Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-08-14
ITO the People Of Tennessee, Georgia,
Alabama, Mississippi and Lou
iiana"-t 5 irriDs aud Pa
trio.iC appeal.
The Southern states Invited TO JOntr.b-
Bie 10 the Centennial On a Basis of
State and Popular Rcc9rciiia-
tiOn, and state and POpu-
lar Equality.

connection WITH tEe teD.ENEIdi cX0lLi-
ton, the one as a member Of the board
OF finance, aud the other % sc. as the
agent for certain purpose with the
States mentioned above. Among other
things il is their duty TO invite cur peo-
pie TO take the " hole or q portion Of the
amount Of the subscription 20 the Cen
tennial stock, to which they are entitled
under the act Of congress authorizing the
issue Of the stock, and as il was after
ward fairly appJTtioGed among the
Statss. In doing thi-, csudlT requires
il 20 be ssid in the outset that the losses
and general impOverishmeuto Of the citi-
zsns in this section Of The country now
consuain them to practice habitually
the closest economy; lUt l. IS DrOper all
should be informed that by the act OF
congress approved June /, 1872 incar-
pCTating the board Of finance, and estaD-
fishing il in absolute control OF the Gem
tennial exhibition, financially, with the
authority $50 receive sui scIiptious Of
capital stock TO an amount not exceed
ing ten million dollars he States en-
bTaCed IL the area described, each have
q right to subscribe several hundred
thousand dollars Of the stock should their
people feel the inclination or ability 10
avail themselves Of this privilege. The
question Is, shall thay avail themselves Of
this privilege or not. Inhthus consider
ing, Us briefly as possible, tie nature
and extent of the part 10 be taken in il
by the people Of these States, the whole
subject Of the Centennial celebration
should be divided and carefully regard
ed under three hesds: Historical, In.
dustrisl and Political. Under the his
tOTical head, you must pardon US for
thinking and respectfully saying here
at once, that one cannot nationally per-
ceive how the New England States, or
New York, New jersey aud PennsyI-
vania, seven OF the thirteeu States
which announced the worli-famOus
Declaration of Independence, can posi-
bly, either feel, or have the right to feel,
q greater degree Of interest IN thai Illus
triOus event than the six States Of the
sOIth-Deiawat5 Maryland, Virginia,
North Carolina, Scuth Carolina and
Georgia. We must hear in mind. in
grasping the full import OF such & fact,
that on the next Fourth OF July, a hun
dred years will have passed since cur
great iOTefatheTs made that day sn i'm
mortal measure of time. The deClaTa-
ton was formally presented on that day
to the congress by the committee ap-
pointed TO prepare it, and at the close Of
The ceremony Of reading the
grand proclamation, the bell Of
independence announced, in tTi-
umphsnt tones, the startling and won
derful truth that the American colonies
were no longer inhabited by the mere
subjects Of the British crown, but by
the citizens Of free and iEdepenGent
States, with ali their allegiance absO-
lately Cancelled and dis0wned, and all
political connection with Great Britain
totally dissolved. The announcement
Of the declaration WAS received with as
much serious joy and enthusiasm in the
six southern cOlOuies-then become
Sta!es-as in the middle colonies or in
the east. 1t was as important to the
people Of the southern States then, and
aflerWsrd during q long war, and is gtO1U
quite as important to them, in every re-
spect, as it ls to theirnOrthern cOmpeerz.
Indeed, sub b5equen.Iy, in the armed
struggle which lasted for seven long and
weary years, Thomas jefferson, a south
ern-bOrn man, w8s recoguizs3 as the
pen, while George Washington, the
Father of his county" another
sOuthern-bOTa man, was regarded ss the
sword Of the revolution. Patrick Henry
had previously embodied the great
cause Of the revolution in his renowned
resolutions; while, after the successful
ending OF the contest, and after the ar
ticles Of confederation bad proved Z fail
Gre as plan of government, on 2 cal!
for a convention Of the States by the
Virginia house Of burgezses, to- ad-
wise q new plan of government,
James Madison, the fourth President
OF the United States, is generally
acknowledged by all of US TO have been,
probably, the foremost statesman in
feshiOning the constitution Of the
United States as it was finally framed
by the cOnveLtiO thus initiated. In
mentioning these Incidents, or in refer
ring 10 the statesmgnsLip, or to the
armies Of the revolutionary epoch, there
is OF course not the slightest disposition
10 do iClnstlce to, or even 10 withhold
sn unsffected admiration from the
statesmen and soldiers OF the New Eng
land or Middle States, so efficiently and
patIiotically participating ia the peril
Gus and trying era that witnessed the
first celebration Of the declaration Of i'll
dependence. But, nevertheless, the
whole record dis inCtly proves that the
six States OF the south, atIiliating with
the other seven Gt the old thirteen, and
producing common government Of iib-
erty ard true republican independence
fer all, cannot surrender in the face OF
mankind, as it were, either directly or
indirectly, the historical place thew
ought 10 claim and to occupy in the
Centennial celebration Of American
independence, without msnifesting
an inexcTsable iuseusibility 10 their
own moral character, and q want
Of national and rational pride in
tine generous deeds cur ancestors
assisted il such courageous
and enlightened spirit 10 consummate.
Ii is tue that only one OF the common
Wealths, the people OF which We DOW
address, Georgia, was Of the six OF the
noble cOnclave Of "ires and iadepend-
ent States" thEt met at Philadelphia.
But those OF the southern section, since
ere ated States under The constitution,
are all Of close cOussnguirity, symps-
Ihies and interests with Georgia, and
heT ancient cOtemp-Taries Of the
declaration and the UBiCu, They were
settled by people Of the older COmmUni-
lies OF the south, and JheiT public record
is associated with thege communities for
many years past, with Consequences, as
Il j. known, OF the most sign liaant
CGGIdCLGls EAA VI LAtsE DAELC1r LEEEBr
fore, cannot fail to possess a common
sentiment OF pride i'm what hguCFa5ly
affects those from which they have
principally derived their population and
existence. In truth, i. mus be sd
mitted that The States which engaged,
by priority OF birth, iu The extraordinary
pTocee ding3 which led TO the fOuuda-
ton, life ard uneX3mpled growth and
power OF the United States, were but
the nucleus around which the rest crys-
talized, aud gathered in their peaceful
property and strength. Is il not.
consequently, a high duty they owe
to themselves, and 10 their posteTity,
to take the most eager, evident ard
ample csre that they arc thorough
~ identified at the Centennial ce,ebra,
ZION, and properly recognized and ap-
pTecisted as those who have il part con-
s'Tucted this powerful republic? Should
they not struggle, Uy every moral con-
sideraiiou, and with the most intense
end intelligent efforts, not to be ignored
or overshadOwed by any who may ap-
pear in the midst Of the many different
nations at Philadelphia il 1876, in at
tempted monopoly Of Tivaiship a the
chief actors ia a glorious history, whose
first prophetic chapters OF approaching
unequaled Epleudor and power il il
thought have scarcely yet been written?