Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-05-09
CALLING SPIRITS FROM
THE Vastly DEEP.
Radical Meeting in Giles County
Where, o, Where are the Ku.
klaH'
Will not Some Brother Swear
thai 0utrages have been
Committed?
A Plea for the Militia.

2 From the Pulaski Citizen. May7.
3 The great Radical party of Giles hell
a convention at the Courthouse on Mon
day, to appoint delegates to the Cub
ernatoral Convention, and though W.
were not present in person, friend has
posted US in regard to the proceedings.
The meeting was composed almost
entirely Of colored men, there being per-
haps not more than twenty-five white
Radicals present. ID. G. Anderson was
Chairman, and gentleman from Indiana,
named Charpie, acted as Secretary
The committee on resolutions, of which
Captain King, &C. b was chairman,
reported series of resolutions which
had evidently been "cut and dried" for
the occasion.
The third in their series of resolutions
relates in substance that the Ku. Klux
have recently made their appearance
again in Giles and Bedford counties, and
that the militia ought to be retained
here to suppress them. That the resolu-
tons adopted by the Confederate Gen
erals last summer, as well as those Of
the people in their meetings few months
ago, were all lie. That they did not
want to see the laws enforced, etc.
When this resolution was read to the
convention, Col. Harrison, &C. b. (who
had doubtless framed the resolutions
himself said that before casting his vote
for this resolution he desired to know
whetherit was true that the KID KIux had
recently appeared in Giles and Bedford
counties? Whereupon Capt. King arose
and said that he was at ShelbyVille last
Thursday, and whilst there, he met 3
very intelligent gentleman, who told him
that he had seen reliable gentleman,
who told him that on the night be-
| fore large party of Ku-Klux, 1--WE be-
lieve he said about sixty went to the
house of loyal man in that county
about 8 O'Clock, and commenced fighting
him, and that this man, solitary and
alone, fought those Ku-Klux all night
long until about half hour before day,
when lie succeeded in driving them
away. He also said that he had been
reliably informed that the Ku-Klux had,
within the last few days, appeared in
large numbers in the upper part Of our
county, near Cornersville.
Mr.. j. T. Fisher, very respectable
colored gentleman, and merchant of our
place, wanted to know what good the
| militia could do in the matter? They
| had been here some two months and he
had never heard that they had caught
| any Ku. Klux. About the only exploits
upon their part, that he had heard of,
was the robbing and abusing of some
colored people. He said that Wash.
Black, colored man then present, car
ried in his bosom a bullet which some
militia had given him because he refused
to deliver up his money. The presence
of the militia had nearly ruined the trade
Of our town; and as TO peace and quiet,
we were in q much better condition when
the militia came than re have been
since. He desired to see peace, and to
see all living together tremendously, but
he did not think the presence of the
militia conducive to that end. He also
wanted to know who had seen the Ku-
Klux lately? There are a number Of
| delegates here, white and black, from the
| neighberhood of COTnersVille. Let them
| speak out"
At this point darkey evidently pretty
tight" whose name we did not learn,
forced his way through the crowd to the
/ railing in front of the Chairman, and
commenced speaking in loud voice about
peace and harmony. He said he served
two years in the Rebel army AID two in
the Union army. It was impossible to
tell from his speech which side he was
for, or what he wanted done, and when
he said "lets all be Union together, or
else, let's all be Rebels, | don't care
whieh"-the Chairman remarked, "You
have said enough, and had better sit
| down" And amid cries from colored
friends of go on" speak it out" the
imam and brother was compelled to re-
| tire.
Mr.. Charpie, the Secretary, arose and
inquired if there was any person present
who had seen any Ku-Klux lately? If
so let them speak. No response. Poor
| Charpie we could not but sympathize
with him in his evident modification
that a half dozen did not rise to bear
/ witness to recent Ku-klux eutrages.
But alas there was "nary" witness.
| The Chairman, seeing the awkward pre-
dicament in which this question of the
| oficious Secretary had placed the meet
ing, mildly remarked, "If there is any.
one present who knows anything Of the
truth of this report about the KuKlux
let US hear it." Still no answer came.
By this time the worthy Chairman was,
i liItla and rt1Inn h a
said in a clear, distinct voice, If there
is anybody here who has seen or heard
of any Ku-Klux within the last few
days, or weeks, or months, let him
| please make it known" All listened
and watched eagerly for the coming. wit
ness, but none came. n.
| The silence and suspense now became
painful, until the inevitable Capt. King
appeared again on the scene, and, with
tears coursing down his ruddy and
1--WE must confess, Captain). handsome.
cheeks, told how he had been attacked
by Ku KIux last fall, an account Of
which, by the way, was published in
our paper about five months ago; and
that lately revenue detective, with. a
squad Of United States soldiers, who
went over into Limestone County, Ala
bama, to destroy some distilleries, was
warned off by Ku-Klu1. "And," said
the speaker, with much emotion, these
same KuSKlux, to add insult. to injury,
afterward apologized by saying We
thought you were Brownlow's militia
This last speech, delivered with all
the earnestness and pathos of man
who is bound to carry his point, settled
the hash of the anti-militia wing, and
the resolution was carried, of course, by
an overwhelming majority.
The convention failed to express any
choice for candidate for Governor, not
knowing exactly which way the ''cat
will jump" though it is generally UNDER
stood that the leaders of the party in
this county are decidedly for Stokes.
All the Way from Nashville.
| II tlot