Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-09-19

action. or nOn-action rather, Of the re-
cent convention, at Meridian, cuts the
Gordiou-knot OF the political dilemma
in that State. We deem that action
wisely taken, always provided solid
and united people viii unfinchingly
sustain it from first to last. Division
aud dissensions among citizens, dis
satisfaction Of little cliques, and of this
leading man and that, have been the
well understood causes Of past defeats,
not only in Mississippi, but almost in
every southern State, which, since 1868,
has tried to Iescue its government from
tie larcenous bands Of plunderers and
adventures. In these instances defeat
las been sweetened by the
consciousness that men, though
in a hopeless minority, boldly and
ymanfully. opposed the corruptionists
who, backed by unthinking and de-
cefyed numbers, successfully laid vio-
lent hands upon the peoples franchises.
But the bitterness Of gall followed this
honeyed hallucination, and men, in the
hour ofcooI reason, which followed each
stormy campaign, admitted, to them
selves, if not to each other, that they
had paid terrible price for their pas
sInnate and momentary qualification.
Ard when the iron hand Of foreign
fax. -atherer, the appointee Of the sue
cessfuI government, seized the little
remnant OF the heritage left them by the
war and took the bread from the very
.,,,oufl,s of beir wives and children, the
conviction wea.t home to each heart that
wiser, if less agreeable, policy was de-
manded aud Justified by the desper-
ate nature Of their fortunes. Many
men sold aud abandoned their
homestead, and left the State OF
their birth or adoption rather than
Weld up an iota of that lingering
pride of party supremacy, which, with
a dangerous heroism, precipitated war in
ISL. But the ties of home cannot be
severed by all citizens, and those men
who remained at hOme-snd they
were the vast msjority-re1ected
slightly by their log-ffes, searching for
a way cut of their difficulties. Once or
twice they thought they found a way,
and would have found it had not the
same fatal pride, which has been the
evil genus of the. south, sowed divisions
and organized bolts, securing thereby
the triumphaHtsuccess of the enemies Of
the people. Every man in Mississippi
viii acknowledge the truth Of this state
ment. Its truth is avouched by the post
JeUt7a history of the State. The ques-
ton now presents itself, will the
people Of Mississippi learn wis
dom Of the past, receiving instruction
10 the undattering school of experience?
Or win the same fell spirit of disunion
and Of discord chsracterize her people
and inspire her press? We can only
hope for the best, trusting in the ac-
knOwledged common sense and discre-
ton of a people schOoled in such costly
political experim ents. The result Of the
Nel idian convention in declining 10
make a nomination for State officers,
and the .Rction of the Alcorn convention
which last night at Jackson, Mississippi,
proclaimed its list Of candidates, pre-
vents. in the absence Of any other aspir-
ant, a triangular campaign, and sharply
defines the issue between Alcorn and
Ames. In the face OF even certain sue
cess we could not ask the people Of Mis-
sissippi to support Senator Ames. Were
we 10 accomplish the extaor-
binary task Of proving him the
right man in the right place, he
has shown such g record Of autagonism
to the State Of Mississippi and to the
whole southern people, white and blNck,
that an indignant public opinion would
r ssent as an insult, and reject as an evil,
"a proof and the man. Reviewing the
pol itical situation in Mississippi, aud by
no means underating the strength Of
Sens, ,.or Ames, backed, ss he is, by the
nation al administration, and, as he
homes and believes, by the colored
men Of Mississippi, we are by no means
satisfied that his victory over Aleorn is
pre-assure d. Little faith as we have in
the power tpf even Aleorn-and no man
Is better fit, ID for the task-to so far in
fIuenee the political mind Of the colored
voters of Mis- issi7pi as TO carry with
him a majority Of their votes, we.
vet believe that he can carry
enough Of these votes, which added
to the white vote Of The State, would Sc
cure his election. This opinion is shared
by the Oldest and most reliable citizens
Of that State. There is no Republican
in the State less obnoxious 10 the white
people. OF whose record and history
since the war has evidenced more gen
uine friendship for the blacks, than
James L. Aleorn. He goes not over to
the Democrats, nor away from honest
Republicans, bat only declares war
2. .yainst the thieves who have beggared
and threaten to destroy the State. 1t is
true that the Uirus Of pseudo Republican
ism has tainted the whole body polite
Of the colored people Of the State, but
Ames and his myrmidons have betrayed
aud plundered the blacks, as well as the
whites, and they are beginning to find
il out. A vigorous campaign, such as
Alcom is capable and prepared to make,
may ALLEVIATE even the majority Of col
cred voters from the man from Massa-
s.i1usetts. In any event, the people Of
Mi. 7sissippi, without distinction Of race,
have everything to gain by the election
OF AItorn, and it viii indeed be strange
If a Re publican senator of the straight
est sect, an old and honored citizen Of
the State, sustained by the whole mass
Of the prope rty-holders, and by an in
fuentiaI number Of colored voters,
should be defested by a political ad-
venturer, who has never deserved and
ever forfeited the confidence Of the
people.