Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-11-22

of June disturbances we're renewed il
Middle aud West Tennessee, to such al
extent that his Excellency Gov. Brown
low made an application for troops to b.
stationed in a number of counties in tht
State. But it was for 80 large force, and
so many of the troops being on duty assist
ing. the United States Revenue officer il
the collection of internal revenue, | waI
unable to comply with his request. Al
the same time, General Carlin, Assistant
Commissioner Bureau of Refugees, Freed,
men and Abandoned Lands for Tennessee
made a special report of affairs in Middle
Tennessee, reciting a number of recent out.
TRACES, and expressing the opinion that il
something was not done to suppress the
Ku-Klux Khan, war of races must ensue,
"a the negroes were driven almost to des-
peration by their continual prosecution,
A copy of this report was sent to the Cen
'eral'ln-Chief for his information, with the
statement that agreed with Gen. Carlin,
but believed that the Governor of the
State had fall power under the laws of
Tennessee 10 establish and support force
to preserve order in the State, and SO in
formed him on his application for troops
which L could not supply. Soon after this
the Governor called by proclamation a
| special session of the Legislature, and in
his message to that body recited the cor
respondence on the subject of furnishing
troops referred to.
Ga the 10 h of August received from
Col. w. F. Prosser, chairman Of the House
Committee of Military Affairs, of the
State of Tennessee, the following commu-
nication:
"SIR; 1 have the honor, very respect
fully, to inclose a resolution of the House
Of Representatives of the General Assem-
bly, of the State Of Tennessee, on the Sub
iect of calling on the United States author.
tiles to furnish as the emergency may de-
mand, TO the State of Tennessee, a military
force to aid the Governor to preserve the
peace etc. l am instructed by the MILF
tary Committee of the House to forward
to you copy of the above named resolu
ton, and to ask you what aid or assistance
may be expected from the general govern
ment, should a. case be made by the State
Of Tennessee. An early reply is solicited"
The resolution referred to was as fol
lows;
Resolved, That the Committee on Mil
itary Affairs take into consideration the
subject of calling on the United States
authorities to furnish, as the emergency
may demand, to the State of Tennessee, a
military force to aid the Governor to pre-
serve the peace aud afford protection to
the persons and property of our citizens,
and that they report the result of their de-
liberations."
These papers were forwarded to the AID
jutant General of the Army on the 11th of
August, with the following Endorsement:
Respectfully referred for instructions
concerning this important question, which
l wish to receive before replying thereto.
l have heretofore, upon request of the
civil authorities, both State and national,
furnished military aid, so far as the force
at my disposal would permit, in execution
of the laws By guarding and protecting
from resistance and violence those author
tiles when ia the execution of their re-
spective offices. Shall this be continued,
or shall such aid be rendered only In ac-
cordance with the provisions Of the Con-
stitution of the United States? or what
policy is it desired to adopt in Tennessee
in this matterW
In reply to the foregoing l received the
letter of instructions Of August %, COW
ering letter of instructions to Breyet
Major General Buchanan, commanding
Department of Louisiana, and copy of
letter of instructions from the Attorney
General OF the United States to Alexander
Magruder, Esq, United States Marshal,
Northern District of Florida, for my guild
ance, copies of which were furnished to
the Chairman of the House Committee on
Military Affairs of the Tennessee Legis-
lsture.
On the 18th Of September, received
the letter of instructions from the Secre-
tary of War of September IL, covering a
COPY of the publication of the Committee
of the Legislature of Tennessee to the
President of the United States, for the use
of United States troops in preserving or
der in the State the instructions directing
the troops to be furnished. To enable me
10 report the number Of troops required to
sustain the State authorities as directed, |
applied to Gov. Brownlow for information
as to the locality of the same. He replied
ia full to my inquiries, upon the receipt of
which, on the 23d Of September, l replied
to the Secretary of War, reporting that, in
addition TO the force then in the depart,
ment, one regiment of infantry would be
required. On the 28th of September l
was informed by telegram from B.evet
Major General Candy, commanding De
partuent of Washington, that seven COM
panies of the Twenty-ninth Infantry had
been ordered to proceed to Tennessee with
out delay. < With this, it is hoped
the preparations for sustaining the civil su-
thorities will be sufficient for the purpose,
and it is believed that the knowledge that
the United States is determined to sustain
the civil authorities will prevent attempts
to override them.
An explanation of, or excuse for, the
formation of the Ku-Klux organization,
| made By its defenders, was that it was the
natural result of the existence Of the
Loyal League" secret organizations of
Union men. 1t is reasonable to suppose
this may be correct, but in justice TO the
latter, however impolitic or unwise their
acts may be, there has been reported to me
no one instance of outrage or unlawful act
| having been committed by them. Well
authenticated information leads me to be-
lieve that the Ku-Klux Khan was prima-
rily but species Of organization without
! settled plans, but the peculiar condition of
| Tennessee-the inability, unwilliugness and
apathy Of the local authoritie5-cOmbined
| to demonstrate that if organized thorough
" upon semi-military basis, the society
could maintain ITSELF extend its power, and
perform whatever it sought to do without
| let or hindranCe-its great purpose being
| to establish nucleus, around which The
| adhererts of the late rebellion, active or
passive, might safely rally, thus establish
| ing grand political society, the future OPP
| erations Of which would be governed by
circumstances fast developing in the then
peculiar era of exciting public events, II
| is a matter Of history now, acknowledged
By It's leaders and the public press, that the
! society did extend itself throughout tbs
! South, and its operations in the unrecOn'
| structed States were of such nature as tC
require the direct interference of the United
States authorities TO suppress them. ! have
| deemed it TO be my duty 10 watch closely
these organized oppositions to the govern
ment. not from fear of their success, but &c
| enable the government to Counteract them
| These disorganizers have so little founda.
ton for their plane, and are so blinded BY
their prsjudices, that, if given opportunity
enough, they expose their schemes "a well
az forewarn the officers Of the government
Much anxiety existed in Tennessee
previous to the county elections, held in
March of the present year. The State and
city elections of 1867 were accompanied
with so much excitement and threatened
disturbance, as to cause the general gov
ernmentto order the concentration Of troops
at Nashville and Memphis to preserve the
peace. 1t was feared by many of the local
authorities that the like Hecessity would
I ID 7 mn, frT,rr,,J -