Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-03-13

L
laws are presumed to know only
duty in the execution of the trust
eonfided TO them; and this great
lesson should he taught them, when
thew veer hairs breadth from
that line, in manner they would |
not likely soon forget.
--.----
GOV. SENTER AND THE MILITIA.
The Athens Post of the 18th
inst, contains the following para
graph
"Some OF our Middle Tennessee COZ
temporaries have been indulging hope
that Gov Senter would seek an early OPP
portunity to disband the militia There
can be no.doubt that such step on his
part would command the appreciation of
all temperate-minded people. But Mr..
Senter, like the great man at Washing
ton, who during ten months never opened
his mouth for fear of putting his foot in
it, seems inclined to be little reticent
in regard to his intentions 1t is not at all
likely he is debating in his own mind
what effect move of the kind would
| have upon his chances for the guberna-
torial nomination, but, more probably,
is waiting to see whether the present
peaceful condition throughout the State
is likely to endure.
There is reason to believe that in
the militia Gov. Senter has on his
hands very large elephant, and
that he does not exactly know how
to dispose of the animal and there
is equally good reason for believing
that it was intended by those who
controlled his predecessor that this
very elephant should be the legacy
which Brownlow should leave him.
1t was shrewdly suspected by an
other aspirant for gubernatorial
honors and his friends, that Gov.
Senter having to fill out an unex-
pired term, would naturally aspire
to thesuccession, as during his pre-
sent brief administration he could at
best only inaugurate policy from
which the State should derive bene-
fit, and that in fairness he should
be offered the opportunity Of de-
veloping this policy. Another man
has been booked for the succession,
and that man and his friends appear
to have succeeded in manipulating
the retiring Governor in his in-
terest. The surest move to break
down Senter was, without consult
ing him, to declare martial law in
a number of counties and quarter
troops upon the people of those
counties. The law authorizing the
Governor to do this, also makes il
his duty to "assess and collect a
sufficient amount for the full pay
ment of the State Guards so EN-.
| ployed out of the county or coun
, ties declared under martial law ,
, and Gin case any county court shall
, fail or refuse, at its first quarterly
session after the organization Of
r the county State Guards provided
| for in this act, and the act this i:
intended to amend, to make a sufi'
, Gent appropriation for the payment
| Of said guards, the sheriff shall no
tify the Governor of such failure
or refusal whereupon it shall b.
, the duty of the Governor to send al
/, assessor of his own appointing
who shall levy and collect the nee
} essary amount to pay said guards
and to continue them three months
longer, from the taxpayers Of The
, county and said assessor shall b.
| allowed six dollars per day for hi:
services in assessing and collecting
said taxes-to be estimated by
: the Governor, in advance, anC
collected with the taxes levied
: for the payment of saic
e guards" and "said taxes shall be
! levied upon real estate alone; ant
the process of collection herein pro,
! vided may be repeated as often as
may be necessary. 1t was known
that this process of raising money
to pay the militia would be exceed
| ingly unpopular, if the people
would even submit to it, and hence
it was that the work was forced
= upon Senter. Gov. Brownlow is
sued his proclamation declaring
martial law, and ordering Gen
Cooper to send troops to nine coun-
| ties in Middle and West Tennessee
after he had sent his resignation to
the Legislature and only few
days before that resignation took
effect. The fact that there was no
pressing necessity for such a
step and that it was done without
consultation with Gov. Senter, is
proof conclusive as to the spirit that
actuated it as to him 1t was done
to embarrass him, as there is reason
to believe it has done. The con-
spirators in this plot to defeat Sen
ter as a candidate for election to the
position he has inherited, were
entirely satisfied that if he dis
banded the militia on assuming the
duties of the office Of Governor,
it could be effectually used by them
to ruin him with the Radical party.
1t was a nicely laid scheme to de-
feat Senter if he should desire an
election, and no one knows better
than himself that the reckless con
spirators in the plot would make
the most of any step he might take
to relieve the taxpayers of the
State for they must in the end foot
the bill for the expenses of the