Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-04-29

TIE history Of the world shows
that vice makes inrOads upon virtue
81 slow approaches, that despodsm
accompiishes its work BY degrees, and
that liberty IS lost By concessions.
When the Republican party under
the false prelense OF a desire to save
the Union committed its first viola
lstion OF the Constitution, and while
e0nfessing the fact justified Il On the
plea Of necessity. agreat many Demo-
Gratis were disposed 10 acquiesce, be-
cause It would not do to be too par
Hcular under the circumstances. 1t
was argued then that one iniracaon
Of the Constitution would lead to an
other and another, until the
precedent would be established
and every safeguard Of that
instrument that stood in the
way Of the party IN power would
finally be broken down. Such has
been the result. Fraud, force, intim-
idation and bribery have run riot at
Washington; and wherever the Radi-
Gals have had power, and by means
which should make an honest man
ashamed Of his country, they have
adopted so-caIed amendments to the
ConstitutiOn-and have continued to
break down one barrier after another,
until now they have placed almost
unlimited power in the hands Of their
tool, who holds the office of President.
How many more such steps toward
Capitalization must be taken before
the people shall be satisfied? How
much longer shall we sit down quiet
IL under the rule Of such men as
Butler and Morton, and accept as final
tiles their decisions? Where is to
be the point beyond which there shall
be no more "dead issues" on ques-
tons which affect the very existence
Of our form Of government? These
are grave questions which must have
an answer, if we expect to have con
stitutiOnal government Of any kind.
They are questions upon which even
the members of the Democratic party
are not agreed; and unless the party
can harmonic their views upon them
in such a way as to command the votes
Of majority Of the people, we cannot
expect to win the next campaign.
The protests of Republicans amount
to nothing at Washington or with the
people. We have seen the abIest pa
pens in that party denOuncing the
Ku-Klux bill, and yet it has been
passed by an almost solid Republican
vote. The Republican party will
never change its unconstitutional
course; that is certain. The only
hope for a changed is in the success of
the Democracy. But how shall it
win, unless it can itself unite upon a
course Of policy and a platform which
shall convince a majority Of the peo-
pie Of the dangers Of Radicalism?
How much farther must the Radi-
Gals 90 in their wicked and abOm-
schemes, to subvert the Gov
eminent and place supreme and
despOtie power in the hands of a
strong central government at Wash
before the people shall be
aroused to the dangers ahead? We
ask every citizen to consider these
questions.
Meanwhile a of two things viii
certainly be the result of this freshly
aggressive measure. While in the
ause Of peace and good viii it will
fleet nothing, and while in restoring
rider il viii effect nothing, but
ust the contrary, either the ma
ority Of citizens in the United
States will rise up to condemn
his new UsUrpatiOn Of power, or the
will have become more and
more Indifferent to the blessings Of
rec government. When an act of
congress is framed and passed upon
he basis Of ONE sTUPENDOUs LIE
.GAINsT DOZEN STATES, AND NEAR
Y NINETEEN-TWENTIETHs OF THE
WHITE INHABITANTS IN THESE
states, it is morally impossible that
ny free people should long endure
be wrong. FAIR PLAY and EQUAL
used to be iDgrained into the
American mind and heart, and we
rust that this feeling of right and
lstice is not clean gone forever.