Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-01-24

stories, and base enough to assume the
| guise of the ghostly Khan and disgrace il
by perpelrating while 90 disguised bloody
and atrocious crimes, their main object
being that in SO doing the State authori-
lies might be worked up TO the point Of
declaring martial law and mastering The
militia into service. Is il difficult to be.
iieve that there are in many communities Of
Tennessee men who are so regardless of
the welfare Of their fellow-citizens, and so
unfriendly to the peace and good order of
society, that they are eager to see a period
OF civil strife and commotion inaugursted.
in order that they may stand chance 10
make something out of the public misfor-
tunes2 Shut our eyes as tightly as We
may against the view of 8 truth so mani
testify unpleasant, yet actual facts Of almost
daily occurrence make the unwelcome
truth painfully apparent. Scarcely two
weeks have elapsed since the deten-
ton at home by sickness Of a men,
Der of the Tennessee Legislature was
worked up into terrible howl against in
iquitous Ku-Kluxism. Radical presses,
innocenily aided, to some extent, by incon-
siderate journalists in the opposite party,
gravely informed Mortified public that
the missing man had been spirited away
by the shrouded knights of the mystic or
der, and yet no such thing occurred.
The recent. foreible seizure in railroad
train OF a well known detective was another
event furnishing precious material to those
who desire to see the militia called out.
No matter IL the facts connected with this
alleged seizure did look as il. the Ku-
Klux had nothing to do with it, yet it 10 ust
be charged upon them, in order to have the
militia organized and mustered to prevent
such things in future, snd give employment
and pay to men who are loyal to the gov
eminent in the Radical sense. But few
persons acquainted with the circumstances,
a. published, Of this affair, believe the
KuKlux had any connection whatever
with the abduction of Capt. Barmore
and he himself knOrs they did not. To
satisfy Gov. Brownlow and Gen.
Cooper that the Ku-Klux were insLru-
mental in Barmore's Sudden taking off,
was the main point, and that no doubt has
been accomplished. The recent rescue of
a negro horse thief from the Jail at Muir
freesboro was also charged to the account
of the knightly klan, although we'll au-
thpnlicaied circumstances make the affair
look much more like the work of baud
of thieves, who adopted this plan to liber-
ate a partner in crime. There was some
title significance in the late discovery that
the Radical Sheriff of a neighboriug eonn-
ty was in the nightly habito attiring him
self in gown and mask for the purpose Of
frightening the negroes in his neighbor-
hood. He has not as yet given any Teas-
enable excuse for his singular conduct, al
though frequently favored with opportuni-
ties to explain the object of his ghostly Wis
itatiOns. Would it be too rough to suggest
that he TOO wanted the militia called out?
The occurrence last summer of a series Of
brutal Outrages upon family of negroes
by three white men in the county Of Hay
wood is hardly yet forgotten. Two of the
guilty parties proved TO have been soldiersin
BrOWnlOw's militia, and the other Radi-
cal stump speaker. 1t was quite evident
that this immaculate trio desired the
militia again called into service. The |
editors and correspondents of certain Radi.
cal papers have allowed no chance to |
escape for creating false impressions as to
the condition Of things in Tennessee. Not |
satisfied with garbled and erroneous ac-
counts Of unfortunate occurrences in the |
State, with most of which politics had |
nothing to do, these inscriptions represen-
tatives of the press have now and then sent |
broadcast over the land accounts of |
terrible OuLrages by the Ku-Klux, which, |
upon investigation, showed no better |
foundation in truth than the fertile
brains Of itinerant scriblers who, |
having no truth to write, and feeling the
necessity of getting up something, not I'M
frequently make both ends meet" by ut
tering the most glaring falsshoods. They,
too, it may be reasonably eonjectured,
wanted the civil law set aside and the mi |
litia called into active service. Certain
members Of the Tennessee Legislature, be. |
longing to the class of little creatures who
never rise TO the surface of public life, ex-
eept by the aid of public calamity and COM
motion, have borne some share in the man
ufacture and circulation Of false reports re-
specting the conduct of that portion of their
fellow. citizens who were soldiers in |
the Confederate army, or in SYM
patty with that cause. They want
ed q pretext to justify their legisla-
ton against republican government in
Tenness ee, and found it in Ku-KIux stor-
les of their own invention. They want
the militia in the field. Seasons Of pro-
found public peace are disiasieful and in
furious to such men. They thrive most
when discord and war seize
upon the vitals Of the Slate, and waste the
substance Of her toiling thousands. Such
men want the militia called out because
that fact in some measure justifes their
meanness in the opinions of strangers and
gives them stronger grip upon the Offices
they hold and disgrace. The loBg-cher-
ished desire of the disreputable and vicious
who want war made upon the people ofthe
State, hoping that it may result in per-
sonal benefit to themselves, is about 10 be
gratifed. A Radical Legislature, disposed
to ohlige its party friends, passes bill en-
towering the Governor to set aside civil
law aud muster armed men into its place.
The Governor, also kindly disposed tc-
ward the place-hunters of his political
faith, issues his proclamation signifying his
to exercise the power 30 gra-
clcusly given him, and forthwith The
dsuntiess Cooper, glad of something TO do,
sets about the work his masters have laid
out for him. He, like many others ofthe
same sort, is at last grati6ed.