Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-07-06

How the Southern People are Ira
dnced-The Fancies and Facts OF the

Case.
From the savannah Republican, July 2.
The New York Tribune of Mon.
day has an article on the murder OF
Ashburn as bearing upon the ques-
ton of immunity of crime in
Georgia. We copy as follows:
''TO bring the discussion to a
point, we will consider the case of
George W. Ashburn. He was ma
tive Southerner and an active Re-
pubhean-in the language of the
lndex's friends, 'scalawag.' He
was a delegate to the convention
which framed the present constitu-
tion of Georgia. Ostracized for his
politics by the whites, he was living
with a colored family in Columbus,
when band Of thirty or forty per-
sons broke into the house one night,
rushed into his bedroom, and shot
him instantly dead.
"NOw this is not a case where
the perpetrators of the crime were
not even discovered They were
the young chivalry of Columbus.
Gen. Meade instituted an investiga-
ton, by which they were thoroughly
exposed to the public gaze. We
venture to say that they are better
known to the people of Museogee
county than the aldermen of this
city are to the men whose votes
elected them.
"The State having been recon
structed, after a fashion, Gen.
Meade's power was held to have
lapsed; so his proceedings were
stopped and his prisoners dis
charged. The blacks being ex-
PEELED from the Legislature and de-
clared ineligible to Office, the State
reverted substantially into the
hands of the late Rebels. What do
you think they did with the mur-
derers Of Ashburn? Who does not
know that they did nothing, and
eoould do nothing?
Now if one single 'Conserva-
tive Georgia journal has heartily
condemned the murder of Ashburn
and called for conviction and pun
ishment of the perpetrators, we do
not know it. They have devoted
themselves to blaekening the name
of the victim and screening his as
sassins from public indignation.
And this is why we consider the
death of Ashburn a Conservative
murder"
We would be glad to know where
the Tribune got its facts. 1t is very
certain they are not truths. In
fact, there are but two truths in
the Tribune's entire statement,
viz: that George Ashburn was a
Southerner, and that he was mur-
dered. Upon what authority does
the editor assert that the murderers
of Ashburn "were thoroughly ex-
posed to the public gaze by Gen.
Meade, and that 'they were the
young chivaIry of Columbus? "
There was certainly no testimony
to that effect before the military
commission that was not scattered
to the winds by the rebutting evil
denee. The witnesses for the gov
ernment consisted of a worthless,
drunken, discharged soldier and a
few negroes who had been dragged
from their homes in Columbus,
entirely across the State and incar-
cerated for weeks at Fort Pulaski,
where, through system Of torture
threats Of death, starvation,
sweat boxes, placing before the
mouths of loaded cannon, and other
practices disgraceful to a civilized
gOyernment-they were forced to
confess that they knew something
about the murder and to manufac-
ture story for the military com
mission. This was the work of the
infamous wretch Whiteley-re
Gently appointed Treasury detective
and when his witnesses were put
upon the stand, perjury was proved
upon them by number OF ladies
and gentlemen Of the highest re-
spectability. As to the manner Of
procuring the testimony for the
prosecution, we refer to Gen.
Meades official report, which viii
be found to sustain our own account
Of the villainous affair.
We believe two parties were tried
before the court. One was proved
to have been in constant attend
ance ON a sick relative some two
miles from the city during the en-
tire night on which the murder
took place, and a half dozen wit
nesses, Of unimpeachable character,
clearly established the fact that the
second accused party was in anOth-
er county forty miles distant from
Columbus on the night of the muir
der. So clearly were these facts
made to appear, that Gen. Meade,
the court and the attorneys all be-
came thoroughly disgusted with the
iniquitous affair, and they let the
whole thing "slide" Had they
gone on with the trial, anything
like an honest conviction was ut
terly out of the question. Just at
this juncture, the scoundrel White
ley, finding he was about to be ar
rested for his villainy-all of which
came from the single motive OF
getting the enormous reward offered
by Meade-clandestinely left At
lanta and made his escape to the
North.
These are the facts, as well known
to the public in Georgia, and in
stead of denouncing the whole in.
famous proceeding, as an honest
journalist should, the editor of the
/ TTibune arraiOnG tha civil authOri =