Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-04-03
GIBSON COUNTY.
All Quiet on the FOrked Deer-Useless-
ness of the State GsTEard-The People
will Sustain the Laws.

| will sustain the LAWS.
Correspondence Of the Union and Dispatch.
FoRKED DEER BOTTOM, West Tenn,
March %, 1s67.--It is now the third year
of our reconstruction, and we poor Rebs.,
who have been as mute as MICE suffering
things to take their own course in the Radi-
cal world, are still considered as unfit to
be taken into full fellowship with the
"loyalp Try as hard as We may to be
loyal and true 10 the government, we are
looked upon as insincere and disloyal, IN
worthy TO be trusted with the rights Of
citizenship, and such terror to the "un-
conditional that a estate guard" is
necessary to keep US ian subjection. Ifone-
half that is published about the Rebels
were true life indeed would be insecure, and
the law itself would be p0werless. 1t would
seem that marauding banos of Rebels were
securing the country seeking whom they
may destroy. driving Union men" from
their homes and taking forcible possession
of their effects But what are the facts
| 1t is seldom an armed man is seen, even in
the very locality where so many "diaboli-
cal murders are reported TO have occurred.
| Occasionally one Of the "uncOnditional,"
with his belt and knGpey-six buckled on, ven
lures out TO the county seat or some cross
road grocery, takes drink or so, and feels
| prodigiously large, until he gets sight of a
"gray court" Ia rara dUis in these parts,
| though some of the "boys" still wear it be-
cause they have no other,) when poor
"Uny" suddenly takes a buck Ggue, and,
/ true TO the instincts he acquired during the
war. skedaddles to his quarters where he
concocts a terrible yarn about Rebel out
RACES, loyal men not safe, etc, and implores
the Governor to hurry up his militia, and
for Gods sake send strong force down to
protect them.
notice in your paper that you desire
correspondence from different parts of the
State, and the foregoing remarks are made as
prelude TO show how the militia or State
guard bill is looked upon among the people.
| Ii is universally condemned by the Union
men themselves, with the exception fsuch
"skeery" specimens as ] have depicted,
who look upon it as golden opportunity"
for thieves 10 help themselves 10 their neigh
bor's pluuder. With such characters il is
popular, and among such will be found the
principal aspirants for military honors.
As for that class of the community, whom
il is intended 10 keep in slGbjectiOH they are
Indifferent about IT, as they foresee the ex-
cesses committed by an armed soldiery and
the extravaganza in maintaining them,
will prove the ultimate destruction of the
party that favored such useless measure.
What is TO be accomplished by it2 The
dnliest intellect cannot fail TO comprehend
that its object is political one, TO control
the elections next August and compel
"Union men" flor none Others have certifi-
cates) to vote for the Radical ticket.
1t was such q sentiment as this that
prompted the loyal citizens" of the
county (Gibson) to hold a meeting last
Monday (Circuit Court at Trenton, at
which It was resolved that they would
pledge themselves to see the laws enforced
the laws were never more strictly OBJ
served than noW-and that the Governor
be assured that it would be needless to |
quarter any troops among us. These reso- |
lutions were warmly advocated by some of |
our strongest Union men, and the militia |
bill was as earnestly opposed as an arbitra-
nv and useless measure. There is not 4
man in this county who feels that his life is
endangered on account of his former predi- |
lections for the Union, unless | except the
insignificant and cowardly wretches whom
have described above as feeling so squeanl-
ish at the sight of gray coat. Union men
and Rebels, Il use the term by way ef dis
tinction,) meet in friendly spirit, transact
their business in a quiet and orderly man
ner, and scarcely werd is ever breathed by
either 10 show there isany difference of senti-
ment between them. If politics is ever
mentioned, there is less Of party rancor
manifested than formerly existed between
Democrats and Wings, or Sagnichts and |
Know-Nothings Even during the war, / |
will venture the assertion, the county Of |
Gibson was more exempt from the petty |
feuds and dissensions which so commonly |
destroyed the peace and quiet of neigh |
borhoods, than any county in the State. |
Nor were we all of one sentiment. |
Here were as strenuos and devoted Union /
men as any in the State, and on the other |
side, By far the larger class, however, as
staunch and Jealous Rebels as any in |
Dixie. BY intuition we seemed 10 respect |
each others opinions, and then as now, We |
could meet and converse, without the she'd |
ding Of blood. Aud vet some were con-
strained to leave their homes as refugees to
the North, 70 evade conscription, but they
did not censure their neighbors, but the
military authorities, for this hardship. |
If then we moved along so harmOniously |
during the war, and are still disposed /
70 pursue the quiet and even tenor of our
way, what necessity is there for State
guard" TO compel us TO live in Il more neigh
borly manner towards each other? This is
what puzzles our Union" friends, who feel
conscious that they could vote straight
out Radical ticket without the necessity Of
having a company of colOred soldiers to
watch them and see that they don't vote
differently. An Independent citizen would
prefer aOf to vote at all, than to be under
the surveillance of body guard, TO compel /
him to exercise what possibly may have
already been his choice. He feels that his
condition is that Of a serf compelled to obey
the behests of a MASTER and that the cere7
mony Of voting is a mere form prescribed
TO him. which he must exercise in 4 par
ticular manner or not at all. Ii il not a
voluntary action on his part. In the
first place he is granted a certificate, on the
conditional supposition that he votes
particular ticket, and in the second place,
State guard is appointed over him TO see
that he docs not violate the condition A
freeman would inquire if this was the lib
eTty he fought to secure-if this was the
precious boon for which he endured perse-
cufi0u And vet this is the eleCtivs fran
chise so-called" This is the latter
dav 4" solution of our Republicansystem, re-
nodded, revised and corrected. Our
plain old farmers can't comprehend it, and
what they cannot comprehend they usually
condemn. Ii a measure Is so Odious and
destructive to the liberties of the country;
If the perpetnity Of our institutions are en-
and If the Union itself is im-
periled. they feel that they are competent
to decide upon il without restraint or die
tation. Formerly, they say, all public
which affected the government
were subject TO the light Of reason, and If
Radioalisln is right and its reverse so odious,
the por popuii, could soon decide 1t. Bot
cause upheld by injustice and backed by
military authority, staggers our former
pious dread Of a standing army in time of
peace" which we were taught was 50 dan-
gerons to the liberties Of the people,
DO not fear then. a perpetuatiOn OF Had
lcal rule in our State. The very means
they have adopted 10 secure themselves in
power viii prove their destruction. For
one, do not object to the organizing Of a |
State guard, and dissent from the objects Of
che public meeting held in Trenton few
DAYS since, Our Union" friends do not
fancy the idea of having soldiers TO watch |
over them, but / think they should. So |
you can whisper 10 the Governor for me.
II he values his reelection, 10 nav no affair." |