Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-06-16


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'Do YOU think. Governor" + asked "they
will make much of fight the coming
"Yes,' said he, aby far tbs most desper-
ate they have yet made. They were Begin
ming 70 settle down in quiet and peace, and
/ was led 10 hope that the most of them
might yet become good and useful citizens
But Andy JOhuson's recent triumph over
the loyal sentiment of the country has in
spired them with hopes of political supre
macy, and reused them TO new and I'M
wholesome activity. They are now seri-
ously contemplating movement for the
overthrow of the State government. We
have many troubles ahead, and much Of
work is to be done over again"
| i have, in former letter. declared my
belief that the Tennessee Democratic State
| Convention, Which assemblies at Nashville
next Tuesday, will not inaugSirate the
long threatened movement for destroying
the loyal and legal government of this
State. The Governor, however, was in
clined to think differently.
'They may falter," said he, when the
day (Tuesday} arrives but at present they
Intend TO call a State Convention for
framing a new Constitution"
"And suppose they do,p said ], what
course do you propose to takeW
| The indomitable soul of the old patriot
illumined his countenance; his eye flashed
forth the same defiance as when incarcera-
ted in Rebel Jail, and expecting each day
to be dragged out and hung; his-hand
shaken with palsy became steady for a mo-
ment, as he lifted it and replied; 81 will
summon the Legislature in extra session
before the day appointed for their pre-
tended Constitutional Convention to meet
| will call ont the loyal MALTA, and we
will see who would hold possession of the
CapitolP
There was pause, and the Governor re-
sumed "They have organized their des-
perate and deluded followers into Ku-Klux
Klans in various parts of the State. They
have armed and equipped them for fight.
| shall deal as tenderly as possible with
these but if the bad men who are leading
them begin conflict, there will be fewer OF
them after it is over p t
| Ever since Brownlow got fairly seated
in the Gubernatorial chair he has AourS
ished this raw-head and bloody bones of
a Rebel convention to overthrow the
State government, with which to brighten
his subjects into submission to his acts of
usurpatiOn and tyranny; and still the
State government goes on after the
fashion this autOcrat wills it, and not
even a primary meeting looking to the
proposed convention has been held. The
Democratic State Convention has come
and gone, and not the first word looking
to a revolutionary movement was uttered
in that body. Every movement. on the
part Of the Democracy puts to shame
these assertions of Brownlow, yet he re-
peats the stale charge on every occasion.
His display, therefore, as to what he
would do is the sheerest bravado. But
the Ku-Klux seem to rise up like night
mare before the Governors distempered
vision, and in his incoherent rawlings he
fances they are armed and equipped for
a fight" A troubled conscience brings
up these terrible KurKluk in dread
array before him. His followers are not
all troubled on this score as is the valiant
Governor. The MeNinnyille Enterprise,
a Radical paper in high favor with the
Governor, treats the Ku-KIux sensations
that are set aaoat by the Radical papers
in this State as fOllows;s .l A,s
ave regret TO witness the course of some
of our cOtemporarie5 of the Republican
press of this State in giving wings and cur
rency TO these sensation stories, as many of
them prove TO be, aud which are seized
4 upon by papers in the North and made to
result to our injury, in keeping immigra-
ton from coming in, as is the case. We
have for some time regarded the Ku-Klux
sensation more in the light Of myth than
otherwise in this State, with the exception
of few counties, where some depredations
have been committed or threatened. 1t
was gotten up without doubt more for the
purpose of frightening the freedmen than
otherwise. Some accounts have been pub
lished of the operations of the Ku-Klux in
this and adjoining counties, which, like the
one in Bedford county, are known to be
buncombe. And we Judge others to be, at
least in a measure, of the same stuff"