Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-05-10
A sIMoN.puRE RApIoAL.

our people are accustomed to bestow
upon eminent visitors. He announced
at Louisville, at Nashville and again and
again here that bis trip had no official
significance and no connection with
public affairs. That sgds the general
understanding, and so our people re-
ceived him. The Office of Vice Presi-
dent is supposed to confer some dignity
about its occupant and to entitle him to
public courtesies wherever he may 90 in
the Republic. Those delegated TO meet
Mr.. Wilson were not selected with
reference to their political affiliations
or solely from n party. Our Mayor
read a very terse and polite address Of
welcome at the depot in the presence of
the members Of the City Council and a
concourse of citizens. There was not
the remotest allusion to party politics in
his address. Mr.. Wilson replied. He
expressed his thanks, disclaimed any
political object in his visit, aud
then straightwsy, to use a metaphor,
vent down into the valley of the dead
bones Of the war. He seemed to think
it necessary to declare his fealty to prin-
ciples he had sustained for t%hirty-nine
years. He believed the war was one of
God Almighty's wars, which no man or
set Of men could have prevented. This
wa a sweeping admission, for which his
party will hold him accountable. They
claim all the honor and will not permit
him to ring in his predestinarian doc
trine. Then he said:
But, sir, your kind words to me will
not be an assurance to the people where
/ come from that you have guaranteed
equal rights and justice to a humble
class in your midst. The people here in
Tennessee have this matter in their own
hands. They have it 10 their power to
give this assurance and it will surely
come. Our troubles are passing away
and the nation is making great pro-
gress, etc.
At the hotel be made another and a
longer address, not reported verbatim,
in which he repeated that he had op-
posed the system of the South for thirty
nine years, and now had nothing to take
back. he could say to his people that
he came literally as a carpet-bagger and
had been well received. Here he thought
It necessary to advise the people to give
all honest, well disposed carpet-baggers a
welcome in a like spirit, assuming of
course that Northern men who come
South to work or invest their capital are
ostracized. The declaration that he had
nothing to take back seemed unneces-
sary and outof place. No such condition
was imposed or involved in his recep-
ton. 1t was presumed that be was wor-
thy of civic honors, and arrangements
were made accordingly. But Mr.. Wilson
has SO long been a politician and partisan
that he could not forget for an hour his
e,otional affiliations and meet his South
T countrymen on the level of Ameri-
can citizenship. BE deemed it necessary
- deliver q moral lecture and to lei
them understand that he could not be
converted like Mr.. Kelly, Of Pennsylva
MIA, by a short s%ojourn at South.
III hotels. The Vice President
had just read the comments of 9
Washington paper IN his visitto the bed
side Of John G. Breckenridge and in his
trepidation made haste 10 set himself
right with his party at home in two
speeches made within an hour. The ad
ministration will rejoice to know thai
the venerable Vice President has no.
been seduced by the Establishments O.
those supposed to be rebel Democrats
and the latter will be reminded thai
there is a bird which can only be caughI
after salt has been placed upon its eau
dal extremity. A political harangu,
was not the thing expected on sucl
an occasion, and the proposition
that our people are traduced as to hi
status or their obligations Of citizenship
We had fondly hoped hat the Vice Pres
ident would enjoy himself on this South
ern and Western tour, and we're ready +
render him any service due a distir
guished stranger within our gates. H
has betrayed the fact that his views c
craftsmanship are limited and more aki
to theory than practice, and thS
however well versed he may b
in the dogmas Of party, he
. yet a stranger to the feeling
and sentiments Of the best people in
large section of his country. The ma
who suspects his host Of a selfish pul
pose is apt to be s%upremely selfish a
heart. Whatever Inequalities have bee.
rendered him south Of the Ohio rive
came spontaneously, Mr.. WilsOn nee