lfnOt with the intent, certainly
with the effect to place in the hands
of the President the power to COM
nand bis own denomination, and 70
employ the army, navy and militia,
ct his sole discretion, as a means CT
subserving his personal ambition.
When the
SAD EXPERIENCE OF THE LAST TWO
YEARS,
50 disappointing to the hopes ana
generous confidence of the country, IS
Considered in connection with the
violent utterauCes and rash purposes
Of those who control the Presidents
DoIicv. ft is not surprising
that the grsvest apprehensiOns
for the future peace Of the na
tiou should be entertained. At a |
time when labOr is depressed and /
every material interest is palsied by
oppressive taxation, public offices
have been multpi beyond all prece- |
dent 10 serve as rument5 IN the
perpetu8tion OF pC sF. Partisanshlp
is the only test applied to the distribu-
ton Of this vast patronage. HOnesty,
fitness and moral worth are openly
discarded in favor Of trucking
SUBMISSION AND DIsHONORABLE COM /
PLIANCE.
Hence enormous defalcaiOns and !
widespread corruption have followed /
as natural consequences Of this per 4
qicious system. By the official report 1
OF the Secretary OF the Treasury, it /
appears that, after the destruction OF /
ali proper credits, many millions Of /
dollars remain due from eZ-COlectOrs |
of Internal Revenue, and no proper /
diligence has ever been used to collect |
them. Reforms in revenue and fiscal |
systems, which all experience demon
strsfes to be necessary to the frugal
administration of the Government,
as well as a measure of relief to an
Overburdened people, have been per- /
sistently postponed or Williuly neg
lected. Congress now adjOurns with
ont having even attempted to reduce
taxation, or to repeal the glaring i'm
positions by which industry is crushed |
and Impoverished.
TEE TREASURY Is OVERLOOKING,
and an excess of $4,000, 600 Of reve- /
nue. Is admitted, and yet, instead Of
some measure Tor present relief, a bar
rem and deiusiVe resolution Is passed /
nv the Senate to consider the tariff
and excise systems hereafter, as If
history. broken pledges and unapplied
remedies furnished any better assur-
-auee for future legislation than eXpe-
rieuce has done in the past. Ship
building and the carrying trade, once
the sources Of national pride and
-Drosperity. now languish under
crushing load Of taxation, and nearly
every other business interest is strug-
Cling without profit to maintain itself.
Our agriculturists, while paying
heavy taxes on all they consume,
either to the Government or mOnOpO-
Lists. find prices for their own pro-
,5ucts so reduced that honest labor is
denied its Just reward and industry is
\ lr ostrated by
INVIDIOUs DISCRIMINATION.
a early 200, 600 acres Of public
h nds. which should have been re
- wed for the benefit of the people,
hsN Te been voted away to giant corpO-
rgff Ons, negiecting our soldiers and
.en-t, ching a handful Of greedy specu-
lsfor and lobbyists, who are thereby
ensbl ed to exercise a most dangerous
and e lrrupting influence over State
and Fe. dersl legislation.
Ifthe t-areer of these conspirat0r5 be
not check. ed, the downfall of our free
Gcvernmel1t is inevitable, and with il
inc elevator Of g military Dictator on
the ruins Of th e Republic.
Under theprst tense Of passing laws
etoeufOrce the Fourteenth amendment,
and for other purposes. Congress has
conferred the most nespotle powers
tuDon the Executive, ana PROVIDED
~ official machinery Oy which the
Liberties Of the people are menaced
and the sacred right Of sell govern
Tneut IN the States ignored, If not ty-
rannically 0verthroWn. Modelled az
ter the
gEDTTION LAWS,
40 oJjOus ia history, they are at va
rance with ali the sauctihed theories
of our Institutions; and the eonstruc-
ton given by these Radical interpre'
bers 10 the Fourteenth amendment IS,
70 use the language Of an eminent
Senator (Trumbun Of IllinOls)s an
"AnnihilatOr Of States"
Under the last enforcement bill the
Executive may in his discretion thrust
aside the government of any State
suspend the writ O. 15eas corpus, ar
rest its Governor, mprisOn OF dispeTse
the Legislature, silence its judges and
trample down its people under the
armed heel Of his trOOps. Nothing is
left TO the citizens or State which can
any longer be called a right. AL is
changed into
MERE sUFFERANCE.
qlur h0pes for redress are in calm,
oood stnse and sober secOnd-thought
6f Inc american people. We call
npon them 20 be true TO themselves
and their past, and, disregarding
party names ana minor dlderencest
10 insist on 8 decent equalization Of
power, and the restriction Of the req
eral authority within its Just ana
proper limits, leaving 70 the states
that control Of their domestic AZ
fairs which is essential 70 their
happiness and tranquility and
good government. Everything
that malicious ingenuity could
suggest has been done to irritate the
people Of the Middle and Southern
States. The
GROSS AND EXAGGERATED CHARGES
of disorder and violence owe their
-4frfn to the miachieVOus minds Of