Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-02-21

! ton, etcs, of the college buildings during the
| war. Though located at Knoxville, the
! whole State is alike interested In the pros
perity OF this institution, and IL is hOpea thai
the sum appropriated will relieve the uniYer'
! sity of its Indebtedness and enable il TO eX-
| tend the facilities of education TO the youths
| congregated within its walls from every
| county in the state. Last year we passed this
| bill in the senate Bithouta contest. While il
passed yesterday by large majority, several
senators spoke against IL. i mention this
that your readers may see that, as result Oi
make the appropriations for the benefit of in
| dividuals and institutions in the southern
States, which they might otherwise have eX-
pecred. In the running debate on the
| passage OF this bill, l was represented by
Senators John A. Logan and T. W. Ferry,
to whom the thanks of all the friends
of education throughout the state are
due. A bill appropriating the small sum of
5000 to our State Iunatic asylum, under the
able management of DIR. John II. Calendar, Is
now pending. / hope Senator Cooper and
myself may be enabled 10 get this through,
but have little hope that anything will be
done for the Nashville and Memphis custom
houses beyond saving the small apprOpria-
tions made for them last year. This brings me
TO the question of the
CURRENCY,
which overshadows all others in importance.
From the letters l have received from all
parts of Tennessee, see there is much anX-
iety to know ''what congress will do" on this
subject The. people OF Tennessee want more
greenbacks, because they are not monOpo-
lists. The only alarm greenback creates is
among monopoliSts. They dread it more than
mad dog does water. IT, sits enemies assert,
1t is worthless rag''-haS no Yalue-Why,
/ would ask, so much uneasiness about it?
The extraordinary sensitivenesS on this Qaes-
ton among the members of congress from
the States having monopoly OF the circu-
laung medium, no matter in whatshape it is
presented, argues more strongly than any
thing else in favor of expansion, free bank
ing and an equal distribution. The motive
for this is so plain that the dull6st mind need
not fail to discern it. The alarm of these con-
gressmen from the States having "the Hon's s
share" of the currency, is not because they
are afraid of its value or Solidity, or that its
increase would breed any disaster in business.
They are too shrewd in the arts of trade for
that; they too well understand the effect of
an equal distribution of anything that is good.
As a matter of policy, the advocates of con-
traction and return to specie payments
preach the adverse doctrine. This grasping
for all the currency is the most unpatriotic
selfishness, and is at the bottom of
the opposition TO expansion and the clamor
for return TO specie payments. The partial
ity and despicahle unfairness of this whole
question was illustrated in the brief remarks
submitted last month to the senate, and
which were published In the Chronicle. To
further illustrate it, the State of Pennsylva-
ma NJ mas more population than the whole OF
TO her only s42Q09,000 of national bank circu-
lation, while the New England States have
more than twice as much, or I0,5CO,00O New
England has circulation of S31 IS per capita;
the Middle States sl2 S2;, the west 81 09: the
south and southwest 81 81 on an average, and
IN tennessee we nave less tHan 81 per capita.
Is IL surprising that with such dstrfbu-
ton as this the people of Tennessee are
compelled to pay such rutnous rates of in
terest? If the reply is made to this that
the eastern States need more currency than
the west and south, would answer that such
was not the case when the war broke out, and
is not necessarily the case now. In 1860, the
south and southwest had bank circulation,
issued under the State laws of S71 ,O09,O 900; un-
der the national bank system, the same States
have only S3S, ,009,0p0. In 1862, the bank cireu-
lation of New England was S65,000 900; now il
is Sll0,OO0OoO.. Such facts as these give the eX-
planation why money is plentiful in the east
and scarce at the west and south. But these
specie-paying congressman tell us that money
will flow wherever there is a demand
east they will issue all the circulation
their own people need at six per cent. per
annum, and If our people in Tennessee
want any of ii, we have Just TO bid up to two
per cent. per month, and wewill get It. 1t will
flow to us then. And this is what we have
been doing in Tennessee until our people are
almost ruined by usurious rates OF interest.
