Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-03-13
Row THE Laws ARE ENFORof

The tragedy at horn Lake, IN
Mississippi, which resulted in the
death of a member of the metro
politan force of Memphis, furnishes
a practical illustration of the man
ner IN the laws are enforced by
Radical officials in this State. The
Memphis Aralaacbe of the 18th
inst, says:
1.-THE Memphis Chief of Police is re
vealed in bad light by this dreadful af-
fair. He says the police were not in &.
strueted to 90 into Mississippi If not,
it was folly to send them, as the fugi-
tive, if in Tennessee, was known to be
near the line, and common prudence
would suggest hurrying to the other side
on the approach of danger DR.. Pearne
could scarcely have failed to realize this;
and unless he intended that his officers
should 20 into Mississippi, if necessary,
sending them at all was the climax of
absurdity. This sort Of special pleading
will not do. The same day Dr. Pearne
TGlu5Gu a uGAdiA " uIIC5b TIC OOlDl VI
mob which attempted to murder Caro-
way on Presidents Island He said
the police were not compelled to go into
the country; besides no pay could be OBJ
tanned for the service The Metropolitan
Police District extends throughout Shell,
by county, and Presidents Island is in
Shelby county. If not compelled to send
into the country, why dispatch tive of his
most efficient officers to the Mississippi
line on business belonging to the sheriff,
while refusing assistance to citizens who
sought to bring assassins within sight of
Memphis to iustice2 Tho Presidents
Island mob was composed of Radicals
whose victim is a Conservative. The
Mississippi fugitive is wanted by the mes
torious Governor Clayton. Pearne could
risk valuable lives to crafty Clayton, but
not an hours time of a member Of his
force to arrest assassins IN his own dis
trict
Here is a sworn officer Of the
law ordering two members of the
police under his control to accom-
pany a militia officer from an adj
joining State and aid in arresting
a fugitive from justice, who he pre-
tends to have believed was in Shell
by county, but near the Mississippi
line. This militia officer was sent
by the Radical Governor of Arkan-
sas to arrest and bring back to that
State a man charged with having
committed a crime there. 1t APP
pears that On the same day on
which the Rev. W. II. Pearne, the
Commissioner of the metropolitan
Police Of Memphis, ordered two Of
his subordinates to accompany and
assist this Arkansas militia officer
in arresting the fugitive from JUS
tee, an application was made to
him to send a police force to arrest
some negroes but a short distance in
the country, who had attempted to
murder a white man, and succeeded
in seriously wounding him. This
he peremptorily refused to do, not
withstanding the attempted assas-
sination occurred in his police
district. In the one case he was
serving his party friends in the
other he would not, and hence his
refusal. Here is practical Illus
tration of the enforcement of the
laws in Tennessee by Radical Off
Gals. Where they can serve their
party friends or promote the Radi-
cal cause, they are prompt and eff
cient but this trait is not exhibited
when their party or political friends
are to suffer by the laws enforce