Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-03-19
HOW THE PEOPLE OF TENNESSEE
ARE MIsREPRESENTED.

Inc NluCiIndh uuGCtJC mas u COTTGS-
pendent in this city who for years has
awaited himself of an unlimited license
to assail and misrepresent the people
among whom he has made his home We
have heard that his instructions include
this line of policy, but it passes compre-
hension that for a few paltry dollars, any
man would devote himself to the defama-
ton of the citizens of the State of his
adoption with whom be did not happen
to agree in political sentiment In his
letter of the 18th inst he saws in refer
ence to the Ku-Kux
"A gang of these villains surround a
poor negro mans house in the still hours
of the night, break down his door, take him
out and whip him, and the Rebel papers
laugh. 1t is a good iokel They rob the
colored people of their arms, and if they
resist, shoot them, and ali the Rebel papers
laugh again. Attacking houses at night
ordering people out of their beds, carrying
them to the woods and whipping or killing
them, is funny And this is evidence that ]
the Rebels are peaceable and law-abiding,
and that they should not be disfranchsed y
This is the sort of sweeping assertion
in which this reviler of the white people of
Tennessee has been indulging for two or
three years. There is nothing sara as to
where the occurrences he processes to
detail took place We have heard of but
one negro being taken from his house
after night and whipped, and that oc>
CURED in Maury county. 1t has been
told us that the Radicals in that county
treated a Conservative negro in this
manner, their object being to create the
impression that the Ku-KIux did it, and
that no negro was safe wherever this or
ganization existed. A few nights aiter~
wards these two Radicals were takeu
from their homes to an adjacent
woods and put through the same course
of treatment they had applied to the
poor negro Perhaps this was done
by the Ku.Klux. 1t is very possible
that the GazetteS correspondent refers
to this case as one that the Rebels
regard as funny Well, it is funny, that
these enthusiastic Radicals should so
soon be made to experience the treat
ment they had given the poor negro
Now, does any sane man suppose that If
this correspondent had the facts in re-
gard TO breaking down the door of ne
groes house in the still hours of the |
night and taking him out and whip |
ping him; of robbing negroes of their |
arms and shooting them if they resisted
OF attacking houses at night and taking |
people out of their beds ard to the |
woods and whipping or killing them,
that he would not give these facts
in detail instead of meanly stab
bling people with whom he |
does not agree by dark inuendoes ? He |
says the Rebel papers" by whichhe |
means those that are not Radical, regard |
such occurrences as a good Joke and !
laugh at them 1t is an easy thing to |
make such assertions, but to substantiate |
them by proof is quite another matter
In the first place, he fails to show that
any one Of the crimes he insinuates has |
been committed any where in Tennessee
in the second place, he fails to show that
the white people Of this State who are
not Radicals, have by word or act sane
toned in any manner the outrages he /
insinuates have been pepetrated; and in
the third place, be fails to point out
single Rebel paper that has APP
proved or Laughed at the law
ess acts, the existence Of which
-est upon his own unsupported insinuaN
ion. We refer to this matter to show
he people of Tennessee how a stranger,
Who comes among them to locate here
md become identified with them and
heir common interests, will stab them
rom behind in 50 malicious = manner.
{ is the class, OF which he is a type, who
re continually prabng about the law
essness of this people, aud Of the inse-
urity of Union men, and especially
Northern men and soldiers, in Tennessee
$ it any wonder that such men never sec
nvthing TO admire in the good and no.
le Is it strange that such men fancy
hat the finger Of scorn is continually
ointing at them IL is such men as
lese who have created whatever of I'M