Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-12-02
TENNESSEE.
Gen. ThOmas' Report Of Affairs in the
Department OF the Cumberland.

DcpdFtfutHt vi tHG OunDtTlduus
Gen. George II. Thomas report to Gen. Grant
regarding affairs in the Department Of the Cumber
land opens with the disposition of tte troops, and
an account Of the assistance rendered Gov. Bore
man, of West Virginia, in preventing trouble al
Phillippi.
La,olessncss.
The duties of the troops are much the same as
last year, and tho necessity for them the same
The state Of society," regarding observance OF
law, and the insecurity Of life, has not at all inn
proved, and in some sections is much worse; good
crops and increased prosperity to have caused
more active exhibition of spirit Of lawlessness
KukIlr Operations.
The report contains very exhaustive history of
the operations Of the Kuklux, from their first sp-
pearance in Giles county, Tenn. II details drst,
statements sent to Washington and allowed TO be
published, as is there known by the President.
Northern CopperheGdS.
The General is quite severe upon those Northern
men in Nashville who joined the rebels in denying
the existence of the Khan. He styles them as few
in Nashville under the protection of well organic
ed police force
Movements Of Troops.
The various acts of the forces in helping Cover
nor Brewnlow to preserve the peace are given in a
very interesting form and details these movements
and their esuses and helps to complete the history
Of the Kuklux.
Resistance 10 ReUeHue Officers.
The difficulties arising from resistance TO revenue
officers have given considerable employment TO the
troops
Condition Of UjgioniSts- -IssH6fcie,sey Of Troops
Great difficulty exists throughout the department
in obtaining justice for Unionists. Troops in the
department have constantly been less than was
needed to preserve the peace. t.
Obligations Of Paroles.
In one case the General ordered ahe arrest of an
ex-rebeI soldier for violating his parole by assault
ing Union man, and ordered his trial by mill
tary commission. The case was referred to the At
torney General Of the United States, who hsld that
the prisoner had violated no military law. After
that the report continues: No further attempt was
made TO afford protection to Union citizens by en-.
forcing tho obligations of paroles and the latter
seems of little value except to the paroled.
Railroad Arrearges.
The General is very severe upon several of the
railroads in his department in not paying their
debts and gives his opinion that it in hope that
their claim for use during the war will yet be al
lowed. He recommends that they be compelled to
pay up promptly.
Popular Defiance of Laoo.
1t is mortifyiBg to acknowledge that the State
and local laws and the more powerful force of pub
lie opinion do not protect citizens of the department
from violence. In fact crime is committed because
public opinion favors it. A criminal who is popu-
lar with tho mob can set law at defiance, but if
man is only suspected of crime, who is nimical to
the community he is likely to be hung the near
est tree, or shot down at his own door.
Causes Of Lal0JesSness.
The report closes as follows The causes of this
awlessness are different in different States and ap-
ply more particularly to kentucky and Tennessee
than to West Virginia. From the latter State there
have been complaints received other than that of
the Governor in his application for troops before
mentioned, the sending of which accomplished the
objects for which they were needed.
In Tennessee, where majority of the late rebels
are disfranchised they and sympathizers with them
have hatred for the State authorities which is un
concealed and suggestive and in localities where
the disfranchsed element is strong, there is spirit
of persecution towards those in sympathy with the
authorities Towards those who recognize the po-
ltical rights of tho enranchised negroes, and the
negroes themselves, especially 1t shows itself by
contempt for all law, and violence is openly talked
of.
The editorials of the public press are such as TO
create the most intense hatred in the breasts of ex
rebels and their sympathizers The effect Of this is
to cause disturbance throughout the State by neit
ing the rufanly portions of this class of citizens to
murder, rob and maltrcat white Unionists and col
ored people in localities whero there United
States troops stationed. The local authorities often
have not the will and more often have not the pow
er to suppress or prevent these Outrages
The Situation ia Kentucky
In Kentucky disfranchisement cannot be alleged
as reason for the disturbance. Here the mass of
the people are in sympathy with the State author-
ties, and those openly opposed make no attempt to
resist them. The colored people are quiet and
peaceabe they have no political rights, not being
enfranchised yet ruiians permitted to tyranize
over them without fear of punishment. The testi-
mony of negroes is refused in the State courts, and
tho United States courts difficult of access TO
ignorant people without friends or influence.
In some districts some ex-U nion soldiers are per-
secuted by their numerous rebel neighbors until they
are forced into a resistance, which sometimes ends
with the loss of their lives, they are compelled
in selI-defense to emgrate An appeal to the courts
affords but little hopo for redress the magistrates
and iures too often decide in accordance with their
preudices without regard to justice.
Rebel E6ronteTy.
The controlling cause of the unsettled condition
Of affairs in the Department is that the greatest ef-
fort has been made by the defeated insurgents since
the close of the war, to promuigate the idea thas
the cause of liberty justice, humanity equality and
all the calendar of virtues of freemen suffered vio~
lence and wrong when the effort for Southern inde
pendence failed. This is, of course, intended as
species Of political court whereby crime or treason
might be covered with counterfeit varnish of pa
trlotlsuI SO lDaI partlcpa ol teOeiloh 20
down in history hand in hand with the defenders of
tho government thus wiping out with their own
hands their own stains-a species of self-orgYeness
amazing in its erontery when it is considered that
life and property justly forfeited by the laws of the
country of war, and of nations, through the mag
nanimity cf the government and Of the people, was
not exaeted from them
PerRiciols EdUcatiOR.
Under this inspiration the education of the peo
pie moral, religious and POLITICAL has been turned
into channels wherein all might unite in common.
The punishment of the South resulting from the
war and its concontants, the emancipation of the
slaves snd consequent loss of substance the ambi-
guilty and uncertainty of political rights and nan-
cal values, as well rs personal rivalries, have all
combined TO strengthen the efforts Of pernicious
teachers The evil done has been great, and it Is
not discernable that an immediate improvement
may be expected