The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-12-31
Rad state Of Affairs in Tennessee.

When we read statements like tho following,
from the Knoxville correspondence Of the New
York Times, We have reason to congratulate our
selves on the happiness OF our people in their free
dom from intestine feuds, and the respect every
whore in our borders paid to the majesty of the law:
When the armies of the Union decided tho sur
render of the rebels at Appomattox and Raleigh,
there began system Of prescription and wrong in
East Tennessee unworthy OF the cause and the
Those who had been wronged and driven from
their homes, returned to thqaac c oepa eCttered
against those who had enforced them. Their fam-
| lies had been scattered their home made desolate
and their hearts embttered with multiplied wrongs,
and they directed thoir whole force and wrath
4 against those who had thus outraged them The
proud and strong who ruled when the rebels were
in the ascendanoy were at length driven from thoir
homee and hunted through tho mountains. The
cnves and fastnesscs they had searched for Union
fugo or shelter. The violence OF public opinion
drove them into other States, amid those who had
Hike sympathies and feelings. Their lands and
homes, or what the desolation Of war lett of them,
wore the spoils to which the retllrnod loyalsts
. directed their homeless families. Tho courts OF
Justice and tho laws of the land, to which the rcbel
rulers appealed with passion and violence to holp
them in their unholy prosecutions, again witIoss-
ed more violent and impassioned struggles, and
iustice became mockery, and the temples of JUS
tice mere arenas for factious contontions Judges
and iuries wero sweptinto tho curront tho clam0r
Of traitor and tho plea Of loyalty hushcd the yoico
OF reason and of law, and the scales OF Justice
weighed an unoycn balance.
The most unprOyoked murders, the mostapparont
outragos, and the greatest violence passed unre-
dressed and unnoticed; or, if noticed at all, wore
Justified under the most excusabo pretcxts. Jures
wore cmpannellod and charged, the laws wcro read
and counsel heard; but the voco OF passion spoke
louder than tho voice of the law, and for the tmo
the lips of Justice woro nlute.Z Suits were brought
for damages and testimony readily, conf rod, by
which lands and tenements were diycstcd out OF
! the fugitive rebels and vested in tho returned
UnoniBts Some verdicts were justly recovered,
and some Of the guiltY woro made to indemnify the
injured; but many unjust and oppressive judg--
monts were obtained, and undor the forms OF
tho law many fugitiyes were robbed OF their all
A few Judges became parties to tho violence OF
clients, and tho laws were construed to suit the
wants of each particular case, and those who
would not lond their taonts. and influence to
further such suits were prescribed by political test
oaths Some who administered justice gathered
about them hrengs and tools, and talent and
prof 7ssional skill wore subsoryent to Theory of
: the impassoned massos. Tho jurics, who should
hayo stood up like walls Of stone to breast the
wild storm and keep pure and ullstainod the
records of JUSTICE raised thoir hands to high
} Heaven, aud solemnly swearing well and faithfully
to try tho issues, pandored to the public tastes,
and the roll OF dishonest jurors was fcarfuly null
tplied. The officers OF the Court summoned mon
W pOuUioul
recalled their personal grievances, and the cry o.
thoir wrongs silenced the voice of reason and
eased their conscience. Judges were dependent
upon the appointing power for the tenne OF then M
Office, and the necessities and discipline OF the
party was the code Of thoir laws.
4 If we look from the Judiciary to the Church, we
find something Of the same intolerance and want
of Christian charity. The great body OF the peo-
plo are connected with the Methodist Church, or
rather the great body Of church pooplo are con:
nectod with that denomination. They ore divided
into the Methodist Church North, and the Metho-
dist Church South. On both sides are arrayed sec
tarian projudices with partisan political lntoler-
anco, which makes the clement 30 dangerous to
our state of Society. These different organiza.
tions nre now litgating for their church property,
and their several organs resound with the
clash of bitter elimination. Ministers OF the
gospel honestly entertaining difforont .po-
litical sentiments, nre bclaborng each other
with the tools and slang belonging to ward poll
ticians and district domasogucs. Minister'S hum
gering for notorety, and some orpolitical SYM
pathy imagine prosecutions and prescriptions,
and palllor to partisan passion by interpreting
every unfrendly look and unsoclal net OF braness,
foolish women or weak-n,ineted men as proicrlP-
ton for opinions sake, and they haye rushed into
print and recounted their wrongs; Such religious
fouds have kept burning the fires OF political
4 strife, and they must, i'll all time to como, have
moro or less Influence in this direction; for, judg-
ing from present Indications, tho compromise be-
tween these organizations will mover be effected.
DISTINCTION OF RACES Prof. Agassiz says that,
as thc 81 very question is olcr he is able to speak