The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-11-11
THE TENNESSEE IhFAMY.
A REPLY TO MR.. LINCOLN
Some additional and Most Im-
portant Facts.

p0rtant Facts.
To HIS ErceNeny AJralsaps Lincoln, President
ofMe United States:
SIR: Your letter in reply to the Tennessee
protest has reached us, and has 10 doubt been
read by the people The argument on this
subject is nearly exhausted but we have addi-
tional and most important facts to submit to
the people, in further elucidatiOn of the sub
ject.
Our wonder is not excited to learn that YOU
had not seen the proclamation of Gov. John
son, and scarcely heard OF it until presented by
us. 1t is an evil of no small magnitude, con-
nected with your administration, that military
subordinates assume despotc powers, without
| asking the sanction OF their superiOrs-even
| presuming to give law to the people by procla-
| nation, and to repeal and modify our laws at
! will. The idea that the President himself can
make, or repeal or modify the law of the land,
state or national constitutional or statutory,
| though freely practiced upon by yourself, Is
doctrine of despOtism in "irrepressible con.
| fict" with the principles of public liberty. And
when these things are done by subordinates,
the evil becomes intolerably oppressive, and
calls for the frmest and most active lawful re-
sistance which O people deserving to be fire..
| cm offer.
| You tell us that "the movement set on foot
| by the convention and Gov. johnson does not,
| as seems to be assumed by you, emanate from
the national executive" What we did assume
| is, that the plan was promulgated by the proc
| lamatlon OF the military governor, who has no
authority but that derived directly from you !;
| and it was given the force Of law by his edict
1t thus became indirectly your act and now
that you decline to order the edict to be recall
ed or modified, it becomes your own IS fully
| as II 1t had emanatcd from you. I'm no pro.
| per sense" you say, " can it be considered
other than an independent movement of at
leass portion OF the loyal people Of Tennes-
| see Independent of what? Nanifestly indie
| pendent of all lawful NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
| Of and at war WITH the Federal Constitution,
which you have both sworn to support, pro
| tect and defend. What right has . citizen or
officer to favor an Independent movement"
! at variance with the Constitution, and support
| the same 10y force of arms? What less is this
thar waging war against tito Constitution of
tho United States, and the government stab
llshed thereby? :" An independent movement"
| against the Constitution, supported BIZ a mill.
! tary Governor by force Of arms .-recommend-
| ed by M assembly calling itself q convention.
Such in principle were the independent
! movements" of Governors and portions of
the people, which set at first In motion the
| grea. rebellion in the South with which we are
! contendlng. The "conven.ion calls upon
| military Governor to order an "indepcndent
movement to help your reelection, and to
support it by force of arms, placing q" guards
! around the ballot box. And their reco1nmen.
dation is adopted by the military Governor,
and . made" by hirG part of his proclanla
tion."
And yet you say, II do not perceive i'll the
plan any menace OF coercion or violence 10.
wards any cnc.' Just SO with the earlier ''in
dependent movement" of Gov. Harris in this
state which We opposed as we oppose this
There was no menace of coercion or violence
toward any who should consent to see the con-
eli fyrfin ui<,l
carried out withous opposition. But the bayO-
net was kept in view. Us is in this case. Public
meetings were incDaced, and I,crhaps broken
up by armed force. And so it is now. Those
opposed TO the independent movement" were
denounced as traitors, and 80 they ars now.
Troops from our own and from other States
were used 10 Overawe the people, and so they
are now. We had vigilance committees and
mob violence, then We have now secret
leagues, aud ara liable az any time to arbitrary
arrest, ss well as To- mJh violence, which is
now used In Our midst.
These are general facts in support of which
we add the following specifications
We have held number Of poaceable and
loyal public Iaeetings il. this city, moro than
ono of which has been "neuaced" by your
rartisans. On the 2lss inst. such q meeting
was held at the courthouse III this city It
was held "peacefully," and conducted loyal
ly," the assembly consisting chiefly of the
of provost guards were present, by request Of
those who conducted the meeting, to preserve
order. The meeting had been addressed by q
gentleDan who is in exile from bis home be.
cause of his loyalty, and who has spent much
time in the military service of the government
during the war. One OF the undersigned,
Mcclellan elector (Hon. t'.ilie Pey,on), had
taken the stand to addre>- The meeting, when
the hall was suddenly entered by large party
of soldiers, and the mecSizg violently broken
up These men rushed in with guns and drawn
pistols, crying "disperse you id rebels and
traitor" extinguishing the lights and driving
the people from the hall.
We specify further, that on the 25th instant
the rioters, thirty in number, published card
in the Nashville Times, the organ in this city
OF Gov Johnson to which they append their
names as all members Of Company d, LIST
Tennessee Light Artillery" This company
was raised and its officers appointed Gas We uI-
delstand) under the superintendent of Gov.
johnson. The rioters speak thus in their card:
Neither Coy. johnson nor any other individ-
ual OUTSIDE OF the men who were active partic-
ipants, knew anything of our intentions until
the affair was over. Some colOred men may
nave followed us, but we know nothing OF
them We do not fear court martial
they deiiantly add. land therefore cheerfully
give our names AS loyal and Union loving sUl-
ders."
Wespecty further, that. on the evening Of
the Gath, only three days after the Mcclellan
meeting was broken up, our streets were para
ded by an Immense procession OF negroes.
bearing torches and transpaernces. with such
Inscriptions on the latter as Lincoln and John.
som" Liberty or death" Some disorders
occurred in connection with this demonstra-
ton, and shots were freely fired by the negroes
some at Il window where white persons were
standing, and some at persons on the streets