Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-02-19
TO THE SOUTHERN PEOPLE.
An Address Issued bT CaHcns "f Rep
TssentAtiVss in COBgr' At " ash
t0a Yesterday.
The People Of Ghe south Urged to Pa
IieHes. F0rbsaraBce md fhe Care
GaI MRInfegaBcs CT PEACE
ana order.


WASHINGTON, February lS.-The fol.
lowing address has just been prepared
by the Democratic members OF the Outh
and southwest:
To the People OF the southern States;
You have confided TO the Undersigned
in this conjunction of affairs the deli
cate and difficult task OF guarding IN the
Federal congress your public interest,
your rights and your reputation. You
will therefore pardon the liberty we take
of addressing you at period 30 critical
upon q matter affecting your destiny
and that of your pOsterity. You cannot
have failed to observe the persistent
efforts of some of the leaders Of the Re-
publican party to revive the animosltles
of the late war, which are happily given
place to the spirit OF concord and unity
in every section Of our common
country. 1t is impossible to predict
with certainty the effect Of these appeals
to passion. We believe that through the
honest representations of few upright
and conscientious Federal officers and
agents, sn independent and able public
press, and of many citizens without re-
gard to party, the true condition of the
southern States and the real sentiment
OF the southern people are being grad
uaIIy made known to our felloW-cltlZ ems
of the north. We hope for their favor
able decision when fully apprised OF all
the facts. The great ends of good
government will be reached when
the Teople of all sections for
get that we have ever been enemies,
and come together again as in the
early days of the republic, emulating
each other only in devotion to the best
interests OF the whole country. With
this exalted purpose in view there IS
nothing inconsistent with the honor anu
manhood of a brave people to resolve to
suffer with heroic patience whatever be
their provocatiOns and wrongs. Look
ing through the fearful present to the
hopeful future, and repeliing unjust cpl
thets and gratuitOus insults with digni-
fed moderation, let every white man
in every neighborhOOd in the whole
south regard himself as g com missioner
of the peace, maintaining the kinGliest
relations with the black man, remem-
bering that the responsibility for the ex-
treme poverty to which We have been
reduced, and the corrupt governments
TO which his vote has subjected US, rests
men who, with the assurance OF Federal
support, have by appeals to his worst
passions sought to make him our enc
my. While we labor by all honest means
to convince him Of the truth that our in
terests aud his are identical, and that both
must be preserved by good government,
and that those who stir up strife be-
tween us are enemies of both races.
Let US at the same time see that 5ne is
fully protected in his guaranteed rights
to vote as he pleases in all elections.
Let US continue TO deal with him hon
estIy and fairly, and let Us continue
cordially to ip yite to our midst those
| who OF any political party either seek
TO know truth or find homes on our
soil. We do not exaggerate when We
! admonish you of the disheartening fact
| that every Observation-Disclosures, every
| homicide, OF whatever character, by
whomsoeYer committed, by black
or white, Republican or Democrat, such
as are incident to every community
upon earth, is perverted into evidence
| of q spirit of lawlessuess and violence,
| and a purpose TO accomplish political
ends. We we'll know the gross injus'
tiee OF such charges, which have weight
| only where ignorance OF our true con-
dition prevails. Strenuous efiJrts are
| now being made by those who misrepre.
sent you to induce the passage by con-
gress of most d ngerOus measure, IL
order to irTitate our people, TO drive
them to despair, and to provoke them
to violent outbreaks, in ordel
to furnish an excuse for applying fol
military interference. We express tht
hope that majority OF the present con
gress will not be ready to sanction such
legislation. II 1T should be accomplished
it would be against the protest, not only
of Democrats, but OF the moral woTtt
and craftsmanship of the party here il
power, and of such Republicans as But
Ter, Carl SchurZ, Francis Adams anC
others, whose patriotism and sense o
Justice is known to the entire country
We may, however, mistake the most eX
treme, oppressive and uncODstitutiona
measures that mSy be imposed upon you
in such event, we would appeal to tn
wisdom and patriotism of long suffer
ing people, by every hope of the future
for continued forbearance and hOpefu
reliance upon the virtue and sense o
the Justice OF the American people, 70
the ultimate vindicatIon of our rights
the protection of our liberties, and tn
safety OF our republican form OF gov
ernment.
Signed by Senators Goldthwsit, Stew
enson, Norwood, Cooper, Gordon, Ran
son y. Cl M'Crary, BOgy, johnson
and Merriman, ard by the following
members of the house of ofrepresentatives
Cook, Caldwell, Bell, BrOmberg, At
kins, Waddell, Geddings, RerndOn
Miles, Willie, Hancock, Crittenden
John Young Brown, Harris, YounI
[Ga !. Whittborne, Bright, Grassland
Bowen, Beck, Bland, Adams, Clark
Arthur, ComingO, Durham, Hunton
Hatcher, Gunter, Glover, M'Lean
M'Leach, Vance, Robbins, BlCunt, Har
ris, Whitehead, StandifOrd, Stone, s Oss
Young XVI, Wells mo J, Milliker
Read and Lamar.