Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-01-15
ESTABLISHED 1910.

y
strued as unconstitutional
The following is the constitutional
cl luse construed by the court, viz:
HSee. 8. All elections for State, dis
trict or county officers shall be held at
the county seats of the several counties
until otherwise provided by law, and the
polls shall be open for four days, from
eight o'clock a. M. until four O'Clock P.
m. of eachR Rday."
The last legislature multiplied the
places Of voting by providing for pre-
cinct elections, and limited the time OF
voting to one day, to prevent frauds'
This set the supreme court construes 10
be illegal, and thus attempts to destroy
the succession in the gislauve ana
executive departments. The carpetoag
officials here claim that Attorney-Oen-
ersi Williams has given assurance OF
federal support in sitting aside Tue
cause for the people before the supreme
court. We advise you promptly oil the
result. A. W. TEhklLl-I
CoDmenss on the Action OF tue Su-
preme court.
From the Austin Texas Statesman, sth.l
After going through the farce of a
protracted investigation OF a fictitious
case. gotten up for the purpose, the Rad
ical supreme court of this State, on Mon
day, usurped the province of declaring
the election law, and the late election
under it, illegal, null, and void. We do
not feel disposed TO multiply words
about it, and we could hardly express
our feelings fully if We attempted it.
BY this act, the judges
of the supreme court of this State
have covered themselves with infamy as
with a garment. While We earnestly
inlplore our fellow-citizens to receive
this blow calmly, and commit no act of
violence, which is the very thing desired
by their enemies, let them show by their
conduct the opinion which all honest
men are bound to entertrin of judges
who will pre-judge and lend a hand to
destroy the liberties OF an unOffending
people. Let them be Stunned as lepers,
covered all over with plague spots, whose
very touch is pollution. Let them
walk in peace among us, but not Of US,
until they find the cOntemptuous gaze
of freemen, and the isolation of igno-
miny and disgrace too hard to bear, and
seek q refuge in other lands.
What should BE DOne9
In view of the decision of the supreme
court, this question naturally arises, and
each one must answer it for himself.
Our position was long since taken, and
we see no reason TO change it. We held,
from tie first, that this was a political
matter which the supreme court could
not settle and had no right to entertain.
Its decision should be regarded as nuga-
tory, and we should act the same as il
il had never been pronounced. AT the
faI
should meet and organize under the law
and inaugUrate the new governor, who
has been the free choice of the people of
Texas. What they should do, after
this, is for their wisdom and patriotism
to determine. We hold that they should
proceed in the discharge Of their duties
until actually stopped by outside force.
Let the issue be fairly made. and let 1t
be seen by the people Of the United
States il the general government viii
use its bayOnets to keep in subjectlon
the peaceful State of Texas for the bene
fit OF the Radical party. There can be
no question OF what is the wilt of the
people of Texas, and that il has been
fairly and legally expressed. Now,
while there should be great prudence,
discretion and Judgment manifested, let
there be no backing down on our part;
holding back from the performance Of
duty. Let every member Of the new
legislature be on the ground with the
certificate of his election, ready to be
sworn in and go to work.
Historical Resume.
The election was ordered
by the governor in pursuance OF the law
he had suggested and sanctioned; a reg
ular Radical convention was held and
its candidates put in the field; not q
word of objection was made by the gov
ernOr or his subserVient tools, the court;
the governor, who was the president OF
the convention which had framed the
constitution, now alleged to be violated,
became a candidate for reelection and
stumped the State without a breath
of suspicious Utterance. A. J. Ham
iltop, one of the leading members
of the constitutional convention can
vassed for seat in the State senate,
making not the slightest objection to
the law under which he was trying 10
secure office, and not until they found
themselves Overwhelmingly repudiated
by the people, did they develop
any signs Of their wicked plot. But
as soon as the result of the election
was known, work commenced in earn
est. Jack Hamilton, the pretended foe
Of Governor Davis, after having been
counted out OF the Office Of governor for
the benefit Of Davis, but who had Sc
cretly made friends with him when the
conspiracy was concOcted, was the
first to move off publicly in the
dirty work Of carrying it out. No man
could be filter, by nature and long expe-
rience, for the position assigned him.
I Il r1oT RI
Gle OF abiding principle in his bosom,
and with brains enough to make him
effective in the concoction and par
ticipation Of political crime, he went
imediately to work with IA hearty
good will, regardless of consequences,
for he had reached that point Of moral
and political descent, where he could
not be WoTsted by anything that might
happen. While his cO-cOnspirator, the
"honest governor" was silent and ap-
parently passive, Jack got up the
fictitious case, which be was well assured
the corrupt Radical judges would decide
according to programme. He went to
Houston to initiate and prepare 1t. 1t
was prepared by fraud and perjury and
placed before the court, which held on
to it, with a mockery Of law aud justice,
until everything could be completed by
telegrans from Attorney General
Williams at Washington, and then,
secure of sanction and protection from
abroad, promulgated with assumed
bravado their imperial edict to deprive
the people Of Texas of Legislature and
self government, leaving them to the
mercy of their relentless enemies. Now,
il is understood, the great Jack will
start Immediately to Washington to
lay before the authorities there the work
already accomplished, and to plot furth-
er for the full completion Of their revo-
lutionary designs. We cannot now
predict the consequences to our State
and country from the execution thus far
of this bold conspiracy to destroy the
government Of free and equal State
| in this Union of States, and to throw 1t
| into anarchy in order to govern it by
military authority, but we are glad that
these things are taking place during the
session of the congress, so that the
Radicals will be compelled to show
their hands and the people OF the whole
United States will show how far Presl-
dent Grant and his party dare go to
destroy free government and maintain
their iniauitous role. The end is not
yet.
IMPORTANT DECISION.
Gfata