Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-03-18
TENNESSEE.
Radical Reports tn Regard 10 the
Condition of AHairs-Enoris 20 Get
the Military CHARTERED upon the


Condition of AGfairs-EGorGs 20 Ger
the Military CHARTERED upon the
People.
Correspondence of the Cincinnati Commercial
| WASHINGTON, March 15.-Referrine "a
the reported troubles in Tennessee the
newspapers mention, in addition to the
correspondence between General Grant and
General Thomas, that reports have been in
circulation TO the effect that the difficulty
IN that State was in some way counte-
nanced by the President. Upon inquiry
in official sources your correspondent learns
that on Friday last General Grant received
a communication from General Thomas
dated Louisville, March 9, inclosing GER
tain statements of parties in Tennessee.
General Thomas says: General Grant
will zee by these statements, az he doubt
less has already learned from othersources,
that the enemies of the present State gov
eminent in Tennessee are organized for re-
sistanee % the laws, which rosisis'.ee ~
/ out9row9i o! the rebellion, aud means az
well oppression and hostility to everything
representing patriotism and devotion 10
the best interest of the country, although
as yet it has not taken the form of open re-
sistance to the United States government.
As Tennessee is fully reconstructed
State, | consider that the State authorities
should deal with and suppress this organi.
cation of lawless, desperate men, and
have not, TO the present time, considered
myself authorized to take active measures
against them. / shall be glad to receive
any order or instructions you NAV see it
to give in the premises"
There are two brief statements accompa-
nying this communication. The first is
from +. ID. Lyons, agent of the Quarter
masters department, at Bridgeport, Ala
bama, who says he can give information
regarding the depredatiOns of the Rebel
order known as the "Ku-Klux Klan." The
order is in full blast, and negroes, with
white men, who chance to differ with them
IN politics, are subjected to severe treat
ment, and IN many cases Union men are
forced to leave. In illustration of this
alleged lawlessness, the writer mentions
that one person drew revolver upon an
other, etc
The second statement is from Mr.. Bosom.
a member of the Tennessee Legislature
who writes March 9Th, from the House of
Representatives of that State, TO General
Thomas, TO say that "Our Stale ia greatly
exercised by the presence, in many locali- |
ties, OF an organized body of men, who, |
without prOvocatiOn and in violation of |
law, seemingly desperate in purpose, are
securing the country by night, carrying |
dlsmay and terror to all. Our civil authori- |
ties are powerless, and, terror-struck them
selves, not only fail TO arrest, but are silent |
and inactive. No information is had of |
the number or ultimate purposes of the or
ganization. 1t certainly is not peacefnI.D |
Mr.. Bosom says that he is advised that
Gen. Thomas has no authority TO place
military force in the State, but without its
presence there is danger of bloody col
lIslon and he adds: "a body of sixty
mounted men last night passed my house
with cries OF murder, and in her terror nv
wife came here, TO NashvilIe,) to-day,
fearing that | would return home and fall
a victim to the threats of these men,"
Gen. Grant yesterday referred these pa-
pers to the President for his information
and instruction, but it does not appear
that Gen. Grant has yet given instructions
to Gen. Thomas as stated in the newsna
pers. The President will probably make
return of the papers, with some remarks,
but under the Constitution he cannot make ]
an order for interference in the alleged |
difficulty. According TO the showing on
hle, the whole affair appears to be some
what panlcEy, and is probably only a big
scare. The Tennessee Legislature is in
session, and the writer of one of the above
statements is a member thereof and if
there were any such general uprising of
the Ku-Klux Khan as he seems TO believe,
the Tennessee State authorities have the
first and original jurisdiction of the sub
ject matter
Neither Governor Brownlow nor the
Tennessee Legislature has made any rep
resentation 10 the Federal government
upon the subject, and il is scarcely neces-
sary 10 say that the first and only knowl-
edge the President had of the alleged diff
fcnlties, was in the papers above referred
10