Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-09-04
NASHVILLE TENNESSEE, SATURDAY. SEPTEMBER 4, ]
a cam FRom GOV. FoorE.
To the Editors of tie Union and American.

i IL tAAo 4<NAtOfo Vi btso Ont anu AAnoEiCaus
| regret to be compelled to notice, very
briefly, q communication which made its
appearance in the last number of your
| paper over the signature of Solitaire"
in which the writer has presumed, in q
manner decidedly sneerful and discours
teous, to comment upon the proceedings
| of the meeting at the Courthouse in this
city, which occurred on last Wednesday,
and to sllude to Governor Brown and
myselfin manner not little disrespects
full and unkind. Having reached period
of life when any special sensitiveness in
regard to anonymous newspaper attacks
would be alike injudicious and unseemly,
I shall refrain from the use of all Ian.
gusge in reply to your correspondent
which, however he may deserve to have
the same applied to him, it would not be
consistent with my own self.respect on
this occasion to employ. have no issue
to make with SOLITAIRE" his aiders or
abettors, as to the origin of the unfortu.
nate proceedings which are reported
to have recently occurred in the county
Of Rutherford; nor did single individual
at the meeting referred to under.
take to express any opinion as
to whether the disturbances in
that county had been brought on mainly
by the echite or by the cOIored race.
In the short address which / made to
the meeting, / took particular pains, as
did Gov. Brown also, to disclaim any
intention to settle the merits of the ex~,
safsAp dif1anlfrT 70 1aniIa rr7hn had
been most to blame for the deplorable
violences which had taken place. 1t is
not true, as your correspondent has so
trippingly asserted, that either Gov.
Brown or myself in our speeches on that
occasion asserted that "the harmless
niger was terribly prosecuted individs
ual, and that all the blame of the recent
disturbances in Rutherford should attach
exclusively to the white race; in other
words, the immaculate negro could do
no wrong;;'' and l envy not this writer
the eclat which he may acquire by
such a wanton and contemplate per-
version of the real facts Of the case. This
ungenerous attempt to awaken unde>
served prejudice against laW>respect-
ing and pesce>loving assemblage, called
together for the purpose alone of vindiS
eating the majesty of the law, and pre-
venting the occurrence of outrages in fus
ture of character repugnant alike to
the principles of civilization and christian
humanity, deserves much harsher repro
baton than it would be possibly in my
power to impose. Not one syllable was
uttered at the meeting of Wednesday
which at all reflected upon the good peo-
pie of Rutherford county, or called in
question their disposition to bring the
true offenders to justice, whoever
they may be. We found the fact
presented to our consideration in
the most unmistakable manner, that, to
some extent, the laws of the land had
been most shamefully violated; that cow
ardly miscrsants, in disguise, had, at the
hour of midnight, torn certain individuals
from their own homes, and inflicted the
most serious violence upon their perS
sons. This we felt and knew to be un~
lawful, cruel, and ruffianly, no matter
who might be the perpetrators, or what
proVocation, might have been previously
given. We asserted this to be land
of law, where every man should be made
safe and be allowed to feel secure in his
own habitation, whether that habitation
be palace or hovel. We denounced
violence and lswlessness. We declared
ourselves in favor Of peace, concord and
order. We asserted it to be the duty Of
all good citizens to aid in suppresSing
armed and banded ruffianism. We in>
sisted that by the sacred principles of
our social compact, every man in our
commonwealth was bound to support
and defend the rights of all, even the
humblest. We went farther, and as
serted that if no higher motive should be
allowed operation among US, public
policy imperstively demanded that we
should pursue this course, and especially
at the present delicate and trying con-
juncture of our history as a people.
This is the full extent Of our offending,
if, indeed, we have offended at all. We
did not use stronger language at our
meeting than every newspaper in the
city has employed in speaking of this
matter. Then why have the proceedings
OF our meeting OOtu CdllCu III iuootlVh
by "Soltaire?" Why has he so unkindly
and discourteously alluded to us in his
communication? viii he dare to say
that any man or class of men
have right to mask and
arm themselves for the preparation of
midnight violence and murder? Is it
possible that he can sanction such diabol~
ical acts, or sympathize in the least with
those who commit them? Can he be I'M
willing to see public sentiment embodied
for the maintenance Of social order? How
can he, as good citizen, be willing to
weaken the efforts of others who show
themselves honestly the champions and
supporters of law and order? How can
he fail to perceive that unless we act
promptly and effectively in making known
our condemnation of all schemes of Vios
lence and oppression to the injury Of the
moro helpless portion Of our people, great
and serious misjudgments of our feelings
and in+antions towards the cOlored race