Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-06-07
Largest Circulation in City and State.
A SAMPLE RADICAL.

Times, and an extract from the Huntsville
Advocate, have drawn forth the sabioined
communications from two Of the citizens
Of Athens, who are vouched to us as honest
and reliable:
ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF D. II. BIEG-
ATHENS, ALABAMA, May 28.-Editor Press and
Times: Last evening about g O'Clock, Hon. D.
II. Bingham, who returned TO his home ia this
place about a month SINCE from which he was
driven in the fall Of S62for his opposition to the
rebellion, was called out of his room by Jason
Tanner, under the pTetenEe of wishing 70 see
him. Tanner, the more completely TO lull sus-
picion. sent his message by young lady Of the
hotel, and as Bingham stepped upon the por-
tice inquiring of Tanner what he wanted. he
was seized by Tanner and three other rutiians,
who picked him up and carried him into the
street, using violence by keeping their hands
over his mouth to smother his cries for help.
Here a struggle ensued, and by kicking and
knocking, Bingham released himself from their
grasp and rose to his feet. He was seized second
time and thrown to the ground, but with no other
injury than that done his clothing. 1t was the
evident purpose of the rufhans to abduct him,
but their design was thwarted. Bingham has
been very efficient in his endeavors to prepare
the minds Of the people TO accept the terms of
Congress in the organization Of civil govern
people had been informed of their enfranchise-
ment or instructed in their political rights or
privileges. His teachings have irallied around
HIM the whole loyal element, white and black.
and hence this violence towards him to prevent
free speech and the dissemination of political in
telligenee among the voting masses.
few more demonstrations like the recent at
tack upon Judge Kelly, at Mobile. and that up
on Captain Bingham last night, will determine
Congress to pass the COnfisicatiOn bill ana or
ganise the colored men into militia force to
protect and keep order in the country. both of
which will have TO be done before there gill hn
any security in the Rebel States
MOB VIOLENoE.-0n Monday night last, in
Athens, Ala, Capt. ID. II. Bingham was entieed
out Of his house by a parcel of men. seized and
blacked, besides being roughly treated. The
Tuesday, arrested three young men-G W
Tanner, j. e. Russell and W. r. McWilliams-
and they are now in the barracks here under
guard. The outrage will be Investigated by the
military authorities, we suppose. We trust
the guilty parties may be ferreted out and Sc
verely punished. Law. order. freedom of
speech and political action, and the right of all
citizens TO the enjoyment of the same, must be
observed in this country. All good citizens must
frown down any sort of mob violence, or anarchy
Iill be the nle, and then obliteration. Capt.
Bingham is decided Union Republican and
this was his Otfense in the eyes of some evil
minded ones, and hence this indignity.-HuRts-
UiLe AdOOcdte.
ATHENS, June 4, 1867. Editors Union
and Dispatch: | have seen a communion
tion in the Press and Times in which some
one, without regard to truth or Justice.
gives an account of what he terms an at
tempt to assassinate the Hon. d. III. Bing-
ham. While l propose TO set the public
right about this affair, | will give some
facts about this old scoundrel, who has as
sumed the title of Honorable. | have
known him for many years, and l assure
you l have never known any good of him.
The nearest he ever came 10 attaining to
honorable, was many years ago, when he
was candidate for the Alabama Legisla-
ture, and of some twelve hundred votes
polled, he received one hundred and eigh-
teen. About that time, for mercenary mo-
tives, he sought TO ruin the character or
take the life of a respectable gentleman of
Madison county, whom he accused of and
prosecuted for the crime of murder For
this he received what he deserved, public
Gaming in the streets Of Huntsville. From
that time to the present, he has been prac-
ticing upon the people here every species
of vlllainy his wicked brain could devise.
He deserves no credit for being Union
man, for We all know he was one from
accident. He was anything in opposition
to the people.
That he was driven from here is 1862 is
false, and the correspondent of the Press
and Times, Whom [ strongly suspect to be
Bingham himself) kneO Il when he wrote
it. On the contrary, he thought it was
good way to pay his debts and make some
thing, as he left with several thousand
dollars worth of government claims, the
property Of others, for which he has neper
accounted.
That since his return "he has been
efficient in preparing the minds of the peo-
pie in accepting the terms of Congress in
the organization of civil government" is
also false, and that his teachings" have
rallied around him the whole loyal ele-
ment, is the worse lie Of ALL Many of us
are loyal, and have dliDdys been so, but we
refuse to subscribe to the teachings" of
Bingham.
Before he returned here, we were'getting
on as well as any people in the South. We
had already held county meetings, in which
we expressed our willingness and anxiety
for reconstruction under the existing laws
of Congress. We had told the colored peo-
pie they were entitled to vote under the
laws. We had made fair and satisfactory
contracts with them for the cultivation Of
our lands, and those contracts were being
complied with promptly by both parties
We had convinced the colored man that
as we all lived here together, and must
die here, we must live friendly and in
confidence; mutually promoting the well
fare and happiness of each other.
When Bingham, who has neither the
courage of man or the instincts of gem
tleman" returned here, he commenced a
series of meetings, throughout the county,
inviting the negroes attendance, they leave
the crops, which, as you know, need most
attention now, and 60 to hear his ''teach-
ings," which are something like this; "My
colored friends, | have come here to tell
you that you are az good as any white man,
and that you need not pay your taxes TO
these Rebels; you need not hesitate to at
tend our meetings, for when Congress meets
again, ioc intend 10 give you forty acres Of
your old masters land, and one hundred
dollars of his money you help to make"
understood he told a white man if he would
join the Loyal League, he should not pay
certain debt These are, Messrs. Editors,
his teachings. This is the free speech that
correspondent speaks of
Bingham, in his profession of friendship
for the negroes, certainly forgeis the worse
horse-whipping negro ever got in this
county, was given by him in person to one
Tom Weaiherford, (who, poor fellow, died
soon afterWards-I wish he was here now,
who happened 10 have in his possession a
quarter Of dollar resembling one Bing.
ham said was stolen from him. He forgeis
he also wanted to whip Gus. Malone, a
colored man, because he had a silver quar-
ter but Gus master, considering the i'm
probable statement, 4. C., that Bingham had
q Quarter 70 steal, and Gus character for We
racity being better than Bingham's, re-
fused to allow him whipped, He forgets
the thrashing be made the Town Marshal
give Cox, during his masters absence.
Perhaps he forgets all these, but the ne
groes do not.
Since his return he has been crowding
the postofice with his letters and docu-
ments, using the frank Of g Congressman.
Does he have the right? Is that not
swindling the government he processes TO
love SO much?
So much for his antecedents and his
present teachings" Now TO the assss-
slnaaon.' No such attempt was made.
IL was nothing more nor less than black
lng, put on by some boys. Upon Bing-
hams affidavit, the military arrested three