Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-02-11
MARTIAL Law.
Important Meeting of Citizens q
RuthexfOrd County.

1
In pursuance Of previous notice
very large assemblage of the citizen,
of Rutherford county was held a
Murfreesboro on the 9th inst-every
portion of the county being FULLY
represented, when the following
proceedings were had.
On motion of DR.. Russell, Gen. j
b. Palmer was called to the chair
and j. r. Dillin, ESQ.,, Fl. c.
Mclaughlin and r. X. Henderson
were appointed Secretaries. The
Chairman made few remarks to the
audience, stating the object and i'm
portanee of the meeting; and, after
relating the proceedings of pre-
vious meetings and the action of
the committee Of twenty heretofore
appointed, informed the meeting
that we were called together for the
purpose of hearing the report of the
committee, and he therefore moved
that the chairman of the committee
be requested to present their report.
+ Dr. Richardson then made the fol
lowing report on behalf of the com
mittee:
I Mr.. Chairman 1t will be remem-
bered by yourself and others of our
fellow citizens present, that on the
23d instant if was announced in some
of the public prints, that the Gov
ernor of the State would very soon
declare martial law in many of the
counties of Middle and West Ten
essee, to which the militia, then be-
ing organized, would be sent to pre-
serve the peace and good order of
society, and that our good county
of Rutherford was included in the
number.
Our fellow citizens were not only
astonished at seeing this announce
ment, but felt mortified that a county
which had been so peaceable and
law-abiding since the termination of
the war, and in which so little crime
and lawlessness had been committed,
should be threatened with martial
law. 1t is proper and right, how
ever, to remark, by information
from Gen. Cooper, that the an
was not officially made,
nor do we believe that the State au-
thorities had any hand in the an
The bare announce
ment, though, was enough to sur
prise our people, and excite their
fears for the future peace and safety
of our citizens.
A public meeting was Immediately
called Of ell citizens of the town, on
the evening of the day above men,
toned, and, after some speaking and
consultation, it was determined that
a committee of twenty, 60 which
some others were afterward added, }
should be appointed by the Chair
man, to 90 to Nashville and have an
with Gen. Cooper on this
subject-and, if thought necessary
by the committee, go to Knoxville
also, and have an interview with
Gov. BroWnlow.
The committee met by appoint
ment on the 25th ult., and after con
sultatiOn determined to designate
certain gentlemen of their body as
a sub committee, to proceed to
on the 9th, requesting
as many others of the original CON-
mittee, and also citizens not OF the
committee, as coHld conveniently do
so, TO accompany them.
The sal,-oommittee, with several
other citizens, met in Nashville on
the 9th, and after announcement to
Gen. Cooper through Gen. Palmer
and Capt. Doughty, specially de-
puted for this purpose, we repaired
to the quarters of Gen. Cooper, and
in the presence of the Hon. ID. W.
c. Ssnter, Speaker of the Senate,
who had been invited and requested
to be present, had long, interest
ing, and we hope and believe salts
factory interview on the subject OF
our mission-a fair, though not full,
report of which has been published
in the Nashville newspapers, and
which we do not deem necessary to
repeat on this occasion.
1t is proper and right, however,
to remark that the Chairman of the
together with Sheriff
Webb, Capt. Doughty, Esq. Fletcher,
Clerk of the Circuit and Criminal
Courts, DIR. Russell, Hon. Charles
Ready, Hon. f. d. Jordan,
Mayor of our city, Gen. Palmer,
land perhaps others not now
all testified to the
fact that the citizens of Ruther-
ford, as mass, were a quiet, peace
full and law abiding people, and that
there was no necessity for the de-
claration of martial law, nor for the
presence of the militia in our county.
7 Gen. Cooper expressed much
pleasure in having this interview
with the committee, and assured the
committee that he would lay all the
facts before Gov. Brownlow as soon
as possible, declaring himself that
he had no desire to disturb or OPP
press any portion of our people,
and that neither martial law nor the
militia would be visited on any COM
munity who would obey and respect
the laws. After thi~ interview, and
under the impression made upon the
entire committee present, it was not
deemed necessary to go to Knox
vile to see the Governor, know
ing that he was personally ac-
quainted with many gentlemen
of the committee, and believ-
ing that he is perfectly salts
fed that they would not testify
falsely, therefore, hoping and believ-
ing that martial law will not be de-
clared in our county, nor the militia
sent among us, on account of any
real or supposed lawlessness which
NAV have been committed; there
fore your committee beg leave most
respectfully-regardless of political
diferences-and ofall organizations
by whatever names called, to i'm
press upon our people, both white
and colored, the importance, the
paramount duty of every citizen to
yield a ready acquiesence in the laws
of the land. Some of the laws, tits
true, by many of US, are believed to