Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-10-01
THE NAsHvILIE IMBRoeLIo.

. the State Capital is at an end, depends
f it would seem, entirely upon the exten
TO which Brownlow intends carrying gu
the line Of policy which he has ineu
gurated, or to state the matterain more
explicit terms, whether the same disre
gard for the law and usurpation o.
authority will be exercised in the install
lation that has been exercised in the
election, so.called, of the new city
officials. Impatient for possession
of the Offices and unwilling to haz-
ard decision of the courts, if the
newly elected should call on Cooper and
his militia to force. with arms an abb
dication of the city officers in their
favor, submission on the part OF
the citizens to this outrage will
end the matter, so far as all physical
conflict is concerned, throwing the onus
of the usurpation upon Brownlow and
his underlings while on the othag hand
resistance, though il would be struggle
on the part of freemen for their rights,
might involve much bloodshed with nashs
ing in return but fQrthes oppression at
home and Misrepresentation abroad.
Nashville, Memphis, every village within
the bounds of Tennessee, is at the mercy
of a tyTant, and the recovery of their
liberties can only be brought about by
that reaction ofpublic sentiment through
out the country which. in time, by
revolutionizing the North, must tell
upon the destinies of our own sec
ton. 1t therefore becomes our peo-
pie, however downtrodden at home and
misrepresented abroad, to patiently bear
and submit for while, sooner than by
fruitless and unavailing resistance to
perpetuate their condition in keeping
alive the sentiments and establishing
more firmly the beliefs which have too
long pervaded the North.
The grossness of the outrage at Nash
vile Is an appeal in behalf of the liner
ties of Tennessee, from which no honest
and liberty loving man will turn away
his ear, be be of the North or South.
The Banner, after reiterating the facts
"a they have from day to-day been de-
veloped, says:
Our narrative has been long, and per-
haps to most readers tedious. We have
given it in all fairness from the lights
and the documentary evidence before
us. We have no disposition to do Gen.
Thomas injustice, for We readily coneede
the delicacy of his position, and the
allowance which ought to be made by
the public press, for man cannot
promptly or readily vindicate himself
But we doubt whether he will deny his
dislike of Nashville, and the citizens of
Nashville, or dispute that his sympa-
thies and efforts throughout this business
have been in the interest of Governor
Brownlow. Nor do we take excep- |
ton 10 this, or wonder at it. What we |
complain of is his representation Of the |
affair In light which has enabled him |
to completely sweep away the functions |
of the civil law among US in time OF |
peace, and which has turned a city full |
Of property owners AID taxpayers over
to the tnde mereies Of outside passions
and desires, internal, partisan faction,
strangers, military leaders, non.residents |
and the swarm of ignorant negroes who |
have been used by these as faclle instru-
ments Of wrong and injustice.
We have no redress. We have, we |
fear, little or no recourse We submit |
the case to the dispasslonste congidera-
ton Of all persons In the North who love |
liberty and still cling to republican ideas
and a republican form of government. |
We ask them if this be not despotism, |
what is despotism2 If this be net mili-
tary diotstion, what is military dicta-
tom If this be not injustice to every |
notion Of personal and property inter
est, where will you find it on earth to-day |
We can conceive no innovation more ter |
rible than the annulling OF the charter of a |
corporation and the overthrow Of the only |
Instrument which renders the property |
Of the community secure. At this rate |
the Governor Of State, aided by Federal
troops, may take possession of every |
bank and every railroad within his reach, |
expel the stockholders, introduce mode |
OF suffrage which admits negroes only,
elect such persons to I'll the Offices as
he desires, dispose Of the effects and so
end the institution and the interests Of
those who own it At this rate there is
peace and stability nowhere. No city is
safe, no community is free. The laws
are nothing, the courts are nothing, cor.
porations are nothing, whilst the only
argument for the seizure Of property is
the pretended disloyalty Of the owners
aud the means Of doing so the troops Of
the Union under the stars and stripes
that conceal the iniquity and do not pro
terf the onnrpseed