The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-01-30
CONDITION OF TENNESSEE.
Letter Intelligent Citizen OF La Bale County Trsv-
cling in the South.

cling in the South
NASHVILLE, TENN, JAN 10, 1869.
A northern man passing through the country
nc sooner passes the Ohio than at once he notices
the marked appearance in everything that par
talns to a people. The loose appearances about
dwellings, yards and public edifices is every
where to be seen. At Louisville and indeed in
all nv travel through the state, the stagnaton of
all business is to be seen. Nowhere south of
the Ohio can you find it. The following extract
from the LOutsctls Democrat gives the general
feeling:
BUSINESS In all branches of trade, and on
every hand, 90 where we may, the dismal and
grating cry of dull times ring in our ears There
is but little business being transacted, and money
has not been SO tight in Louisville for many
years as. at this time A large number of persons
are here in search of employment, but there are
no situations vacant, and many who are employ.
ed can scarcely draw enough to make both ends
meet. We hope for better times with the return
Of spring, and, for aught we know, may keep on
hoping for better times until another year rolls
around. Most people, however. look for good
times soon the cotton crop is thrown upon
the market, and we trust that their fond hope
will be soon realized.
The cotton crop of last yeer was mnch better
than any year since TIE war. In Kentucky, you
see more self-reliance and Independence than in
Tennessee. Here general apathy, like a pail of
darkness and sorrow, ovsrhangs everywhere, no
ray of light comes And why should it be other
wise, when $4,000 f,the wealthiest and intellec-
ual, indeed the very brains of great state, are
DISTINGUISHED and excluded by most tyrannic
Ill. Al, G..
Office under free government-God-gi given rights
given to the most ignorant and the least capable
of executing their will, if they would. When
idle, shriftless and thrifloss negroes are higher
in the scale OF self-governmsnt that the compeers
of Jackson, Polk, Clay, Gentry and all that
galaxy of great men OF twenty-five years ago.
what but apathy could reign here? But this is
the least of the results that will out of this
base wrong. No people are willingly enslsved
or degraded in their own estimation, in that
Of their compeer.. Paine says, that when hxman
tyranny fastens the chains around the ankles Of
the slave, divine vengeance winds the other end
around the neck of the tyrant B
The following slips will show the spirit OF the
press here in Nashville, published the next day
after the passage of the military bills:
BANEFuI. EFFECT OF MARTIAL LAW RU-
Notes.-The financial quotations from New York
last night show that Tennessee bonds have de-
preciated two or three cents since the rumors
reached that city that martial law about be.
ing declared in Tennessee. Brownlow rarely
loses chance of bringing down our securities
whenever ghost of opening suggests itself
NJ
tare has been in session about four-6fths of the
time for the last four years, and have passed
more laws than were ever enacted in the same
length of time in the history of this or any other
state.
1t has now authorised the governor TO declare
martial law which is virtually the abrogAtion
OF all other laws, except the will Of the military
commander.
Comment is unnecessary.
The Knoxville Press and Herald Of the 18th
inst. states that the Judge, Attorney General,
Representative, etc, of Overton county, have
made representations to the Governor that law
and order cannot be preserved in that county,
and i. is understood force Of militia will at
once be put in order and sent there TO preserve
order and peace. The peace they will give. says
the Press and Herald, will be such vultures
give TO lambs, covering and devouring them.
The MILITIA AND THE PEoPLE.-The Knox
vile Press and Herald says: THE announce
ment that the Legislature OF Tennessee had de-
hberatey empowered the Governor to suspend
all civil law at will and proclaim himself mill
tary dictator, woeld, but few short years ago,
have startled the people of Tennessee like light
nng stroke from a cloudless sky, and would have
aroused such storm of Indignation would
have driven the csnspirators against popular lib
erty from their dishonored seats. But, to-day,
so accustomed have the people become TO tyran-
ny in the false guise of loyalty-so often and so
long have they acqsiesced in, and submitted to,
usurpation and violent domlnisn-that they are
expected to bow their heads uncomplainingly TO
the yoke and submit their limbs to the shackles
without grimace or murmur.
We think the Legislature has mistaken the
spirit of the people of Tennessee. They have
shown every disposition to support and sustain
the civil authorities in the enforcement of the
laws for the protection Of property and of the
citizens of the state. 1t is worse than idle to
assert that it is impossible for the civil officers
to enforce the laws in any portion of Middle
Tennessee, for the very reason that no attempt
has ever been made that failed. The truth is
the civil authorities have made effort to arrest
the 'lawless bands Of desperadoes, who are set
ting at defiance civil law fit is from coward
ice tina: these civil officers have failed to dis
charge the first and highest daty they owe to
the state and the counties from which they de-
rive authority, they should b. punished severely.
The calling cut OF militia shu,,d be the last
resort In this case it is the first Aud now the
militia is to DO quartered upon al unofsnding
people, not for the purpose of emf rcing the laws
or OF aiding the civil authorities in their enforce
ment; but to harrass long suffering people and
crush them beneath the iron heel of despetism.