Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-08-08

ause he defended and advocated so well
or ourselves we have weighed it very
arefully, and must confess that we find
I il no reasons thst can induce
change Of mind in regard to what we
ave advertised as ''failurep and "dead
inject" Mr.. Rsyner's objections to the
lurse OF the press, while from his stand
oint, as president Of the badly-proiected
Undertaking, they may be fairly takenl
i'll not hold good with those who un-
erstand how difficult a thing it is for
DurBalists TO ascertain public opinion,
4 nd often how disagreeable thing it is
give expression to it-disagreeable,
jnce it is sure To offend some while il
4 lay please Others. Journalism, in
4 5me Of its features, is not unlike
theatrical art. 1t requires, none
ut those engaged in itmay never know,
ow much preparation, how much care,
0w much nice, often hsir-splitting, ad-
lstmeut Of even sentences to make s
ngle edition of paper acceptable.
9
jealous of any departure from truth
Z fact, and is quick to resent it. Our
5ords, ifnot counted, are selected because
{ their fitness, weight and pertineney,
Ist as our position on any question is
aken with a view Of candidly and
airly expressing the popular viii. 1t is
AIKEN deliberately, and with care, and
Then taken is defended with all our
bility and in all ways recognized in
egitimste journalism. In this we
1llow established usage and good
ense, for we have learned that
he true journalist, the man who under
tands bis profession well, when it be-
ONES his duty to oppose, in the inter
sts Of the public, a measure Of impOlicy,
uch as the new State movement con-
essedly is, will throw all the weight Of
eason, all the power Of multiplied
words, against it, and, if necessary,
o make an incOntrovertible position;
aud cover it up out Of sight
a with an avalanche of rea-
sons, will borrow from all those of his
ellOw-jOurnalists who coincide with
lim, just as the APPEAL has done, and
% make an end Of the whole matter.
When, as we have shewn in the AP-
ZEAL, the tide of popular opinion in
West Tennessee is against the new State
movement; when, as we have shown,
he press and people Of Middle and East
Tennessee are opposed to it and have
4vOwed ii their intention never to give
heir consent to it, what is the use of
1rOlonging the movement? Why con-
inue to labor against such fearful odds9
We do not know Of but three papers in
he State Of Tennessee that favor the
enterprise, and these are limited in in
iuence and circulation. Memphis and
shelby county have hardly even treated
the matter with courtesy. True, we
had q meeting at which delegates were
appointed, but what sort Of meeting
was j.? How many persons were there?
Not as many a. there were delegates ap-
pointed. And this was understood so
well that not one OF the delegates availed |
themselves Of the appointment TO
attend the convention. Our peo-
pie were utterly indifferent to it;
they did not care enough about or
for it to take even so much interest as |
might be necessary in preliminary steps.
And this Indifference did not grow out
of any want OF sympathy for the people
OF North Mississippi or Southern Ken
lucky, but from a conviction that the
scheme was rot possible Of accomplish !
ment; first, because the people Of the
States concerned never would give
their consent TO it, and if they
did that congress would interpOse /
its insuperable veto. They knew, too, |
that 10 carry a matter OF so much /
weight, money is needed, and a great
deal of it, and they could not see
any compensatory returns in sight. !
While never committing ourselves to |
the movement, we encouraged it by TIE
publication Of every item Of informa-
tiOn calculated 10 assist in its develop
ment, and necessary TO fairly and fully
inform the public mind. We gave the
territorial limit, named all the counties
and gave their statistics Of population
and wealth, and even held up the idea
OF homogeneity, upon which Mr.. Ray
ner lays 50 much stress. Butan would not
do. The people of Memphis would not
take any interest in it. This was the
frst and severest blow to the movement.
We know and appreciate the importance
Of our city, and have full faith in its
fltuTei and we also know that our mer-
chants and business men are fully alive !
TO the necessities which in North Missis-
sippi move that people 10 hope and work
fDr the new State, and we felt that when
they refused to countenanee il by the
selection Of delegates it was dead indeed;
but sfterward, when, as Mr.. Rsyner con
fesses, there was only twenty-three out |
of the forty-one counties named TepIe- |
sented in the convention, we felt
assured it was 50, and 50 We know
Mr.. RayneT and his fellOw-laborers viii
find. II is 50 dead as TO be beyond the i
power Of even mOmentary life by gal |
vanic battery. Not even years Of labor |
will accomplish H. If, a. Mr.. Rayner |
says, it has taken thirty years to talk |
the thing up from oblivion to indider-
ence, how many more thirties will it
take to bring it TO point when there
will be even 2 majority Of one? II there
is any process, inductive or otherwise.
by which the calculation can be made.
we would like to haveit. No, Nh. Rayner.
you might as well try to fight phan-
tom as TO cope with indifference. Act
ors viii tell you what Indifferent audi |
ances are. They never try them twice,
and journalists seldom care TO encounter |
them more than once. Submitted to
the test Of popular opinion tomorrow,
at the bsllot-bOx, the new State move
ment, put upon its best merit, would
fail by an overwhelming majority, if the
people could be induced out Of their
present Indifference to vote upon it. In
Iced, We regard it as very dead, this
new State movement, and only again
allude TO il in order TO set our
selves right with those who
cling to the corpse; gentlemen 4
for whom we have high respect, but
whose judgment We think gravely in
error in this matter. The executive /
will meet, perhaps. and pass