Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-05-29

WASHINGTON, May 28.-In lieu of
personal answer to the many letters received
from friends in the south, disclaiming sym
patty with any effort to unseat President
Hayes, Postmaster-General Key has written
the following open letter to the people OF the
south:
The circumstances attending the passage
of the Potter resolution to investigate the
alleged frauds in the presidential election OF
1876, in the States.of Louisiana and Florida,
together with the subsequent declarations
of many influential Democratic politicians
and journalists, the evidence that if both
houses of the forty-sixth congress are Demo
cratic, the majority intend to GUST President
Hayes and Inaugurate Mr.. Tilden. The title
of President Hayes was settled Irrevocably
by the forty-fourth congress-. in an act crea-
ting the electoral commission, under which
he was legally declared elected, and legally
inaugurated. The forty-fifth congress has
no more right to dispute his election than he
has to question the title of any victorious
contestant to his seat in that body. The for
ty-ffth congress has no more right to ignore
contestant, Mr.. Tlden, than Mr.. Hayes
would have to send file of soldiers TO the
house of representatives to unseat Demo
crat whom he smight consider to have been
wrongfully seated or fraudulentiy elected.
The leaders IN this desperate attempt to
Mexicanize our institutions rely confidently
upon solid south to furnish the bulk of the
Democratic majority in the next house of
representative s, the senate being already Sc
cured. Remembering the encouragement
which the northern Democrats, In 1860 and
1851, extended to the southern States to Sc
cede, and the manner in which their prom
ises of aid and comfort were fulfilled, can the
southern people afford to JOIN this revolution
airy movement with a certainty thatAwhen
the inevitable hour of peril comes, they will
again be left unassisted and alone to
meet the storm from the north, once
more united by this attempt to revive an
issue whose settlement was forced by public
opinion upon an unwilling congress? In the
dark days of February, 1877, when civil war
and patriots trembled for the safety of
republican institutions, the southern
members of congress averted the danger by
compelling the completion of the electoral
count under law which both parties in con-
gress had enacted, but now the representa-
tives from the southern States, with very
few exceptions, have joined movement to
subvert the results of their former patriotic
action and to remand the country to that an
archy from which, less than two years ago,
it was saved by their efforts. Grant that in
permitting the autonomy of all the States,
and appointing citizens to office IN the south
instead of strangers, President Hayes has but
discharged his constitutional duty, will that
excuse southern representatives tor attempt
ing to invalidate his title which they estab-
lished, or will it justify them in bringing the
country again in danger of civil war In their
efforts to unseat him and inaugurate Mr..
Tilden? The south must n ow face the most
momentous crisis in its h istory since 1861.
To indorse the recent condu ct Of their repre-
sentatives Is to admit the truth of the charges
that the people OF the south care nothing for
the welfare of the Union, desire the downfall
of the republic, and would rejoice to see it
again involved In civil war. If their repre-
sentatives have not reflected their sentiments,
as believe to be the case, then the people OF
the southern States should take care that in
the forty-sixth congress they are represented
by men who will defeat the disturbers of
the public peace and prevent the Mexicani-
cation of our institutions. To do this they
may be compelled to act independent of the
Democratic party. Recent events have dem
onstrated the inability of the Democratic
members of congress to resist the mandates
of caucus and the terrors of the party
lash. The one welded and the other
inspired by men who seem willing
to endanger the welfare of the country
and the stability of republican institutions
for the sake of revenge on political opponents
and the hope of dividing the ''spoils" of VIC
| tory. If the Democratic representatives OF
| the south could not resist the caucus COM
| mand to pass Potter's resolution unamended
and without debate, how will they be able IN
| the forty-sixth congress to resist similar
| command to ignore Mr.. Hayes as President
and to recognize Mr.. Tilden? 1t is, there
fore, the duty of the southern people to afford
| a browning evidence of their renewed devo-
| ton to the Union, in which they now enjoy
every right of citizenship, and are subjected
to no restrictions not laid upon every citizen,
| by sending delegates to the forty-sixth con-
| gress pledged to resist at all hazards the rev.
| dictionary schemes of mischief makers. who
| seem to have gained control of the house of
representatives of the forty-6fth congress. To
| this end the people in every district should
meet publicly, organize and resolve to sup
port no person for congress who has gwen
| aid to this movement and who will not
| dent Hayes during the term for which
he was elected against all attempts at its
| overthrow. Only in this way can grave
danger to the republic be averted,' and a con-
vincing proof be given that that confidence
was not misplaced which President Hayes
manifested in the south when ne wlt6dreW
the troops from the Statehouses OF South
Carolina and Louisiana. have spoken
plainly and earnestly, for l feel that should
| be unworthy to represent the south IN the
| administration were L to remain silent now.
Invited to the cabinet as a southern man, to
see that Justice was done TO the south,
required neither to apologize for my record,
nor to disown ray political principles, it is
my duty to warn the people of the south of
the danger which threatens the country. No
man need hope that the schemes of the
men who have engineered the movement to
unseat President Hayes can be carried out
| without bloody civil war. To avert this
danger confidently rely upon the patriotism
and honor of the people Of my native section.
D. NJ. KEY.