Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-09-07
ABOUT OUTRAGEs IN MIDDLE AND
WEST TENNEGSFE

The PreSs ana Times, with a demure,
almost sanity air. informs US that it does
mot think that any excuse is necessary
for the publication of official intelligence
of outrages, or Of any other authentic
news" and that "Gen. Cooper did his
duty, as he is under oath to do it, in act
ing upon information furnished his de-
partment' The points we make against
the Press and Times and its scape>goat,
Gen. Cooper, are that the former pub
fishes every malignant report sent to Gen.
Cooper's Office imputing bad conduct to
that portion of the people it terms dis
loyal" which embraces all who are not
Radicals though these reports were
solemn truths, and never makes cor
rection when they are shown to
be the invention of some fellow who
desires to wreak little petty vengeance
upon men better than himself 1t is true
the Press and Times published letter
from the Mayor of Franklin, exposing the
misrepresentation of the citizens Of that
town and vicinity, but the comment upon
this letter shows the i'll grace with which
this favor was granted. There has not the
first voluntary correction Of the un>
founded reports, it matters not where
obtained, published in the Press and
Times, been made by that paper.
General Cooper greedily accepted
the information furnished his de-
partment" as true, and hastily issued
prOnunciamento, after the true Mexican
style, denouncing all who had not EN-
braced the faith of his master as dis
loyal, as encouraging outlaws, as having
used violence to drive loyal and law
abiding citizens from their homes" and
threatening them with his loyal mill
tia, a threat he seemed to feel carried
no little terror with it, Developments
since made establish very conclusively
that Gen. Cooper acted upon the . infor-
nation furnished his department y with
out investigating its tTuthfulness. Had
he taken the trouble to do this, he would
have discovered the fraud that has been
practiced upon him by bad men. The
terrible stories that came up to his de-
partment from Madison county of the
hanging of a negro, and which so grace.
fully illustrated the columns of the
Press and Times, have been investigated
by the civil authorities of that county,
in the presence of the military, as stated
by the Jackson Whig, and shown to be
utterly groundless, yet Gen. Cooper has
not withdrawn his denunciation of the
people of that county termed by him
" disloyal," nor has any mention of this
exposure Of the disgraceful imposition
upon his departments been made by
the Press and Times Various reports
from other portions of Middle
and West Tennessee, derogatory to the
good name and standing of communities
of some of the truest and best
men in the State, which the Press and
Times processes to have obtained at
q Gen. Cooper's office" have been de,
nounced by men of unimpeachable
veracity as utterly without foundation,
yet Gen. Cooper seems to regard it as no
part of his duty to institute an investiga-
ton as to the truth of these reported out
RACES, an investigation that would cover
his volunteer spies all over with infamy.
We dot complain that Gen Cooper acts
u upon information furnished his departs
nent" 1t is with the very partial and
preiudiced manner in which he acts. If
be could rise above the petty partisan, in
The discharge Of his extra Judicial du-
lies, so far only as to do justice to those
he classes disloyal," he would make
himself respected by those who despise
alike his politics and his infoTmers.
The character of another instalment of |
he information furnished his depart
nent,' and which fittingly graced the |
columns Of the Press and Times, has
Deen branded as of apiece with that here
ofore exposed, mean and malicious. The
Press and Times of the 4th inst says
We learn officially that gang of ruff
ans living in Pulaski and vicinity, have,
Or several days, been in the habit of going
ut to the camp of the State Guards near
lwn, under command of Lieut.. Mankin,
nd firing their guns. On last Thursday
vening they armed themselves with shot
uns, and after firing in column on the
OWN square, marched out front of the
amp, formed line and began to fire vol
sys towards the camp. On being asked
hat was their design, the rufians replied
lat they intended to 'shoot into the camp,
r over it, as much as they id please;
ley had faced Yankee music before, and
ould do it again" If the bushwhackers
speat their insolence, they will richly de-
srve lesson which will teach them better
tanners. They are only watching chance
commit an assassination after the APP
roved guerrilla fashion of '62. For the
formation of our ignorant Conservative
we viii say that the fore
Ding information was obtained by us from
en-. Cooper's office.
The Pulaski Citizen of the 9th inst
ives the following version of this affair
Now, We will give a plain, truthful,
atement of this affair, and will endeavor
, keep cool and use no harsh language,
IMPLY remarRing that the author Of this
fetal statement has told several barefaced
es in imparting this information to Gen.
copper. Every honest man in the COM
unity will verify what we say. OF course
e expect no Radical to do SO. The young
len of this town have, ever since we have
cen acquainted with the place, been
D the habit of going over the creek
1 the neighborhood of where the
lilitia camps were almost every even
~ at this season Of the year, TO shoot
ull-bats. A small squad of them went out
a the evening referred TO as usual. They
idn't FIRE a single shot on the square, nor
! Incorporation. Rotsgun was discharged
ntil they had reached the hunting grounds.
hey did not form in line and fire volleys
IL 1. I