Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-03-30

. snail bneSe helpless American clll
zens, worn with war, and humbied By
its dreadful concOmitants, appeal by
their woes in vain to the patriotism o
the land for relief? Shall the Democ
racy point these suffering people to
, delusive hope of deliverance, only z
see their letters fastened tighter into
their flesh as a new penalty for the
lack Of statesmanship in othersY
; The Democracy Of Missouri, doubt
I less with the full appreciation OF the
; Conservatives of Virginia and Ten
nessee. invoke their brethren OF the
Union not to overlook the results OF
, the Passive Policy in those States,a and
ask them TO test Its workings In the
nation at large for the benefit Of all.
For not alone the South, but the
whole country, rests under the heel OF
despotism. If the situation Of the
South is such as to require alienation,
the North and East and West are loud
in the cry for reform. Another term
Of centraliZing progress; Of congress
sional and executive usurpatiOns; OF
rigorous seAi-military laws; Of dicta-
ti0n to the supreme court; Of the con.
troll of political conventions by official
machinery; Of interference in State
elections; OF martial law; Of debauch-
ed public morals, and Of almost uni
versal prOfigscy and corruption in
the government, would destroy the
last remnant Of the constitution and
precipitate the country into the vOr-
tex OF anarchy and revolution.
Is THE DEMOCRACY oMEIPOTENT?
Is the Democratic party powerful
enough to enter the field as the sole
champion Of reform, risking in failure
its own existence, the deliveranee Of
the oppressed people, and the perpe-
tuity Of constitutional government?
The Democratic party, whose last
national success was barely Won six
teen years. ago, cannot survive an
| other defeat. The victorious party,
| constituting its triumph into q general
Endorsement Of its policy, would make
itself more despotic still, pretending
to have the warrant OF the popular
will. 1t would impose further re-
~strictions upon popular discussion and
action-Prescribe the methods in
which alone it will consent to be op-
posed, enact sedition laws, and subju-
gate the people. The constitution
would fall, and the Democratic party
would be destroyed forever.
Without infinitely discussing the
chances of the success of a Demo-
cratic ticket in the coming Presiden-
tial election, it may suffice to say that
a bare majority of the electoral col
lege would not answer. The return
of the pOll-boOks and count Of the
ballots would be in the hands of the
Radicals, and the msjOrityin Congress,
in1amed by the passions engendered
in the canvass, and maddened by de-
fest, would throw out sufficient votes
to change the popular result. The
vote of Georgia in the electoral col
lege for President in 1868 was only
permitted because it did not affect the
result, and a distinguished Republi-
can senator (Mr. Sherman) declared, |
Of New York also would have been
necessary to elect General Grant.
There is scarcely a Southern State In
which the pretense of dislOyalty, or |
intimidation Of ''loyaP' voters, would
not be used to invalidate the action Of
the people, even though the kuklux
and election laws should prove inef-
fectual to produce Radical majOrities
IN them all. 1t is proved and
admitted that for eight years
a minority ruled the States Of
Missouri, Virginia and Tennessee,
and this is true of nearly all the South
ern States since the war. Two Con-
gressional Districts of Missouri were
deprived of their lawfully elected rep
resentatives by throwing out legal
votes, and the usurpation was sus-
tanned by Congress, while the history
Of elections in Arkansas, Louisiana,
North Carolina, Alabama and
other States exhibits the same shame
less disregard Of the rights Of the
States and people. Congress has, with
serene Indifference on the part Of the
country, repeatedly rejected Demo-
senators and representatives, on
the ground of pretended illegality. II
the administration has not hesitated /,
to commit these Outr6ges, would it
pause before perpetrating n final
Infamy to secure power for all time to :
come? The Republicans now on the :
in Connecticut, as did their :
colleagues in the recent New Hamp- /
shire canvass, following the cue Of !
Senator Morton, declare that a Demo. :
cratic victory would undo the re- I
;ults OF the war, annul the tri- :
Imph Of the North, revive the !
spirit of slavery and rebellion ,imperil
negro suffrage, place the Federal ,
power at the mercy OF the States, SUBJ ;
ect the Southern Union men to the !
domination Of the ''rebel" element, !
eOpard the national debt, disinte- !
rate the Union, and, in short, ruin :
he a0nnfrv Houy pacU 70 rounooTkako | =
he old plea of necessity" to prevent !
he cOnsummatiOn of so dangerous :
% '~'traitOrOus" a cOnspiracyl How .
asy to arouse to the required pitch OF !,
renzy tine party embracing 1900 Of :
lce-hOlders, which manipulates debt ,
1880, 100000, which suPervises 4
700 national banks, with a capital i,
I $3.50, OOO, 900, and which discusses q,
$50, 100000 annually No doubt, too, Il
he Republican leaders, IL left to q
ght the coming campaign on the old :,
sues, would succeed, by srtful pleas n
ddressed to prejudices, in convincing Ie
lOusands that there may really be =
)me little truth in all this, especially y
scOres OF thousands have been act =,
lg on the same belief for a dozen n
ears. n
But if the Democracy should sue =,
9ed In carrying their Presidential ~
eket, and a hostile Congress should y,
,unt all the votes, and declare a ~
emocrat elected, what will have 10
zen gained by this result in the d. =
ctiOn Of patriotic reform? We would -
ave a repetition of the spectacle of a ~
emOcratic Executive and a Republi- "
n Congress, the liberal Republicans -
wing been driven back by illiberal -
emOcrats. The temptation would n,
irresistible on the part of the ma. -
rity to tie the hands Of the Chief ~
agistrate in, il possible, q more ef- y,
ctual manner than the hands OF -
'esident johnson were tied. IL he ~
capped Impeachment, he would be at ~,
e mercy OF the Senate for the con- "a
nation Of his cabinet, and could not M
move nom Office q single appointee 7 !
the present incumbent, at home or ~
road. ~
TEE Liberal REPUBLICANS. ST,
1t Is thus shown to be utter folly, In no
present condition Of public affairs, aft
run a Democratic Presidential tick pu
Similar, in a narrower field, was In
, conclusion reached by the DemOo. sol
y of Missouri early in 1870. This in
lclusion was publicly and authori- OF
lively proclaimed. Almost imme- era
.tely the whole political aspect bee
The withdrawal of the De- str,
cracy removed from discussion the abb
eadbare issues OF the past, and par
re at once sprang up the hveliest Lii
in reference to topics Of De
I concern. The war was for the aIo.
e forgotten, and thoughtful Repub. cen
ms, released from attention to the not
De in 'front.'" began to question be
ong themselves whether there were acc
grounds for dissatisfaction with sri
general current Of affairs. There froI
"a thousands of Ronuh1foana ldar