Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-03-24
Two YEARS RADICAL LEGISLA-
L.r TION.

A regular correspondent from tins
city 70 the Cincinnati Gazette who abuses
the term Jastice" by signing i to his
letters, sums up the Union Legislation
of Tennessee Of the past two years. His
first item is that
The State has been rescued FROM The
financial ruin into which il was pi6nged by
Rebel legislation. s~a-s
In answer, it may be stated that the
State debt Of Tennessee isto-day heavier
than it ever was; that the taxation is
more burdensOme than at any time during
its history; that the Legislature Just ado
jOurned. has appropriated more money
from which there can be no useful re
turn than any that ever sat in the State;
that the eleemosynary institutions Of the
State are more poorly supported than
ever before that the State credit is more
fragile than il ever was; indeed, that if
full expenditures are made as provided
for by the Radical Legislature, the State
will be financially ruined
This correspondent has catalogue Of
brilliant legislative acts, hut we have
only space to NOTICE one more, and as a
comment upon this We append state
ment from card in the Memphis ira
iaache, He says that h8 s
Every yestige Of the terrible slave code,
which seemed firnser than Gibraltar in
1861, has been swept away, and three hun
dred thousand black people have been in
vested with sll the rights and privileges Of
| American citizens.
/ II any one thinks that the terrible
slave code is extinct in this State, let
him read the following card, and he win
discover that the Legislature has enacted
a system of controlling the colored
element in Tennessee, which more
than rivals the imaginary atrocities of
the pen and the "bIock." The me-
tropolitan police system of Shelby county
which the Radical Legislature substituted
for the County Court does up the negro
in style equal to the Memphis rioters.
The Col. beaumont here alluded to is the
chief of the metropolitan police, and an
appointee Of Gov Brownlow
MEMPHIS, March IS l8G7.-E Editors Ava
lanche GENTLEMEN: At the time signed
the card published over my name in the
Posi- of March 10Th, did not fully COM
/ prehend all its effects and bearings upon
myself and friends and the public | was
in error in regard 10 its full meaning and
purpose. While writing for publication
the facts az stated herein, last Saturday
morning, Rev. DR.. Bliss called upon me,
and upon learning what was writing,
he stated, "That is Just what ] called 10 see
YOU about il wont do; a telegram may 60
10 Nashville / replied that would
rather give up my appointment as Judge
tfOr which / have been recommended than
waive the publication of these facts. |
went 10 Colonel Beaumonfsof office with him,
at his request, and there the card above re-
ferred 20 was written by DIR. Bliss, in the
presence Of Beaumont, and signed by me.
| ] was not satisfied with the card, and so
expressed myself to Colonel Dumars, in
the Office of the Post, while the same was
being put in type. Wherefore | deem il
necessary and just that the following facts
should be given 10 the public
For months past, frequent complaints
have been made to the Freedmen's Bureau
in this city, of outrages committed upon
negroes in Memphis, by certain members
Of the metropolitan police.
| Negroes were arrested as Migrants, who
I 4 = l. r. a a.
men in the city, for one-half they could
make, and were locked up in the station
house, and fined, and hired Out TO planters
/ who paid their fines, and that sums were
paid by these planters much larger than
the amount Of these fines. There is not
shadow Of a doubt, for We have the proof
/ One negro was arrested while on his way
10 the coal yard, 10 purchase coal Tor his
own use, and protested against being ar
rested as a vagrant, or for obstructing the
sidewalk, and was told by the officer, who
had some thirty odd negroes under arrest
at the time, TO come along 10 the station
house and il would be all right, that he
would be released as soon as he got there,
but he was not released, and upon the fol-
lowing morning was 6ned six dollars and
the same day hired with Others TO planter,
and sent under police guard 10 the depot,
and placed on the cars. After working for
some three weeks for this planter, this ne
gro and one other desired TO come 10 the
city 10 see their families and get change
Of cluthing. The planter said they could
come 10 the city, and he and his son would
come with them. The four came 10 The
city, and IS soon as they arrived at the depot
/ the father took one negro and the son the
| other and went with them 30 their little
homes, and remaining there for a few
| hours, they took the negroes 10 the station
house, where they were received without
charges, and locked up and confined
/ until morning, when the planter appeared
| with pair Of handcufls, and the negroes
were brought out AID handcuhed to.
| gether, and again taken 10 the depot, and
taken ont into the couRtry in this con-
| dition-the police officer at the station
house offering TO send guard with them
10 the depot, but the planter refused this,
saying that he did not need any While
on the cars, on their way TO the country,
they saw an old friend, i've believe their
| old master,) who inquired Of them why
| they we're in such condition, when they
| gave him history Of all the facts in the
l nltAtilCt ~ Attt ktuAiEAleu htto hdu thtul
| in charge, saving to the latter, that, eve
will be worth nothing TO you in this con-
/ dition, and, a. soan az we are released, we
| will run away" Whereupon they pro-
posed TO their friend TO pay their zines, and
they would go with him and work out the
same He agreed TO this, and the planter,
saying that he had a low bargain accepted
whereupon their friend paid the planter
fifteen dollars for one and seventeen dollars
/ for the other, this being the amount, he
said, which he bad TO pay for them. The
records in the station house show against
the names OF these fined men, one lined
| S6-paid = and the other, fined So So
| paid These men worked out the amounts
I paid by their friend, 10 his full satisfac.
| tion. and then returned 10 the city and i'm
mediaiely reported these facts 70 the b.
reau, the commanding officer Of which re-
/ ported the same, with other outrages, TO
General Hosard and 'hereupon he issued
an order, bearing date March. 1864, Of
which the following IS an extract:
"Outrages perpetrated on Robert Jack
son, colored, and other colored men by the
police OF Memphis.
90 Nou will Immediately proceed 10 nm