Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-08-01

increase or diminish the number Of Off
GERS and members Of such police at his
discretion.
Section IL. BE Il further enacted,
That the Governor shall have power, in
his discretion, in cases Of apprehended
outbreak, on public occasions, or Of an
ticipated resistance to the laws by COM
bination Of large numbers Of persons to
order the establishment Of special
county police, or of the employment Of
county guards in each county in which
such outbreak may appear imminent, TO
be commanded by such person as he
may appoint; which force shall continue
on duty until the danger Of such out.
break or resistance ceases to exist, aud
no longer, when he shall disbaud them
and such force shall be paid as provided
in this act for the payment Of county
guards or police, as the case may be-.
As il this were not authority enough to
meet any emergency, the Legislature
passed an act on the 10th Of March,
1868, in which power was conferred
upon the Governor
Section /. Be IL enacted By the Gen
eral Assembly of the State Of Tennessee,
That the Governor be, and he is, author
lied and empowered to organize, equip
and call into active service, volunteer
force, to be known as the " Tennessee
State Guard" to be composed Of one or
more regiments from each Congressional
district of the State; provided always
that said Tennessee State Guard shall be
composed Of loyal men, who shall take
and subscribe to the oath prescribed in
the franchise act, passed February 25th,
1867.
Here is as full and complete authority
to repress turbulence and violence Of
whatever character as the Governor
could ask He has here placed at his
disposal all the power necessary to pre-.
serve the peace and protect the lives and
property Of the citizens. Why, then, has
he been strangely silent and as strange
ly reluctant to comply with the provi-
sions of the law" if, as he says, large
numbers of men have been violating
the laws Of the State and plotting and
planning mischief in every respect p
Why has he failed to exercise the power
specially conferred upon him 10 meet
just such an emergency as he says exists
in portions of Middle and West Tennes-
see? The Sheriffs are not the only Off
cial persons who have been remiss in
duty, if the peace has been disturbed and
the law defied. Why, with this full and
ample power already conferred upon him,
has the Governor called the Legislature
together, at a time when the people are
oroaning under the heavy taxes i'm mDosed
upon them So far as the enforcement
of the laws and the preservation of the
peace are concerned, there is absolutely
no necessity whatever for an extra ses-
sion of the Legislature, if the Governor
and the other civil officers Of the State
would dircharge the duty imposed upon
them by existing laws. Let it be borne
in mind that so far there has not been an
effort made by the Governor or any other
civil officer to arrest and bring to trial
the law.breakers he says are to be found
in such large mum bers in Middle Tennes-
see. This is a formidable indictment,
but for the truth of what is here alleged,
we point to the records of the courts in
various counties. There will be found
the proof to burn and blister the man
charged with the execution of the laws
of Tennessee. There is no cause for the
exercise of the special authority confer
red upon him, or he has ingloriously
shirked that duty, and now seeks to
cover up his shortcomings by throwing
upon the Legislature the responsibility
of involving the State in war.-Nash.
rjIZe Disn1fch