Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-02-22

IN the good old days of the repub-
lie, when there were giants in Con-
gress, the intellectual splendOr Of our
statesmen shed forth a light which
varied only as "one star dihereth from
another star in glory" But things
have changed now. Congress is filed
with little glow worms whose phOs-
~phorescent light differ only in their
sickly glfmmer. Little c~rOp-eared
Smith from this district casionally
pops up, like a crimsOn-headed di-
dapper, and after floating around on
the impure waters he helped to
create, he falls back and takes refuge
in the crevices and, creases of his
cushioned armchair, where he spends
his valuable time in fighting the
Chinches, indignant at the ObtrusiOn
Of an insect which they contemptu-
Ously regard as a kind Of patent
bed-bug eXterminatOr. We have
read the battle of the books, the
battle of the herrings, the battle Of
the frogs and mice, and we are now
to have a battle between a
member of Congress, who after con-
quering the defenseless women
and children in West Tennessee, pro-
poses to carry the var into other
regions. In the fierce battle now
raging between Smith, whose ambi-
ton is equal to Alexander's, and the
chinches, we cannot refrain from rails
ing our hat and cheering the latter.
But, as a strategic movement, We
would suggest to our friends to do a
good deal Of singing and biting, but
no sucking; for one drop Of their an
tagOnist's blood is more fatal than a
mountain Of Greek fire, and more de
structive than all the metrailleurs in
the Prussian'army. ROderick Ran
dom Butler is another luminary in
the house of Radicalism. His war
differs from Smiths, as it is that
kind Of war which burglars wage
with the harpies Of the law. 1t re
quires all Of Buffers time to keep
himself out Of the p~enitentiary. What
crime has Tennessee committed, that
she should be scodrged with such re-
representatives. in Congress? G. c..
Bowen, the murderer and bigamist,
halls from the land of Hayne and
Calhoun. Congress is mostly made
up Of the lowest scum Of society, who
are clamOring for a new war against
the people that detest them, and
whom they have so long plundered
and robbed. During the recent de-
bate on the amendment to the En-
forcement bill, the buzzing gnats
that have mysteriOusly found their
way into Congress asserted, with
deliberate emphasis that the Radical
party intended to continue its perse-
cutiOns until every loyal man was safe
in the South, and especially at the
polls, and until the Radical politicians
were treated with that courtesy and
respect which once character
lied the discussions between the old
and Democratic parties. Every
man is already safe in the
and can vote any where IN
molested; but the day will never come
when Democrats will treat Radical
politicians with that respect which
they extended toward the old Wing
Such a thing is impossible,
as the Radical party is made up of
rif-raf, bigamists, thieves and
s~coundrels, and the principles they
propose T insulting. In the days
when the old Wing and Democratic
contested for the champion
ship on the political battlefield, each
espoused a set Of principles, which,
though differing in policy, were alike
national and ~ennobling in character,
The ground Of favor with the people
was the merit Of its measures. each
appealing tojustice and wisdom as the
only true arbiters. The struggle for
was secondary to that of princi-
ole. and the love Of country para
mount to the paltry spoil Of place.
The contest on either side was waged
in spirit Of fo~rbearance, and in toll
to an opposing view was sell
4
dom held. Men met each other
ace to face on the hastings,
and in the strife Of battle respect
for the adversary was never
lost sight of, and ia the hour Of vic
tory the vanquished claimed the con-
sideration Of an honorable foe. The
Of politics was grand in all its
views. Each party, however bitter
in opposition to the success Of the
other, felt that in its triumph the
country would be safe-the laws and
Constitution ia its hands sacrealy
maintained. However at variance
be the construction Of peculiar
clauses, a Supreme Court was at hand,
decisions upon mOoted points
were final and ~inviOlate. In those
every citizen was esteemed 8 pa !