Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-04-27
TBE Democratic press Throughout

The Democratic press throughout
the country are busily engaged in dis
cussing the issues that are likely to be
made in the Presidential election I'm
1872. The Radicals are fixing up the
platforms both for themselves and the
Democratic party. After the fashion
OF a certain sulphurOus person8gewho
figures largely in sacred and proiane
history, the Radical orators take the
Southern people up " into a lofty
mountain and, while denounciug
the Democratic party, tempt them
with splendid promises Of future re
wards if they viii only accept the
situation" sell their souls to the pc
Htical miscreants who have deliber-
ately annihilated our civil rights, dis
fanchised our abIest and purest men,
and enfranchised every male negro
in the Union. Strange to say that
there are Democrats who propose TO
yield up principles for spOils-tO ac-
quiesce in the doctrine that amend
ments to the Constitution ofthe United
States may be made by the bayonet Of
the regular army, and States cOerced
against their viii TO ratify them; that
all the unconstitutional usurpations
Of the last ten years of the party in
power are to remain forever, and
stand as the laws Of the Medes and
Persians. Now, il requires but little
knowledge Of the Democratic party,
of the principles of human nature, not
to understand that when we inscribe
upon 0ur flag such principles we shall
be not only overwhelmingly but
disgracefully defeated. The DEM
Ocratic party cannot succeed
by ehacing all the great distinctions Of
the party from our platform, and by
running a tilt for power upon mere
minor issues. When the contest thus !
dwindles down to a struggle for place
and pelf, the people viii take but little
Interest in it. That is a false philosO-
ply and a narrow vision which sup
poses that the Democracy would pur-
sue a wise policy by swallowing all
their -antecedents, and then endeavor-
ing to run a match on the same track
with their opponents. We take il for
granted that we should have a Demo-
cratic PLATFORM thorough Demo-
cratic platform in ls72-a platform
at least as strong and radical as that
of 1865. In this matter we can per-
nit no backward steps, and we must
have candidates who can be relied
upon to carry it out, if they are
elected. The Louisville Ledger, oil
Tuesday last, in a long and able arti-
Gle sustaining the position which the
APPEAL has advocated, says:
However much we may desire the
success of the Democratic party in
70. we would not have ii compromise
itself with any Of the iniqUities of
Radicalism. We would not have it
sacrifice any of those principles which
make its success desirable. We do
not want a barren victory, but one
from which can be gathered Demo
cratic fruits. The road to victory lies
not in following In the wake of Radi-
The Democracy can never
secure power by advancing to such
positions as the Radicals have aban-
dOned in their revolutionary march
over the Constitution. Better disband
the party, if it can no longer claim
distinctive, positive, Well-dehned Drin-
upon which to apDeaf Ia
the people. But the principles which {
underhe the Democratic party are NOT
dead nor dormant. They have sfiT
the same force and the same aDDiica- :
ton to the condition of affairs In fbia
country, as when they were frst
5nUuciated ard the party organized.
The grand fundamental idea which
the whole structure of the
party, is that the Government Is 2
of e0-eQnai States, with the
Constitution as the bond Of Union. {
hat in that bond the powers and {
functions Of the General Government 3
clearly specified, and that it pos
esses no powers not therein enumer- 1
ted, but au other powers are reserved c
o the States respectively, on to the I
that this Constitution Is
inding alike On people and rulers, g
nd that the people are not bound q