Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-01-30

BROwELOwss KU.KLUx POLICY. |
The Knoxville correspondent Of
the Cincinnati Commercial, who is |
supposed to be in the confidence of
Gov. Brownlow, writes under date
Of Jan. rs as follows
"Gov Brownlow's policy viii be TO or
ganize the troops by companies, and ss
fast as they are armed and equipped to
send them TO the counties where out
RACES are, and have been perpetrated,
and there declare martial law, and tax
these people with the costs of the troops.
His theory is that the guilty parties
themselves will not probably, be found,
but that il the people who support and
encourage them can be made to
feel the burdens of these extreme meass
ures, made necessary by their acts, they
will soon cause the masks to disappear
and the outrages to cease Whether this
policy can be carried out or how elect.
ual it viii prove, can only be determined
by experience. We shall, no doubt, have
abuses if that course is pursued, and we
viii, no doubt, hear of all that do occur,
and have them in an exaggerated form"
When it is remembered that very
intimate, and indeed confidential
relations have existed between the
Governor and this correspondent,
this exposition of the formers
views will be accepted as authori-
tative. 1t is distinctly ayowed here
that Gov. Brownlow's theory is
that the guilty parties themselves
will not, probably, be found" but
he has determined to punish the
innocent, the law-abiding, because
they did not prevent the commission
of outrages of which they had no
more knowledge than did Brownlow
himself. Simply because outrages
have been committed in some of the
counties, the Governor assumes
that the citizens who are not Radi-
Gals are in sympathy with the per
| petrators, and makes this pretext
the justification of the outrage on
tho rights of citizens which he is
about to perpetrate. In his proc
lamation calling out the militia, he
II
assumed that ''it is entirely i'm
| possible for the civil officers Of the
State to enforce the laws thereof
in certain localities in Middle and
West Tennessee. Now he confesses
that he has no hope of catching the
men who thus prevent the enforce
ment of the laws, when he shall
send the militia to look after them
but he owes the great body of the
white men Of Tennessee, the men Of
wealth and intelligence, who pay
nine tenths of the taxes necessary
to sustain the State government, nc
good will; they have opposed hin
in his agrarian, dwelling schemes
and now that he is about to retire
from Office, he has determined upon
a step which he hopes will bring
ruin upon them and thus leave them
homeless in the land of their birth
A more mOnstrous policy than tha'
upon which Gov. BrownloW declares
he will act, was never before enun
ciated in a republican government
1t is of a piece, however, with hi
torch and turpentine declaration a.
to the policy that should be pursued
toward the Southern people. 1t i
not TO build up, but to lay waste
He appears to be entirely conscious
that the " lawless bands Of despera
does who are setting at defiance
civil law" have nothing at stake il
the communities where they Oper
ate; that they are here to-day anC
there tomorrow, and that he vii
be unable to find them, but he il
determined that the men of proper
| ty, the men Of character and stand
ing in the communities where they
live, shall suffer for these infrac
tions of law. A more cruel policy
was never inaugurated in Hungary
1t is not justice he would deal out
but the refinement of cruelty thai
he would practice,