Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-09-23
THE KNOXVILLE WING
Knoxville, Tenn, September %, 1888
THE TENNESSEE TROUBLES.

~ lis Eosellcsey, Andrao Jo',asoa President Of
alc United States.
We have been appointed a committee by The Leg
stature of Tennessee 10 wait upon you and "place
fully before you the present condition Of affairs in
that State, and urge upon you 10 take steps 10 give
protection 10 the lawabiding citizens Of the State
under the provisions of the Constitution Of the
United States We now address you in the discharge
Of The duty imposed upon us by the action Of the
Legislature OF that State.
The first thing required 20 be done BY us is TO
place before yea fully the present condition of af-
fairs in Tennessee.
To do this, Mr. President, would take more time
and space than consistent with a written com
municatiOn prepared as this necessarily has been
We can only touch upon the more prominent affairs
Of our State.
First Mr. President you are aware that The Legis-
laiure Of Tennessee has been called together in ex
ira session and has not yet adjourned. The main
object in calling it together by the Governor as in
dicated In his message was that It might pass laws
calling out troops for the protection Of the people
against the secret organization known as The Ku
klux KlHn-lAws which were deemed necessary BY
his EXcellency 10 suppress such illegal associations
That necessity exists for military protection in
some portions Of that State the Legislature and
mittee fully concur.
That there is such an organization AZ the Ku
klux Khan" is now beyond question OF peradven-
ture. In recent publication made by authority,
or with the assent Of general officer Of the So
called Confederate States IL is stated that there
forty thousand members Of this association in Ten
nesseo.
As 10 the objects and purposes Of the organization,
they only be known by their acts and sayings,
while IN their masks ard gbostly uniforms-
Whilst thus engaged, they take out citizens and
KIN tEom-some by hanging, some by shooting and
some by the slower and moro bsrbarous plan Of whip
ping, whilst others are whipped, not until death,
hat severely and disgmcefully. In some parts Of
The State they travelling at night, often as
twice week, and visiting The houses Of Union men
and federal soldiers eome Of whom they kill,
others they whip and order from the country on
pain Of being killed if they do not leave while 9TH
ordered away under promise Of violence if
they remain after thus being ordered 10 depart This
is carried by greater less numbers, according
rs The objects 20 be effected on the particular night
Of greater or less magnitude. They rarely ap-
pear in their masks and uniforms in daylight II
BE- In the night when they mostly travel and perpe
trate their acts Of violence and bloodshed. The
most peaceabe, orderly, quiet and we may say even
the most exemplary members Of The church are not
exempt from their midnight waits ard sre objects OF
their personal violence Instances are known where
the most orderly and pious mon Of neighbor-
hood have been walked from their slumbers and
beaten by them for other reason than their po-
litical sentiments. Murders are common, psrticu-
larly among the oolored people, against whom the
Khan seem 10 have peculiar sud mortal hatred
Many oolorod people have been whipped some Of
them badly and some until they have died from its
effects and many Of them have been murdered for
no other reason or offence than their political opn-
ions and sentiments Many eolored people who
had hired for the year engaged TO work for por
ton Of the crop, have been compelled 20 leave their
homes for their personal safety and 1y for their
lives, leaving their employers or their crops and
unless something is done for their relief they cannot
20 home, and will, Of course, lose their earnings,
with starvation in the gloomy future for themselves
and families
In heclass Of cases shown above there no excuse
or palliation for the wrongs perpetrated upon the
citizens but there is another class Of cases whore the
Khan take the case into their own hands, where, al
though there is no justification, there circum-
stances of alleged pallistion. These are when
murder has been committed under circumstances of
sggravaton, In the Of young Bicknel, IN the
county Of Maury. He was fouly murdered The
guilty agent arrested by the civil authorities,
lodged in Jail and afterwards by the ku klux taken
out and hung There seems 10 have been no doubt
as 10 bis guilt but this no justification to those
who hung him without trial. There are some other
cases where they have hung men for alleged
crimes. These cases are mentioned for the reason
that we sent here TO place before your Excel
lency the present condition of affairs in our State.
These parties should be tried and punished accord
ing 20 the law Il is true IN some Of these cases Il
is said and the fact may be, the guilt OF the party
is beyond question or doubt. Assume this to be SO,
as we ccncede il 20 be in some cases where they have
hung the offenders, it is the nero certain they will
be convicted and punished If tried These cases OF
punishment for crimes are referred to by the friends
Of the order 20 justify its existence conduct when
they are asssiled in newspapers otherwise.
We win further add that most II not all the per-
sons engaged in these violations OF law and who be-
long 10 the Khan, far as known, were enemies to
The government during the late civil war; but we
are able % state-and do 50 with pleasure-that
many Of the Confederate soldiers and officers, who
fought CALAMITY during the war, disapproye of and
lence
We have thus far spoken OF the acts Of this
gauzation Their object they sag, Is 10 overthrow
the State Government Of the State OF tennessee,
and many Of them declare they now willing
70 fcht the Government Of the United States they
we're az the commencement Of the rebellion. The
more discreet ones Of them, however, do not say
government in this connection, but say 1.-THE Yam
KEGS
Many OF them declare that the State Gov
eminent Of Tennessee is illegal and they have le-
gslly right 10 resist and even 20 overturn IT, This
Is not confined 10 the masses but ends advocates in
distinguished men high in the estimation OF those
forming the late so-called Confederate State Gov
erument Resistance 20 tho government of Tennos-
see and the laws passed by her Legislature since the
war is in The opinion of the committee, as criminal
81 10 attempt % overthrow resist the government
and laws OF the State OF New York, or any other
State OF the Union
But, il may be said, The courts can punish
these offenders and therefore no military force
is necessary To this we reply that il is fact
no one IN any Of the counties in Tennessee, as far
as we have been able 10 ascertain, has ever been
tried or punished for any Of The offences class Of
offences mentioned above, and SO long public
opinion remsins as e is none viii be- especially in
those counties where the order is numerous. No
person dare prosecute foT If be should his life would
be endangered thereby. People are apprehensivei
should they prosecute that they would be murdered
by The Khan. Indeed they tell the people upon
whom they nhict violence, that II they should know
any Of them and disclose il, they viii be killed
Win this state OF alarm and apprehension, no one
VIII prosecute Hence She civil authorities are pow
cries.
Again should any one have the courage and
Aluness 10 appear before the grand uries there Is
10 assurance that an Indictment would be found. But
Ie" Of l3e grand urios il is spprehondea, have none
% tne Man on them, enough, =: least, are gen
eiAliy mere TO defeat an Indictment As they 60
masks ~ is not known who is or who is not ia the
0fae aea hence hey may get on ures and defeat the
laws Ahe committee viii in this connection stale |
AZ fact that when The prescat Iogisl2tura met in
s;s.a ,ip October last tbe5 ,vero disnoses
to - s1el..sd repealed the miisre Tsvs hood
by nss s5s1 mediate predecessor, in the hone and
expectation that the promises made by those vVbo
were opposed 10 them politically that soldiers were
unnecessary. would be fulfilled. This they rsgret
10 say they were disappointed, for no sooner was
the law repealed and tho soldiers discharged than
sprfrer az, Ia Tonnosroo and