Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-10-05

Oreu racer how many OIL lneu
can call the Christian name famil,
iarly of every oolored brother and
sister that belongs to the "sciety ?
How many of them ever claimed
the privilege of first kissing the
bride at a colored wedding and
dancing with her in the first set?
Not one of them. And we will
venture to say further, that not
more than one or two Of the whole
crowd can say grace or lead in
prayer at a colored revival. What
hopes, then, can such men have
of succeeding in this district,
and what is to become of the
Republican party? 1t will go to
pieces worse than itdid the year Of
the Bartlett movement, and the
colored vote will be cast for the
Democratic ticket. Barbour says,
bitterly, that he thinks an Old Line
Wing could win. This is one of
his grim jokes. He knows better.
The Republicans that want to sue
coed him in leadership are'mostly
new converts, who have never been
tried in the fire as Barbour has.
They remind rs Of the seventeen
that stepped up to the bar and all
said they would take sugarin theirs.
These gentlemen all want the sugar,
but they would not be caught at a
colored church or in company with
the men they expect to elect them
to office. No one can run the
machine as well as the late Barbour
Lewis. The man who falls heir TO
his mantle will feel like the boy ten
years old wearing his fathers over
coat. Who will it be? Trot him out.
Gov. BRoWNLOw comes out in a
long article in his paper depicting
the enormities of the fugitive slave
law and of slavery. 1t is singular
that he had not heard so much
about slavery when he had that ia
nous debate with Rev. Mr.. Pryne
in Philadelphia, about the year
1858. He challenged the whole
North to meet him in debate on
that question. Rev. Abram Pryne
accepted, and Brownlow undertook
to prove that slavery was justified
by the bible. In that debate he
threatened the North with a South
ern confederacy, and fred the heart
of many an East Tennessee boy
who soon afterward showed his faith
and sincerity on the battlefield,
Men have a right to change when
they find they have been mistaken.
Mr.. Brownlow, however, is rather
| too swift a witness against the
South. He caused numbers of
young men who read MS paper end
we're somewhat familiar with his
teachings, to join the Southern
army. lie knew as much about
the abuses Of slaves then as he does
now, yet went out Of his way to
defend them all. AS a political
expedient in times Of great excite
ment this might have seemed justi-
fable to his own conscience, but
he carried his doctrines into the
pulpit and appealed to the Holy
Scriptures for proof to sustain he
political position. We have a great
respect for the Fighting parson,'
as they used to call him, but do not
think he is the man to tell the world
much about the evils of slavery.
WI notice with great satisfaction
that the Hon. T.. 3. Ragland, Of
Brownsville, has been renominated
for State Senator by the Democrats
Of his district. This lisa well-mer-
tied compliment. Mr.. Ragland il
a gentleman Of ripe experience,
fine intelligence and answering
integrity. He would make an I'D.
mirable presiding officer, and il
returned to his old seat, as we pre-.
sumo he will be, we would be glad
to see him elected Speaker Of the
Senate. No member Of either
house, old or young, in the las.
Legislature, was more jealous anC
conscientious and faithful in thu
discharge of his duty. he is a low.
tax man and has decided yiewI
upon the subject Of the State debt
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