The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-03-17

m.ue>. as as ldoUb5lsss ha8 alrsadF
les-ael rom QtEsr ls0urcsss ti6t 5he
eueu es 0f the present State gOV+
eminent IN Tennessee are organized
ton. resistance to- the laws, which
resistance Is an OutgFowth Of the re-
aDeill0n. and means as we'll oppression
ana hostility to everything represent
ing patriotism and devotion to sthe
best interest of the country, although
as yet it has not taken the form Of
open resistance to the United States
Government. As Tennessee is a fully
cons tructed State, ] consider that the
State authorities should deal with and
suppress this Organization of laWless
desperate men, and l have not, to the
present time, considered myself aU-
thorized to take active measures
against them. | shall be glad to
receive any order or Instructions you
may see fit to give in the premises
There are two brief statements ac-
cOmpanying this communication. The
first Is from u. d. Lyons. agent of
the QUartermasteT's Department, at
Bridgeport, Alabama. who says he
can give information regarding the
depredations of the rebel order known
as the Kuklux klan" The order
Is in full blast and negroes with
white men, who chance to differ with
them In politics, are subjected to
severe treatment. and in many cases
Union. men are forced to leave In
Illustration Of this alleged laWless-
ness, the writer mentions that one
person drew revolver upon an
other, &C.
The second statement is from Mr..
BOssOn, member of the Tennessee.
Legislature, who writes, March 3,
from the House of Repres sentatives, Of
that State, to Gen. Thomas. to say
that 4" Our State is greatly exercised
by the presence, in many localities, of
an organized body Of men. who,
without provocation and IN violation
of law, seemingly desperate In pur-
pose, are securing the country by
night carrying di may and terror to
all. Our civil authorities are power
less, and terror-struck themselves, not
only fail to arrest, but are silent and
inactive. No information is had OF the
number of ultimate purposes of the
organization. 1t certainly is not peace
full"
Mr.. BOsson says he is advised that
General Thomas has no authority to
place a military force in the State,
but without its presence, there is
danger of bloody collision; and he
adds: " A body of sixty mounted
men last night passed my house with
cries Of murder, and in her terror my
wife came here to Nashville to- day.
fearing that | would return home and
fall a victim to the threats of these
men"
General Grant yesterday referred
these papers to the President for his
information aud instruction, but it
does not appesr that General Grant
has yet gwen instructions to General
Thomas as stated in the newspap apers.
The President will probably make
a return of the papers; with some re-
marks, but under the Constitution he
cannot make an order for interference
in the alleged difficulty. according
to the showing on file, the whole af-
fair appears to be somewhat panicky,
and Is probably only a big scare.
4 The Tennessee .Legis lature is in
session, and the writer Of one of the
above statements is a member there
Of, and if there were any such general
uprising as the KUkiux Klan, as he
seems to believe, the Tennessee State
authorities have the first aud original
Jurisdiction of the subject matter.
Neither Governor Brownlow nor
the Tennessee Legislature has made
any representation to the Federal
Government on the subject, and it is
scarcely necessary to say that the first
and only knowledge the President had
of the alleged difficulties, was In the
papers above referred to-
The President has telegraphed Gen.
Hancock to come to Washington
forthwith As yet it has not been
lsdetermined that he shall be relieved.
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
. --s fsae<a r