Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-04-19

EAAAAAACAa
THE same malignant and devilish
spirit which OccasiOned the defeat OF
amnesty, will secure the passage OF
the Ku-Klux bill. We are hourly eX-
pectingt to learn, by telegraph, thepas-
sage ofthis infamous measure. Is the
south never to have repose? Is Rad
zeal maIignity never to be appeased ?
Are we to have new situations" TO
accept every day? Lsitan accom-
plished fact" that our government is
to be a consolidated government? It
has been six years since the close Of
the war, and the South is still badg-
cred and bedeviled, simply for the
dsspicable purpose of keeping an in
famous party in power. The Ku-
Klux bill would not subserve its pUT-
pose if troops were not called out, and
We may expect in a few days to see
bayonets bristling in communities
where peacesand tranquility brOods
like a gentle spell. God knows the
late war was bad enough; but there is
something worse than war which is
now des0lating the South. 1t is bad
government, which in its destructive
fury, is more terrible than San army
with banners" The hand Of indus
try may repair the ravages Of war,
but how shall the utmost efforts Of in
dustry avail against the ~ceaseless,
wearing, wasting ravages Of bad gov
eminent? 1t was the cotton
product Of the South which
made Us grow rich, and 50
it might have done again; but no
sooner was the war over than a tax Of
three cents a pound was levied upon
It, and the tax-cOllector, ike a with
ering simeon, blasted all he touched.
The tax did not only cunsume all
the surplus OF the planter, but even
this is found insufficient to satisfy the
greed of a merciless government, and
the planter becomes a bankrupt under
the weight OF the tax. With this tax
OF three cents per pound, each pound
of cotton cost the planter more than
he got for it in the market. And thus
we see that this tax was worse than the
war. What sort Of government is
that whose administration rewards
industry with bankruptcy, that cor
may fatten upon spoils? 1t is
that has crushed the South,
not the war. The Government had
much better have offered a premium
10 stimulate the production Of cotton,
than to blast it with a ruinOUs tax.
But, had the South been let alone,
after the war, and allowed the free ex-
of the i~nalienable right Of self
government, she would to-day have
been adding TO the wealth Of the
country aud stimulating ITS COM
merce by a considerable export.
tyranny in the shape Of taxation,
iespotism bristling with bayOnets;
and Bureaus to foster idleness, are
what has blasted the South; and
the North is now taxed to
snfore a despotism here, which
is eating out the substance and blast
Ing the industry Of both peoples. No
whether John Smith be on a
farm in the North, or a cotton planta
ton in the South, or in a workshop
anywhere; when a greedy and corrupt
Government, the victim Of thieves
and the hireling factOtum of money
sharks, consumes all his surplus, and
even eats into his principal, by a sys-
tenn of ruthless taxation, he is ruined
man. Such q government has a
mortgage upon his property, his
strength, his toll, and he is no longer
a freeman. He is a slave, and if he
support such a system he is a SELF
created, self-abased slave, with a
skin, it may be, but white
ivered as well, But the South sur
vived the infamous cotton tax;
she has lived through five years
Of military desp0tism; she en-
lured the prosecutions and the
robbery Of the carpet-bsg knaves; she
has abolished slavery, repudiated the
Confederate d,bt, and quietly submit
to the operations OF therecOnstruc
ion acts. But it seems she is to
still more. The Ku-K Iux bill
IS more vindictive, unconstitutional
and despOtic than any outrage COM
during the actual existence Of
var. The Southern people, in ruin,
despair and agony, are inqUiring Of
heir tOrmeutors, how many " situa-
ions" do you want US 20 accept"
Aye, the mystery will soon be solved. /
When despotism accomplishes its
purposes, liberty becomes a mockery,
he rights Of the States a "dead issue.u
md Grant secures his election bv fraud
md military force, then viii Radical
sm become as amiable as the gorged
iger, tell the people that they can
afely ''accept the situation, " because
he kDaves have " accomplished % all
be "facts" necessary 10 accom-
,Ilsh - all their reasonable purposes.
]