The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-10
The TENNESSEE CANVASS.
fConsinued From FRS. Page


and pleads for a new trial. And in
coming before the curt upon that
new tr al they are in the ridiculous
attitude of presenting the same Old
brief every point OF which was de-
cided against them in 1884
Now, IL may BIZ reasonably asked
why the Democratic party is stillham-
mering away upon the carcass OF Re-
publicanism. 1 will tell you why. An
old fellow In Georgia. killed q sheep
killing dog. He deliberately cut a
hickory club and began to beat aud
maui the lifeless body CT the poor old
dog. A neighbor passing by, stopped
and said, amt that dog desd2 "Yes,"
replied the farmer. "Well, what in
the name Of reason are you beating a
dead dog FRI asked the astonished
neighbor. The farmer never stopped
but said, 81 want to teach. him that
there is little hsll aftsr death"
NOW, THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
comes before the court with the same
old threadbare declarations that II is
the pa,'y OF constitutional govern.
ment.,of honest government, OF pro.
lection to lsDor and OF free education.
In 1884. NJ on these same declarations,
it hesrd the verdict OF 5000, 900 sover-
eigrs, "ttou at weighed in the bal
ance and found wanting" But let us
examine the old record again and zee
Il that was a good and rue verdict
Its frs, declaration is that it is the
party Of constitutional government.
In the dark days succeeding the war,
when this party of constitutions gov
eminent had two thirds Of both
Houssso OF Congress, and while 1t wss
in full control of the judicial Depart
ment. drunk with power and passion,
il b sgan the work OF reckless riot aad
debsuchery Ct the governmeI t, and
when the great, grand stirt of Democ-
racy, ia the p ron OF Andrew John
son, con ronted it, crazy with rage.
this Republican party converted i'ssIf
iuto a political mob. II ran rough
ebo1 over the powers OF the Execu-
tive. 1t Wis in his Cabinet, and when
he undertook t1 remove 1t in
the exercise of his cohsttu
tlOuh pOW6I1 ~ hIDibl uIlly bL-
acted a law in the face OF the
constitution, compelling him to retain
Mr.. Stanton, and nll other officers un-
der the government, no matter how
obnoxious end obj ctionable they
were TO the Executive. This party OF
constitutional government declared
that the States were couquetd pro.
vinces, while the President declared
that a. the attempt to seceda had failed
the states w1e It II In the Union. And
90 the conflict ran high until in their
dett rmination TO role or ruin the gov.
eminent, wi h ab'o'u,e disregard aud
rscklessness OF COAST utional law,
they impeached the President OF the
United Stst .s and brought him before
The bar OF the Senate to answer the
charge OF high crimes and miedemtau-
Cs. And when they did that they
struck blow to the consti ution Of
las country, which defines the powers
OF the Elk cutive ss clearly az the pow.
erJ Of the legislative aad judicial de.
partment, CT government. they struck
Q deadly blow at lbsity itself, and
had this conspiracy OF tlis constitu-
iionsl party succ saded, The last wee
tlge OF constitu ional government
would have besn wrecked, the Union
is.lf would have b,tn broken up and
destroyed, and tbs flag which had 80
recently triumphed in war would
have ceased TO be the hlg of constitu-
tional union. BIT thank God Andrew
Johnson was equal to the occasion.
The very elements OF mis- native land,
the rocks and hills an mountains had
entered into his composition, and he
stood like the rock OF Gibral a, uu-
moved and mistaken by tue fury and
lashing waves of this raging c)ns!itu-
tionsl party. Andrew Johnson sleeps
amid the beautiful hills and noun
tsiHs Of East renness se, but his spirit
lives, his influence lives aad noble
deeds shine in the world like q star
that shines long after the star itself
has disappeared. Sleep on, Andrew
johnson, wrapped in thy couulry's
flag, and pillowed upon thy country's
consii uion. Unborn millions yet to
be will revere thy name and keep thy
memory sweet.
Unwcariod, unfettored, unmatched, unoon-
Be my spirit like thee in the world of the
mind,
No leaning for earth o'cr to weary It's flight,
But fresh as thy pinions in regions Of light.
This is the first page in tbs history
Of the consitu ional party, and 1t is
as blsck IS a starless night. Let us
hide it and turn another leaf. Defeated
in its unholy purpose to impeach the
President, this party Of constitutional
government began 10 fortify itself be-
hind the bayonets. As soon as it had
obtained control If the executive as
well as Cf the other branches OF gov
eminent it suspended the tenure Of
office law in order that it's President
might summarily d scharge every Off.
Ger in the service at HIS own sweet
will. 1t authcriz d the Pr, s!dent 10
send trcops into the States, and to ar.
bitratily drive S ate Legislatures from
State capitols at the point of the bayo-
net And more. They rent the bayc-
nets and deputy malshals TO the polls
to terfoiizs American citizens and to
control state elections. Tpat lie an
other page blacker than q starless
night. Lst us turn another leaf aud
hide 1t. And during all this time fraud
and corruption were showing their
hideous heads in every department OF
government, and creeping into the
very mansion of the President until
the great whisky ring was d severed
coiling Ike serpent around
the very Capitol itself, and members
OF the Presidents Cabinet were in the
coil Of other rings, the Indian ring,
Credit Mobilier ring, the navy ring.
These all grew and floudshed aud fa'-
tened from the sweat of the peope
under the fostering influence OF this
party OF constitu lonal government
unit fioally the people grew tick and
tired, and rose up in their majesty in
1876, and declared by popular ma
jnrty OF 100000, that this party OF
constitutional COVE nuent must go
But the srmy was FASTENED to Wash.
inptoD. The canuoas were planted
and ranged upon the White House
and Capitol. The rum OF political
crime-was eracted; thu voice Of the
people was stifled; the fraud OF all the
ages IVES perpetrated; the Presidency
WIS usuTped, and there, through the
pe,s1n OF Samuel j. Tlden, was struck
blow at the vital principle of consti-