Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-01-18
MEMPHIS APPEAL
aFFIcIAL IOUREAL Of TIE CITY.


AN EAbAOA w
Every few days some little country
editor, whose paper looks like it were
printed with swamp mud, mounts his
tripod and reads out of the Democratic
party every man who would win to
our ranks enough liberal Republicans
to make victory certain. 1t is time
for all such tomfoolery to cease. In the
next contest for the presidency, the
old Democratic party viii present a
united front. But the duty OF the
hour IS to beat up recruits. 1t is use
less to fret and fume about the issues
and to twaddle about dying in the
last ditch. So far as the APPEAL is
concerned, it will be easily pleased in
regard to platforms, so far as national
questions are concerned. Democracy
is platform enough for US. What that
is no body of men can instruct Us.
We have but one plank in our plat
form, Just now, and that is to beat the
Radicals-drive them from power and
install Democracy in all the depart
ments Of government. Until we DO
that il is Idle to talk about what we
prefer. We must accept anything the
Radicals usurpers thrust upon US. We
have no choice in the matter save
bloody revolution and of that the
country has had enough for the
present century. There is no reason
on the face Of the earth why those
Republicans who are honestly op-
posed to the reelection Of Grant and
the continuance for another four years
of the abuses which have distin-
guished his administration, should
not cooperate with the Democracy in
the next presidential election. As we
understand it, there is no difficulty in
agreeing upon a platform. The negro,
it is admitted on all hands, has MOTH
ing to do with the contest except as
other voter. The ballOthas been
given him-equal civil rights have
been given him. 1t is true Sumner
contends, in addition, that he must
have equal social rights. This, how
ever, will not be adopted as a plank
in the platform of either party. Con-
sidering the negro question, therefore,
as settled, we can see no obstacle 70
the cordial cooperation Of all ele-
ments in favor OF honest administra-
ton and constitutional government,
to overthrow the present corrupt
dynasty. The Radicals maintain
that the will Of congress is the
supreme law Of the land; that
ngr is the sole judge Of the
extent of their powers, and that the
States have none save permissive
rights, which they hold subject to the
will Of congress. In this respect the
two parties are as wide asunder as the
poles. Democrats believe the consti-
tuition a law alike to congress and
presidents as to the humblest individ-
ual. They regard the general govern
ment as one Of limited powers derived
from the constitution, and that all the
grants Of power therein contained
ought to be strictly construed by all its
departments. This was the theory OF
the fathers OF the reDubhc-oi George
Washington, Thomas Jefferson and
James Madison. In the earlier days no
public man dared sheer at State rights.
They were regarded, in the language
of Jefferson, as 81 the sUrest bulwarks
against anti-repubHcan tendencies"
Hence it was that the original
members Of the federal compact de-
msnded the early adoption Of an
amendment declaring that ''the pow.
ers not delegated to the United States
by the constitution, nor prohibited by
it to the States, are reserved to the
States respectively, or the people"
This theory OF government was re-
Gently e~nunciated by the supreme
court Of the United States. That tri-
bunal seemed to have been frightened
by the rapid strides which were being
made toward consolidation and the
complete absorption OF State rights
by the general government, and de-
tern1iped ere il was too late to re-an-
nounce the true doctrine. We refer
to the case carried up from Massaehu-
sets, testing the right Of the
general government to tax a State
Judges salary. The right was
denied and the law Of con-
gress declared void. Justice Cliff
ford, of the supreme court,
in his decision, as circuit judge said;
HCounties and other municipal corpo-
rations were created by the Ststes:
but the States were not created by the
United States, as the States existed as
independent sO~veTeignties even before
the union was formed And the
supreme court declared, with only
one dissenting voice, that "unless the
separate and independent condition
Of each State, under the constitution,
IS recognized by congress, the general
government itself would disappear
the family OF nations" What
more emphatic endorsement could :
the Democracy ask than this decision
the supreme court, and what more
whitening d~enunciatiOn Of Radicalher-
asies? The principles Of the Democratic
Dsrty must be reinststed in the con-
troll Of the general government, "or it
win disappear from the family Of ma i
tions.D Trumbun and a host Of conseT- [
yative Republicans entertain these
views. and while Democratic peliti- I
clans and Democratic newspapers are t
Iahoring to secure the support Of this I
disafected element, it is as ludicrous {
a It's contemplate to hear q little 3
editor crosking in mis- village Like a {
DuIl-frog in the swamps about treason I
10 the party. 6
IL
-THE South Carolina kU-klUx trials {
sccme 10 an abrupt termina- /
il is now seen that the outrages !
confessed by a few Of the very lowest 9