Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-07-10
Meeting of the citizens Of Marshan

Meeting Of the Citizens Of Marshall
st.sk Comfy. t5ttA
Al q meeting Of the citizens OF Lew
isburg and vicinity, on the 2Ssh day O
June, 1868, Col. w. B. Holden was called
to the chair, and James H. Lewis was
chosen Secretary.
On motion, the Chair appointed the fol-
| loving named persons to draft resolutions
expressive Of the sense of the meeting A.
A. Steele, James S, Ewing, w. N. Cowden,
| Il. q. Mcclure aud Moses G. West.
| On motion, the Chairlnan and Secretary
were aided to The committee. Whereupon
the meeting adjourned to meet on the Sd
day OF July, 1868, at which time it met,
and the committee reported the following
preamble and resolutions, to-Wit
Whereas, 1t has been represented to this
meeting that there are reports in circulation
IN other parts Of the State to the tenor and
effect that there is disposition on the part
OF the citizens Of this community, and Of
Marshall county, TO encourage violence and
oppression toward the colored people
among ns, and mob law, and resistance the
regularly enacted constitutional laws of
the land and that acts Of violence are en-
eouraged and protected 10 our midst and,
Whereas, We believe such reports to be
false and untrue, when applied to the in
dustrious and law-abiding, who constitute
very large majority of the citizens Of
this county and, s-.-
Whereas, 1t IS suggested that a meet
ing be called, and resolutions adopted, Civ
Ing the sense Of this community to the
country as matter of propriety in order
that 1t be known what we are, ard what
We mean touching the present condition of
society and the country; therefore, a
Resolved, That We pledge ourselves to
support and maintain the courts and regu-
larly constituted tribunals of the country
in administering the laws of the land, and
that we deprecate and condemn all viola
tions of law, from whatever source they
come. at
Resolved, That we heartily and un-
qualifiedly condemn oppression and wrong
toward any one, either white or black, and
we will assist the civil authorities In the
modes designated by the legal aud consli-
tutional enactments and laws Of the land to
right the wrong and punish the guilty, in
order that peace and quietude prevail in
our country.
Resolved, That the courts of the country
are now open and have been ever since the
close of the late'war, and Justice has been
administered, and We sincerely and we do
hereby declare that they are the only tr7te
medium through which to redress wrongs,
punish crimes and protect society.
Resolved, That we have no disposition
to Cypress or wrong the colored people
among us. On the contrary We desire that
they be delt with fairly, equitably and just
ly, only requiring of them that they be in
dustriOus, sober, peacesble and obedient to
the laws; and for any violation thereof we
believe that our own security as well as that |
of the negro imperatively demand that he
or they be promptly punished at the hands |
of the regularly constituted civil authori-
ties of the country, and we deprecate and
condemn any act on the part of the law
making power Of the State, or the Execu-
tive of the State, or from any other source,
which tends to bloodshed or confusion and
anarchy.