Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-06-04
THE OUTRAGE UP0N THE PEOPLE
OF CLABKsVILLE.

81 The quartering of militia on the
people of Clarksville has excited
their just Indignation. 1t was a
most wanton outrage, and now that
the mischief has been done, its au-
thor sees the blunder he has COM
mitted in all its hideous deformity.
The GAINESVILLE Patriot contains
his apology. for this act as follows :
A CAEb.Al understand that many
threatening inquiries are made as to who
sent for the militia. 'ii f's' -
- That no mistake may be made take
this oeea ZION to say that telegraphed for
them and they came. deemed that !
acted prudently., My sole motive was to
avoid the burning of the town. II my
course is regarded improper will not
again interfere. Al j. JAY Buck
This is a poor apology for the
wrong he has inflicted upon q
people from whom he has received
only fayors. He does not pretend
to show why he thought the town
was in danger of being burned. OF
course the insinuation of this dam
ger is aimed at his political oppo-
nents, and who can wonder that it
has ELECTED their just Indignation.
The GAINESVILLE Tobacco Leaf
whose editor had evidently not
seen the card of Mr.. Buck, notices
the affair, in the issue of that paper
of the Sd inst, as follows: l
Our citizens were overwhelmed with
establishment upon waking up on
| Saturday morning last to find our quiet
| city occupied by the State militia. There
had been no disturbance Of the public
peace during the progress of the cleo
ton during Thursday, with the excep-
ton of one or two reneounters be-
| tween negroes, which were promptly
| stopped, and the town had been en-
| tirely quiet on Friday, with the excep-
1 ton of slight affair on the street bes
| tween Capt w. w. Valiant, and Mr.
| McMullen, Mr.. Bucks partner Upon
| inquiry, it was aseertained that alarm
| ing reports of riot in progress or a
| dangerous outbreak about to occur had
| been forwarded from here to Nashville
on Friday evening, and that the opinion
| prevailed there that a fearful state Of
things existed here. s..-....
The question arises right here who
sent these lying reports. Is it possible
that PETER, Buck, McMullen 4 Co.
started them simply upon the strength Of
the fact that Capt Valiant had slapped
McMullen's face, and if 80, is it reasons
able to believe that they considered that
insignificant affair riot or an indication
of a serious outbreak to Gomez That
some of these parties originated the res
ports referred to which put the State to
the expense of sending the militia here,
we do not doubt, but what their object
could have been in defling themselves
with such dirty job, it is difficult to
conceive The fruits OF such conduct
could only be scorn and contempt with
no equivalent advantage, unless they be-
lieved that they would thereby show
their power and mortily and humiliate
the people of GAINESVILLE. This We pre-
sumo is the true explanation.
| Now in connection with this disrepu-
table affair it should be borne in mind
that these men, PETER, Buck, McMul-
len d Co., came here with swords and
muskets in their hands to subjugate our
| people. Upon the close of the war they
settled here penniless for the purpose Of
lettering their fortunes Our people
have treated them with uniform kinds
ness, have thrown business in their hands
and enabled them not only to make a
support for them and their families, but
to accumulate property. In addition to
this, the entire white population, not dis
franchised, have given their votes once
to Mr.. Buck, as their candidate for Cons
gress, and once for Mr.. PETER as their
candidate for Representative in the Leg.
islature. Mr.. Back is the author of the
infamous law which compels all the legal
advertising to be published in his own
paper, and yet an examination OF his
columns will show that many of our
merchants and business men, with a
liberality which cannot be explained,
and a blindness unparalleled, bestow a
large amount of their advertising pa
tronage upon him.
In return for all this kindness and COM
fdence, the whole party of them have
been constantly engaged in generating
bad blood and unkind feelings between
the whites and the blacks. They have
| poured into their ears the most Disgrace
full and improbable lies, and endeavored
in every dishonest form and way to make
the negroes believe that they and they
alone, were their friends. This was all
fer a selfish purpose-the Advancement
| of their own individual interests, at the
hazard of the peace of society and the
safety Of the men and the wives and the
children of the men who were putting
business in their hands and bread into
the mouths of their wives and children
Were men ever guilty of more despicable
conduct or more vile ingratitude.
On the day Of the election all the ne
grOes of this county, and hundreds from
Kentucky, were brought here tc vote.
Casting the question of frauds aside, there
is no doubt that this unusual assemblage
of negroes here, almost all armed, and all
insolent and overbeariDg, was intended
to overawe the Conservative voters
and control the polls Who concocted
this infamous scheme, so unnecessary
if it was intended to have an honest
election, and 80 full of danger, if OUT
rage was intended2 Can anybody
believe that those who had the most
direct interest in bringing about such
result, we mean the candidates
themselves, had no hand in it2 He
must be indeed stupid and credulous
fool who can for single moment enter
tain such an idea Then what are we to
think of men who have received so much
at the hands of the people of GAINESVILLE,
and who are so lost to every impulse of
honor, gratitude and decency as now to
plot, and attempt to execdte, such treason
to their interests and rights2 We leave
them to the stings of their own guilty
consciences If they have any-and to
what will be to them still more serious
iB1iction, the just retributiOn which is
certain to OyeTtake them in the shape Of
the scOrn and contempt of all honest
men and the withdrawal Of public cons
| tidaucps ...