AS l said in the remarks made weeks ago,
there is no legitimate kind of business in
Tennessee which can stand these rates of in
terest. They grow out of the absolute scarcity
of money: their legitimate eonseQ uences are
bankruptcy and ruin. People thus situated
don't care TO be talked to about the "dan-
to starving man about the danger of eating
too much. Instead of restricting the na-
uonal bank circulation to an arbitrary sum,
country, let it be free to be increased by
anybody who can furnish the money to
do 1t. l don't expect congress to pass just the
kind of bill which will do justice to the west
and south in this matter, but 1 think 1t will
pass one much improving the present condi-
tion of the sections named.
THE CIVIL RIGHTS BILL.
or no less importance to the people of Ten
hessee than the currency question is what is
known as the "civil rights biil," introduced
by Charles Sumner. 10 the people of Mr..
Summers State, where, comparatively, there
are no colored people, and where the common
school system is firmly established, this does
not become question of magnitude. But to
the people of Tennessee, whose free-schOol
system is in its infancy, it is a ques-
ton of grave magnitude. don't believe
that IN any question upon which am called
TO act am governed by hope of political pre-
ferment or fear of party clamor, but not being
candidate for reelection to the senate, and
not caring whether my views are popular or
not, have no hesitation in saying that am
opposed TO this bill-because of the feature
which conpels the education together of
time In discussing any abstract principle in
volved in this bill of the great leader of the
Liberal Greeley party in the late presidential
election. am opposed to it. The practical
concern the people Of Tennessee Of all races
and colors. believe that any attempt to en-
St t6e attegdanee ssollFary act od CONGRESS,
the schools and churches, will result
In the total destruction Of the free
school system in Tennessee For the sake of
the argument, admit that this fact is caused
by pref Judice, but 1t is a rejudice which con-
gress has ne power to control st is sufficient
that we see most useful system imperiled
by an attempt to reduce an abstraction TO inn
mediate practice. The colored people of Ten
nessee have now fine opportunity TO show
their good sense. Upon their action on this
question largely depends their own Interests
and the welfare OF their people throughout
the country. would appeal to the common
sense OF the colored men Of Tennessee
to say IL they believe that their race
can get better educational facilities by at
tending the same schools with the whites |
In South Carolina and Mississippi, where the |
colored population is in the majority, they
may not lose anything by the bill now before |
the power, 1 do not believe they will subserve
their own interests By attempting to inforce !
the attendance of the whites and blacks in
the same schools and churches. Already in |
those states the colored people, through their |
state legislatures, have the power to establish |
such school regulations as will give their own |
race equal educational facilities with the |
whites. When we come TO Tennessee, where |
the colOred vote Is Just 10000 out OF 2S0,G00 /
votes, and the other southern States where |
the whites are Overwhelmingly in the ma |
jorlty, the matter is quite different. In Ten |
neSSee and other southern States where the /
whites are largely IN the majority. will that /
state OF feeling be engendered which leads 4
men 10 give generously to the common
cause of educations? Will the contact of |
the children thus compelled be such as to /
ENCOURAGE the hone az prearsr aftainmentS /
and more kindliness of sentiment as they /
grow up7 It should be remembered that the /
constitute a very small minority OF /
the whole people Of the United States. /
However strongly united, they have no
power to compel concessions from the /
whites. Whatever they get must come as
the free gift from the whites 1t is, there
fore, the part of wisdom upon the part of the |
colored peopleo Of Tennessee to be careful up
on insisting upon that which can do no prac- |
tlcal good 10 either race, but is sure to bring
disaster and ruin to the most useful institu- /
tuition of modern times-free schools. Let the /
colored people of Tennessee ask congress to
desist from any 1egislatirn which enforces
mixed schools, and they viii have established
8 new claim to respect and confidence. Let /
the colored people have their own schools
and churches. and the white people have
theirs. Let the colored people have q fair di-
vide of the school fund, and they Will find /
their own teachers and preachers.
w. q. BROWNLOW.