Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-09-07
Able Appeals TO Intelligence and Reason
from General Gordon and
Colonel Lamar.
A Fearful Arraignment Of Governor
Ames and the Radical Carpetbag-
gers he ViCksburg Bi0ts
General GOrdOB's Appeal 90 the COlOred
Citizens Of Mississippi - Mary
CslOTed People in Attend
anee, Etc.

-
this portion of Mississippi. From early
dawn till the noon day sun shut its
heated rays upon this lovely land Ci
ours, the people in vehicles, on horse
back, on foot and train, came pouring
in to hear Georgis's Gordon and Missis-
sippis Lamar, the great statesmen and
orators Of the south, speak ia behalf Of
Radical ruled and Radical ruined Missis-
sippi. The crowd was so immense that
ii filled the large courthouse here TO
sucn a jam that the courthouse yard
had to be resOrted 10 in order that the
people might hear from these truly
great men. Notwithstanding the efforts
OF the Radical leaders to keep away every
colored man from the audience, quite a
large number came and listened to both
speeches throughout, mauifesting an
enthusiasm that they could not conceal.
A fine baud regaled the audience until
the first speaker, General Gordon, was
escorted 10 the stand and introduced
by Col. II. w. Walter in beautiful and
happy flow OF Oratory. To do justice to
the speech of Senator Gordon would re-
quire more space than Is here allowed,
and / shall only tell OF it briefly. Not q
word of il was uttered but that seemed
to carry with it weight and an impress
siou that told Of the mind and manhOSd
of him who stood there like a giant
striking for liberty, truth and virtue.
He talked of Mississippi and the dread
ful disasters that threaten to crush out
her very existence, reviewing the entire
career OF the Republican party since ii
went into power. He told OF its costly,
| its cruel, its unconstitutional and its
selfish administration. He went back to
the olden times, aud followed up che
course OF events to the present day, with
statesman-like ability and clearness
that was as mstchless as it was con-
vincing. He paid high tributes TO the
courage, chivalry and patriotism OF the
Federal soldiers, cknowledges his just
claims to all this, and that he did not
| believe that one Of them sane
toned the rule OF the carpetbaggeTs.
These last, where were they when
the war was wagin" and danger
| iurked in the air and bullets flew? Why
didn't they come to the front when
patriots by the thousand wheeled into
| line and moved in awful silence into the
| field Of battle? Where were they when
the cannon beIched forth missiles that
carried away thousands of the noble and
gallant sons of America? They were
peacefully in the rear waiting for danger
to be over, when the battle sgs of both
armies were folded away forever, when
brave men of both armies said the war
is over and peace must reign, the army
of plundeTers came from their hiding
places homeless, fTiendless and almost
nameless, and said We will wage war
upon the fallen rebel. So they did; and
Mississippi writhes to day under the
terrible charges of the csrpetbag corps.
Her oppressed and cbain-ridden people
called out in their agony for relief-for
chsnge-and it must come. His Ian
guRge to the colored people was simply
grand and touching. He addressed
them as bis friends aud cOuntrymeu.
He took up every charge the Republicans
had brought against the Conserva-
tive party and answered them
with a candor and force which made its
impression. He appealed TO the colored |
men as Mi5sissippians to come back 20 !
their people and friends, and drive cut |
the c6rpetbsg plunderers. His arraign- |
ment Of the Republican leaders was un- |
ansWerable; in fact, he defied them to |
answer. Many United States soldiers |
we're in this audience. He called upon
them, upon the black and white citizens, |
all alike, to rise up like truly noble pa
triOts and save our common country |
from destruction. He asked the men |
before him to look upon Mississippi as
their common mother, walling in her |
distress, weeping in her shame, and |
calling on them Orescue her. He asked |
them to remember that in her bosom |
rests the dust Of cur fathers, our SONS and |
our children, and that with them we
must shortly lie. He asked them TO put |
away party lines, 10 forget party issues, |
and answer Mississippps wall for help. |
Comparing the condition of the black |
man in Georgia to the one in Misss- |
sippi, he showed how much better it wss |
there than here The close Of his speech |
was magnificent. He is manly person, |
over six feet in hight, fiue eyes, noble
lace and large roman shaped head; ne |
stands like q man, every inch Of him; |
such men 2s Gordon are seldom born;
they live unto many generations. What |
a splendid model for the young men Of /
the south TO follow; what glorious eX-
angle for the mothers OF the sou to
point cut tC the children the champion |
of truth, virtue, GhiVs'ry and liberty.
Senator Gordon stands to-day one o. the
purest and best men in the ration. Now
as Georgia's seu3tor tsL es h'3 E9st the
Mississippi congressman comes To the
front; Lamar is there, but he IS not
himself, for he is worn by the hard ser.
vice he hes and is still doing throughout
the State. His voice is h0Srse, his OOdy |
wearied, as he tells the people OF Holly |
Springs that twenty yesrs ago ne
stood upon that spot, and thanked /
them for the distinguished compliment |
they had conferred on him in noHinet-
ing him for congress, be felt that the |
oF n1. nTa
now twenty years gene by, had charm |
TO It that snatched victory up and plant |
ed it in flaming beauty upon the stand
ard il was then his hOhCT to bear. This |
people are not my constituents to day, /
but my heart beats with pride to know
that their voices 8ld their good wishes
are vet with me, What glorious recOl-
lections he had OF the people OF this |
city, its brave men, its lovely women,
its talented bar, its thriving business,
aud, indeed, the veIy atmosphere has
about it au attraction and grandeur
that makes my heart thrOb with pride
when remember that here among ytu,
on this very spot, I came to be Mia
sissippian. Colonel Lamar then COM
menced pOliticsi argument. His
hosTseness left him and he was himself
sgAin. He spoke OF the state politics
and Of the congressional investigation
OF the Eieksburg riot last November.
He took up 3 own aud Amqs's testi-
mony. He cluDg to the facts with such |.
force that there was no room left fCr
doubt a. to the guilt of Governor Ames
in instigsting the killing Of those ne
groes on that dark and bloody day HeI
referred to a great many deeds Of the
Republican party, and spoke Of its op-
poTtunities to p.sCes Of honesty and pros
perity. He made = fine argument in
favor of the new rule and the dethrona-
raent Of Ames klld his party in Mississip- /
pi. Then came his rFeEoratiOn. His |
eagle eye glistened ia its splendid |
glsnces as lac paused aud seemed to |
measure the men before him aud weigh .
the grand thoughts that made his every |
nerve trembls with emotion, like g lion /
ready to leap, gathering his full power |
rhe speaker broke the SILENCE by the |
finest h)w OF orStory that ever charmed /
81 audience. He likeGad Mississippi as
q mother to her citizens. aud then
asked them, "CRn you hest, ate, can you
stand here idle, can you listen to her
cries for help and not go?' He called
upon the young men TO be worthy Of
their fathers, their country, and the
proud blood that eOursed their veins to
lise up and go orward to gather the glo-
ries that await them, To remember