The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-04-12
t1,rast. Tom Iadgo nTrgn,T ChsTra

by designing demagosues and politicians
-mei who, like Marius and saylla, pared
nothing for the destruction on their eoun-
try, could they but rise on her ruins. |
indulge the hope that all the other courts
will be organized, business resumed, fra
ternal relations restored and peace and
happiness again bless the land OF this
you are required to set the frst example.
To attain this object, the military power
alone is not sufficient, but with this when
ever aud wherever the law, civil and
criminal, lie regarded, respected and en-
forced, will peace and happihesssincvita-
bly, follow,
Looking TO this result, the court will
give you in general charge the whole Pc
nal code of Tennessee, at least the stat
utes applicable TO crimes aud misde-
meanors. IL cannot be expected of the
court now to define and charge all crimi-
nal o%ffenses in detail which you may be
called upon TO present Refer to the Code
at your leisure, and if necessary you will
have the assistance Of the Attorney Gem
ersl; and, at any time, tho court will
give you other and further instructions.
The Court then called the attention of
the jury specially TO the various statutes
defining crimes and misdemeanors, all
of which were read and commented upon.
When the Court reached the statute de-
fining the crime of treason against the
State-Code, Sec. 4,742-he said:
Under this head and class of offences,
the most prominent and malignant is
that of treason and those crimes Intimate
ly connected herewith. Treason against
the State of Tennessee, he bad in gene
raj terms charged and defined, and then
called their attention particularly to the
statute defining this abominable aud de-
testable crime out of which had grown
directly or indirectly, all our present
troubles. He also specially charged the
statute against sedition. Code. Sec. 4,765.
But, said he, gentlemen, these statutes,
the Court will charge you, should be
administered and carried out as far as
practicable. You observe, however, there
are no exceptions in the statutes.
IL is, therefore, your duty, yes, your
sworn duty, if you know Of any such
offences, under the principles as defined
aud set forth by the Court, to present
them. There may be and doubtless are
numerous cases that fall within the def
milton and rules thus charged, som9 of
which, however, may have been excused
and removed from the grasp of the law
by the proclamation of the Governor
(Which the Court explained.) In such
cases, the Court would not advise you to
make presentments. The pardoniDg
power, however, does not belong to the
Court or Jury, but in cases where it 10
promised upon conditions which have
been performed, 1t is not in the opinion
of the Court, prudent or practicable to
make presentments, and good faith re-
auires you should not. Nevertheless,
? there may be and doubtless are numerous
! other cases known to the Grand Jury
under the principles mentioned, that
should be and doubtless will be presen-
ted. (Here again the Court referred to
. numerous other statutes, which were
: given in charge and dwelt upon at
r length. When the statute upon the slave
4 nolicy was reached, thu Court said):
. at the called term of this court, | sta
ed to the Jury that this question had
= given me more trouble and had perplex-
ed me more than any other with which my
y position requires me to deal. | now frank
4 ly confess that the difficulties of this sub
{ ject have increased. The President OF
the United States has exempted Tennes-
: see from the operations Of his enamel
: patton proclamation. In other words
q he leaves the institution of slavery in
= the State as the war found it, yet owing
p" to the occupation of the country by thu
Federal army, and owing to the fact tina
IS the State is still The tbeater of war, thl
enforcement of The slave law of the
State is extremely embarrassed, aud Il
y administer the law on the subject is III,
?, exception and not the rule. We Of thu
city Of Nashville are absolutely curset
N with the presence of a negro population
which we find it impossible TO control
Nashville is made the general rendezvou.
q for all the runaway negroes in this ant
st some Of the adjoining States The
thrust themselves into the houses Of on.
citizens and defy the owners I,
Dust them. They pilter, they steal
ie they scruple at nothing the
lt respect nobody; they regard no law, hu,
man or divine. Some of them are en-
If gagged in hospitals, but they are so nu
merous that this is perhaps only a frac
ional part. They promenade our streets
"a they crowd our sidewalks; they threat
our alleys; they Gil our houses, cellars
r g%arrets. They are toe lazy to work; TO,
ignorant TO distinguish between libert,
- and license; too shameless to respec
common decency, and too degraded Il
observe the ordinary rules of morality
- The men are thieves and burglars, IN,
- women prostitutes and Migrants. Their
4, is scarcely a stable, a hog pen, or a bel
. roost that does not bear the impress of
:, long heel and holloWless instep. .Thes
~ negroes are a curse to the army, q cancel
TO society, a blight upon honesty, morali
10 ty and decenoy, aud a lyech upon tn
ID Government. But we arc not ont
troubled with what are termed contra
bands" The negroes in this city an
Ut vicinity have actually acquired NOR
power than if their free papers had bee
-, given them. They est and sleep at th
Is houses and at the expense Of their own
in ers. They compel their owners I
D. clothe them, TO pay their medica
bills and taxes, while they refus
" 70 work for them, but on N
e. contrary make their own cohtraets 10
&c hire and receive pay for their ssrvioel
r and in each instance, if their owners see
1 TO assert their fightful authority, the
boldly threaten them with the militarl
OF Instantly the complaints Of the master
are hushed by The dread and terror whic
81, those threats inspire. These negrOe
- "contfabands" and slaves are 10 the wei