Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-01-26
THE GOVERNORS LATE PROCLAMA.
TION.
CALL FOR "A PUBLIC MEETING.
The Constituted Authorities at WASH
ingtOn TO be Appealed 10 against the
Suspension of Habeas Corpus and
Declaration of Martial Law.

The following letter, calling for public
meeting of our citizens, without regard to
party, will meet with hearty response by
all who would preserve the reputation of
the Stale from the bloody and shocking
horrors recently enacted in Arkansas.
A. s. CoLYAR, Esq-Sir: | have read
with the greatest satisfaction your alb and
patriotic letter upon the present alarming
condition of affairs in Tennessee. II
seems to be almost universally approved
by your fellOw-citiZens, who all rejoice, az
| do, that the dignity and moderation of
its tone were made in such happy keeping
with the momentous gravity of the Issue
which is now upon us. have not yet met
with single intelligent man who did not
agree with you, that the act of the Legis-
lature, under which the Governors reeen;
most fierce and menacing proclamation
wasissued is palpably and grosly Mnconstitu-
tiOndi, and that il carried into effect, it must
be inevitably productive of civil war. All
the bloody and shocking horrors of Arkan.
sas will be eventually repeated in Tennessee
in a few days, unless some preventive steps
are taken at once. 1t has struck me that
the early convocation of our citizens, with
out regard 10 party, in this city, to take into
calm and dispassionate consideration the
unhappy state of affairs here and the fear
fal consequences now threatened, might
have the happiest effect. / am not one of
those who believe that either the existing
President, or the President elect, will re-
main quiet and inactive whilst bloody
and wasting internecine conflict is cause
lessIy brought about by proceedings which
l undertake to assert no constitutional law
yer in America will hesitate to declare to
be repugnant to the solem organic law of
the land and to the best established prin-
ciples of civil freedom. Let rs assemble
at once, then, ascertain and embody all the
real facts of the case in formal memorial
to the constituted authorities in Washing
ton, and ask for immediate interpretation in
the State for the purpose of preventing
justly apprehended. / should be will
ling TO stake my life upon its
being decided at once by President
johnson, by Gen. Grant, by majority Of
both Houses of Congress and by the
Judges of the Supreme Court of the
Union unanimously, if these authorities can
be in some way brought to consider the
matter, that the suspension of the habeGs
corpus in Tennessee at This moment, the
declaration and enforcement of martial
law, and the bringing our citizens to trial
before military tribunals in time of peace
fall of which is now menaced) would
not only be at war with the constitution,
but would be one of the most rufianly and
astounding attempts TO establish a mon
strous AID intolerable despotism that the
world has yet heard Of Let US then meet
together at once, as peace-loving, law
abiding and Notwithstanding citi-
zens, and consult freely, calmly and patri-
otically for the public safety. What say
you? PACIFICUs.