The Daily clarion., 1875-02-20
n SOA- EMN APPEAL.
Address OF southern Democratic Menu
- berss Of Congress to their
Constituents.

w WAsHINGTON, Feb. l8.-The follow !
ing address has just been prepared by the :
Democratic members of the South and
Southwest
TO the People of the Southern States:
You have confded to the undersigned
in this conjuncture of affairs the delicate
and difficult task of guarding in the Fed
eral Congress your public interest, your
rights and your reputation you will,
therefore, pardon the liberty we take of
addressing you at period so critical,
upon matters affecting your destiny and
that of your posterity. You cannot have
failed to observe the persistent efforts of
some of the leaders of the Republican
party to revive the animosities of the late
! war which, happily, are fast giving place
to spirit of concord and unity in every
section of our common country. 1t is i'm
possible to predict with certainty the eff
feet of these appeals to passion. We be-
ieve that through the honest representa-
ton of few upright and conscientious
Federal officers and agents, an independ
ent and able public Ipress, and of many
citizens without regard to party, the true
condition of Southern States and real SEN
timent of the Southern people are being
gradually made known to our fellow-citi-
rzens of the North, wehope for their favo-
rable decision, when fully apprised of all
the facts
The great end Of good government will
be reached when the people of all Sec
tons forget that we have ever been ene-
mics, 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 and
manhood Of brave people to resolve to
: suffer, with heroic patience, whatever be
y their provocations and wrongs, looking
G through the fearful present to a hopeful
e future, and repelling unjust epithets and
r gratuitous insults with dignifed modera-
t ton. Let every aOhite man IN every neigh
$ borhood IN The auhole South, regard himself
9 as a commissioner of peace, maintaining the
!, kindliest relations toa0ards black men, re-
: member;ng that responsibility for the ex
treme poverty to which we haye been re
duced and corrupt government to which hl'
vote has subjected us, rests not so mach upon
9 him as upon bad men aUho, acith assurance
of Federal support, haze by appeals to hi
Al aUorst passions, sought to make him oar enc
~ naq while we labor by all honest means
to convince him of the truth that our in
q terest and his are identical, and that botf
must be preserved by good government
al and that those aUhO star up strlte 6et'Ueen u
e, are the enemies of both races. Let us a
+ the same time see that he is fully protect
0 ed in his guaranteed right to vote as h'
pleases at all elections. Let us contlnu
to deal with him honestly and fairly, an'
let us continue cordially to invite to ou
of midst those of any political party VIII
u either seek to know truth or to find home
lie upon our SOIL We do not exag
n oerate when we admonish yo
n of the disheartening fact that ever
n street disturbance, every homicide VIVA
of ever, by whomsoever committed, D
as black or white, Republican or Dem'
40 crat. such as are incident to every con
=; munity upon earth, is perverted into ev
IL dence of a spirit of lawlessness and vi
lence and purpose to accomplish politlc'
ends We we'll know the gross lnJustit
to of such charges which have weight on
~, where ignorance of our true condluo
,oh prevails. Strenuous efforts are no
'Jr 81 being made by those who misrepresenaty(
NOT to induce the passage by Congress OF mo
no dangerous measures in order to lrrlta
~ ~ our people and to drive them to despa1
~ and provoke them to violent outbreak,
laS 40 order to furnish excuses for applying
af military interference.
o1 We express the hope that the majori
oe aeu of the present Congress will not be foul
GU ou ready to sanction such legislation. Ii
e7 ere be accomplished it would be against t
20 10 protest. not only of the Democrats, but
'oS- oS the moral world and the statesmanst
~ here of the party in power, and OF SUI
at Republicans as Bryant, Evarts, Char
Is Francis Adams and others, whose |
en- triotism and love of justice are known
SEQ the entire country. We may, howev
he mistaken. The most extreme,
nressiye and unconstitutional measul
d. may be imposed on you; in such
on- event, we ecoatId appeal to the 'o'sdon'
the patriotism of long suffering people,
ZACH every hope Of the future, for continued J
has bearance and hopeful reliance ON the v'r
and and sense of justice of the american peof
the for the ultimate vindication of our rlgh
pan the protection of our liberties, and
po- safety of our Republican form OF G
yer, ernment.