Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-01-08

lace, the colored candidate on the Citizens
ticket who is as black as the evening storm
cloud. And the negroes forgot Tor the frs
time their old anipathies and voted fol-
white Democrats and against white and col
ored Republicans. OF the three thousand
votes cast for Wallace it is safe to say that
two thousand OF them were by white Demo
Gratis, and probably half the votes which
! Church received were cast by white
| Democrats. These facts show that the
! color line in Memphis has been
obliterated. In future elections involving
! political Issues the blacks and whites will
remain true to their party predictions. But
the day has passed when negro fears to
| trust white Democrat or a white Democrat
fears to trust q colored Republican. The
credit is duz 10 the Democrats for Inaugural
ting this era Of good feeling, as they have a
majority of one thousand in the city and
could have elected all Democrats in a party
canvass; but they proposed to select the
best men without regard to party prejudices,
and elected three Republicans The time
has come when men may divide on principle
rather than race prejudice, and when mem
bers OF different parties will respect each
others opinions. How much better i this
than the policy of other days when the
whites opposed negro suffrage and
the blacks voted against the enfranchise-
ment of the whites; when the loyal
leagues bound the negroes by oaths never to
vote only as directed, and when those who
voted with the whites were mobbed by the
blacks. The council which is to legislate
for Memphis is composed of Irish Germans,
Americans, whites and blacks, indicating
that here in Memphis all nationalities, races.
colors and parties can unite in an effort to
promote the public good. Everything shows
that the death of sectionalism is inevitable.
This is a subject for national r, joioing, for
by sectionalism all the material interests
OF the country have suffered; by it our
industries have been paralyzed, our material,
social and intellectual growth and develop
ment have been retarded. That the tardi-
ness Of our recovery since actual hostilities
ceased is due more to sectionalism than the
ravages during the war, we only need to
look at the example furnished by France in
her rapid recovery and recuperation from
the effects of still worse war to be convinced
The people OF France came forth from their
war united and in full sympathy with one
another-with but few e1ceptions-in feel
ing, and were ready to move, and did move
forward one man in the work of rebuilding
what had been destroyed and creating new
values; but our people, divided on a sec
tional line, race prejudices, AMI nursing the |
passions of resentment which had followed |
the war of arms, could not, or would not, |
unite with that cordiality necessary to COM
plete success in the work of material re-
and social reunion, and the
was that, after many years
Of profound peace, and until the |
election of Garfield, we were still |
engaged in bitter sectional quarrel that
anything like concert of action
'r union of sentiment in carrying out those
grand enterprises, or resulting in the en-.
orcement of those great economic and
ocial measures and reforms, from the neglect
md failure of which the people were made to
uffer and our national development had been
etarded. But all can see the dawn of a new
ra-the day when "traitor, "rebeI )" "bloody-
hirt" and "carpetbagger" are blotted
rom the political vocabulary. The recent
etter of James G. Blaine-who originated
he Stalwart Republicans-to the President
the Atlanta Exposition is full of signif-
ance. His patriotic utterances sound the
eath-knell OF sectionalism. Another a1spi-
ious sign-the silence of President Arthur.
L his recent message, in regard to the sec
onal question. Notwithstanding the spas
lodic efforts of those who live by fanaticism.
he general disposition of the country is
for peace. Hereafter when fac
on in either section undertakes to sound
lie old notes of discord it will excite no
her emotion than those of pity and disgust.
ct us hope that the favorable symptoms
hich now promise so much good to the 7
epubiic may continue, and that the avenues !
public opinion will never again blaze $
it'll the baleful fires of discomfort, sectional
itreds and determinations.