Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-01-15

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relieve the Governor of the high
responsibility imposed upon him
TO guard the interests of the peo-
pie, and to make known any and
every danger that may threaten.
1t is useless at this day to en-
deavor to shift responsibility or
seek a justification for malfeasance
or nonfeasance. The public bur
dens cannot be relieved, nor the
public credit improved, by lodging
behind defects of laws. Gov.
Brownlow and his abetters must
face the deplorable condition of the
State financially and otherwise, and
accept the responsibility.
MARTIAL LAW TO BE DECLARED.
The Senate yesterday, by avote OF
II to !, passed on its third reading
the bill known as " the Ku-KluX
bill, which so amends the act OF
Sept. 10, 1868, as to authorize the
Governor to declare martial law in
such counties and whenever he may
choose to do so. The bill now goes
to the House, and there can scarcely
be q doubt that it will be passed by
that body. The recent disturbances
in several counties in Middle Ten
nessee is made the pretext for
the passage of this bill. 1t is
clearly the intention of the Radical
leaders TO have militia 1uartcred
upon the citizens of several counties,
and we are to have enacted in this
State the scenes which have ust
been transporting in Arkansas. When
the effort was made to incorporate
into the bill which became law on
the 10th of September last, the fea-
lures embraced in the bill passed
by the Senate yesterday, it was
seriously apprehended that the
calling out of such a body of mi
litia under a declaration Of martial
law in a number of counties, would
seriously impair the credit of
the State in New York, and when
the parties there who were uphold
ing that credit, protested that ifthe
militia bill then pending before the
Legislature, the features of which
were precisely the same as the bill
passed by the Senate will make the
act of Sept. 10, 1868, was passed
and the militia called out, they
could not sustain the credit Of the
State, we have reason to know that
assurances were given these New
York capitalists that the militia
would not be called out. The
authority TO the Governor to de
clare martial law was stricken out
Of the bill, and in that shape it was
passed, simply comforting upon the
Governor the power he already
possessed, under the acts of Feb. 1
and March l6. The New Workers
were still afraid to trust Gov.
Brownlow, with even this authority
conferred upon him, and it is still
fresh in the memory of the people
of Tennessee that the Governor had
TO issue a proclamation stating that
the militia would not be called out,
but urging the organisation of com
panies and regiments, and to hold
in readiness in the event
they should be needed. 1t is well
known that the Governor was forced
into the issuing Of this proc
lamation to satisfy the New York
before they would ad-
vance the money to pay the sus-
pended July interest, then overdue
several months. The money was
advanced and the interest paid
early in October. The same par
ties only a few weeks ago advanced
what was needed to aid the Comp /
troller in paying the January in
terest, and the Comptroller had
scarcely got home when the State
was startled with reports OF hu-
KluX outrages in various portions
Of Middle Tennessee. 1t is remark
able. that these outrages have com
menccd just after the State has got |
over its January interest trouble,
md it is also remarkable that these
)uItdEcS nave 1OJ I'LL bOOh YIN
nitted on "loyal citizens. No
,ffort has been made by the civil
so far as is known to
he public, to arrest the parties who
ire committing these outrages. 1t
$ strongly suspe cted that if these
aw breakers should be arrested,
many of them would prove not to
belong to the "disloyal classes
Why is it that the Radical civil
authorities do not make an effort
o suppress these outrages and
rrost the Preparations Is 1t
or the purpose of giving the Cow
.rnor a pretext for calling out ana
the militia upon the peo-
Dleofthe counties in which these out
ages occur? It's we'll known that
he substantial citizens, the proper
" holders of these count es are OPP
.osed to these outrages and have so