Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-04-01
1879
Words Of SObsrnsss, Truth ard
MISUNDERSTANDING RsBuks
Of Accomplished Feet"
Journals.
The Reconstruction Acts TO be Pro-
Bou1Csd "UsurpatioHs, UnCOl-
siituti0nal, revolutionary
and VOid!'
The VoiCs Of the True Democratic
Prsss---NO Compromise
Of Principles
From the Atlanta IntelIigsncer.l

Of Principles /!
From the Atlanta Intelligsncer.l
MODERATION IN POLITICS.
With certain Journals, sailing under
the Democratic flag, moderation,
has become a stereOtyped expression
"a sort Of talismanic word upon
which they seem to rely for the sue
cess OF the party. They indulge in
constant depreciation of ''eXtremC
views" OF the rashness of ''hre.
eaters" Of the dangers with which
"the revolutionary Democracy
threaten the prospect now so bright
of redeemiug the country from RadL.
cal rule. 1t is urged by them, that
the last Presidential election was lest
by the imprudence Of extreme men I'D
the Democratic party, and that IN the
future the party should profit by the
lesson; that if should take counsel
of "the moderate men" of the party
ignore the past; take its stand upon
''Iiving issues and stake lis fortunes
upon them. These are the
| CATCH PHRASES OF SOME OF THE
JOURNALISTS
who now assume to take the lead il
/ shaping the issues upon which the
next Presidential contest is to be
waged and decided. 1t is "a fact, too,
I worthy Of remark, that some of these
[ Journals, ina days not long gone by,
I O~ut-herOded HerOd in stirring the
| hearts Of the people to deadly hatred
/ of tyranny and usurpatiOn.
But consistency with politicians is a
very small virtue, and even with
| statesmen must give way to the wis
/ dom which experience teaches and
progress calls Tor in its onward
march. We therefore find no fault
with these "neW lights" on this score.
1 We accord to their views all the force
which e of consistency could
stamp upon them. But it may be
well to determine what is meant by
the moderation they advocate? Do
they mean to apply the term to the
manner OF conducting the discussion
Of the questions at issue between the
two parties that now divide the cOUn-
try2 If that were so, then there
would be no reason for any dispute
with them
TEMPERATE, DIsPAssIONATE DISCUS
SION
Of these questions, difficult ash would
be,c0uld not damage the truth or work
harm to the Democratic party. But
this. we a-pprehend, is not what is
meant by the moderation" which is
sought to be run up as a party sign or
WatChWOrd. Moderation in what,
then? Is it meant that violence, re-
sistance to the laws OF the land is to be
deprecated and cOndemned2 Certain
" not. The Democratic party advO-
Gates obedience to the law. 1t is every
where the friend Of order and Of the
enforcement of the law. IL would be
great injustice TO the party, especially
as coming from its protested friends,
to intimate even that there existed a
necessity for c~Ouuseling il against viO-
leuCe and resistance to the law. This
cannot, therefore, be the meaning Of
the moderation so much harped upon.
Do these moderate politicians mean
that the party must abandon It's prin-
ciples or any portion Of them2 They
deny this; but still eXclaim, be mode
rate, keep cool, and we shall win
GREAT VICTORY IN 1872.
The real meaning, we take it, Of
these mOderates, is that certain is
sues which have heretofore been
made by the Democratic party must,
at least, be ignored, cut out Of It's
platform, in order to insure its sue
cess in the next Presidential election.
These issues are denOminated dead Is
sues-and it is urged that they must
be cast aside as things of the past
In this rejection Of dead issues, il is,
however, Of the greatest moment that
none Of the living issues be con-
founded with them, and mixed with
the rubbish to be thrown into the
ditch. This would be q fatal mistake.
The true test Of issues, whether they
be living or dead, as between the
South andthe North, is solved by de-
termining the question, what was de-
cided by the war?
THE SOUTHERN STATES
were driven to arms in defense OF con-
stitUtiOu8l rights, and lost what they
staked upon the issue. The right Of
secession, as a practical measure Of re-
dress, was decided against them, and
slavery, though not directly involved
in the issues Of the war, was abolished
with their consent. These questions
may be considered as having been
definitely settled By the appeal to the
sWOrd-by force. The right Of secs
sion, by this decision, has become the /
synonyme Of revolution, and
AFRICAN SLAVERY Is FOREVER DEAD
in these States. Thus much the war
has undoubtedly settled, and these
are dead issues. They can never be
resuscitated. But after the close oil
the war, the Congress OF the United
States, in dealing with the States
lately in secession, adopted a series OF |
measures. aVOwedly, for their restOra-
ton to the Union, which are generally |
known as the reconstruction acts, and
opposition to these measures was in
c0rpOratad into the platform of the
National Democratic party, &C the
Philadelphia
CONVENTION IN 1865.
They were declared, in this platform,
to be unconstitutional, null and void.
1t Is in relation to these measures
they, or any portion Of them,
are to be treated as living issues in the
future, that the question IS now
mOOted. The mOderates are in favor
Of burying all questions in relation to
these measures as /" dead issues" and
making the fight upon questions out
side OF them, upon what they denom-
mate living issues" In other
words, they would recognize the
wrongs and usurpati0ns which these
measures enacted, as fixed facts, as
part of the Constitution and laws Of
the land, not to be called in question
or again put in issue by the Demo-
cratic party.
1t viii lie well for those who take
this view TO consider well what they
propose.
PRINCIPLES ADMIT OF no DEGREES.
Like truth Itself, they are immutable,
without any shadow of change. A
measure which violates the great
principles which lie at the foundation
Of the structure of our government
which chenges its very character
cannot be- approved, without giving
up everything worth cOntending for.
should he ever borne In mind, that I
NA