Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-22
THE NATIONAL DEMOCRACY
An Earnest Appeal.
Address TO the Democrats of the
Country by their Representa-
lives im Congress.

fully acquainted with the actions and de-
signs of those who control the Radical
party, and we feel called upon to utter g
few words of warning against the alarm
ing strides they have made towards GEN.
tralization of power in the hands of
Congress and the Executive. The time
and attention of the Radical leaders have
been almost wholly directed TO deVising
such legislation as viii in their view best
preserve their ascendancy, and no regard
for the restraints imposed by the Consti-
tuition has checked their reckless and des-
perate career.
The President of the United States has
been formally announced as a candidate
| for reelection. The declarations of his
selfish supporters, have been reissued
by subsidized press, aud the discipline
of the party has already made adhesion TO
his personal fortunes the supreme test of
political fealty. The partisan legislation
to which we refer vas decreed and shaped
in secret caucus, where EXTREMIST coun-
sells always dominate, and were adopted
by subservient majority, if not with the
intent, certainly, with the effect to place
in the hands of the President the power
TO command his own denomination, and
to employ the army, navy and militia at
| his sole discretion, and as a means of
subscribing his personal ambition.
When the sad experience of the last
two years, so disappointing to the hopes
and generous confidence of the country,
is considered in connection with the vio-
lent utterances and rash purposes of
those who control the Presidential policy,
it is not surprising that the gravest appre-
tensions for the future peace of the ma
ton should be entertained. At a time
when laber is depressed and every mate
rial interest is palsied by oppressive tax
alton, public offices have been multiplied
| beyond all precedent to serve as instru-
ments in the perpetuation of power.
Partissnship is the only test applied to
the distribution of this vast patronage.
Honesty, fitness, and moral worth are
| openly discarded in favor of trucking
submission and dishonorable compliance.
Hence enormous defslcations and wide
spread corruption have followed as the
natural consequences of this pernicious
system. By the official report of the Sec
Rotary of the Treasury, it appears tha
after the deduction of all proper credits,
many millions of dollars remain due from
ex-collectors of internal revenue, and no
| proper diligence has ever been used to
collect them.
| Reforms in the revenue and fiscal sys-
TENS which all experience demonstrates
to be necessary to the frugal administra-
ton of the government, as well as a meas
ure of relief to an Overburdened people,
have been persistenily postponed or will
fully neglected. Congress now adjourns
without having even attempted to reduce
taxation or to repeal the glazing imposi-
tons by which industry is crushed and
impoverished. The treasury is overflow
ing, and an excess of eighty millions of
revenue is admitted, and yet, instead of
some measure to present relief, a barren
and delusive resolution is PASSED by the
Senste to consider the tariff and excise
systems hereafter, as if the history of
broken pledges and unapplied remedies
furnished any better assurance for future
legislation than experience has done in
the past Ship building and the carry
ing trade, once sources of national pride
and prosperity, now languish under the
crushing load of taxation, and nearly
every other business interest is struggling
without profit to maintain itself. Oul
agriculturists, while paying heavy taxes
on all they consume, either to the gov
eminent or monopolists, find the price fol
their own products so reduced, that hon
est labor is denied its just reward, and
industry is Frustrated by invidious dis
examinations.
Nearly 1000, 900, 900 of acres of public
lands which should have been reserved
for the benefit of the people, have beer
voted away to grants and corporations,
neglecting our soldiers and enriching {
handful of greedy spectators and lobby
isis, who are thereby enabled to exercise
most dangerous and corTupting influences
in our State and Federal legislation. L
the career of those conspirstors be nc
checked the downfall of free government
is inevitable, and with the elevation of ,
military dictator on the ruins of the re
public. Under the pretense of psssin!
laws to enforce the fifteenth amend
ment, and for other purposes, Con
gress has conferred the most despoti
powers upon the Executive, and pro
v.ded an official machinery by which
the liberties of the people are menacet
and the sacred right of local self
government in the States isignored, if no
| tyrannically overthrow, by laws 81
odious that they are at variance with a.
the sacred theories of our institutions
The construction, given by these Rsdics
interpreters of the fourteenth amend
ment, to Use the language of an eminen
Senator (Trumbull, of Illinois, } is the an
initiation of the States. Under the las
enforcement bill the Executive may in hi
discretion thrust aside the government o
, | any State, suspend the writ of habes
corpus, arrest its Governor, imprisOn o
dispense the Legislature, silence its judge
and trample down its people under tn
armed heel of his troops. Nothing
left to the citizen of State which ca
any longer be called right.
Our hopes for redress are in the call
good sense and sober second thought {
the American people. We call upon thel
J to be true to themselves and to the
( past, and disregsrding party names an
| minor differences, to insist on decel
tralizstion of power, the restriction {
the Federal authority within its just an
proper limits, leaving to the States thu
, control of their domestic affairs, whiC
is essential to their happiness, trapquillit
,, and good government. Everythir
l that malicious ingenuity could SUI
r gest has been done to irritate the PEE
Die of the Middle and Southern State
Gross and exaggerated charges
disorder and violence owe their origin
the mischievous minds of the polite
managers in the Senate and House
, Representatives, to which the ExecutiV
, has, we are sorry to say, lent his aid, al
these have helped to inflsme popular fee
) ing. In all this course of hostile leglsl
t ton and harsh resentment no word
! Cancellation, of kind encouragement
fraternsl fellowship has ever been spok
by the President or by Congress to Il
d PEOPLE of the Southern States. Tn
; have been addressed only in language
q prescription.