Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-04-16

carry. HT
In giving his testimony before the
Reconstruction Committee, and try
ing to ride two horses at the same
time, Governor Senter was put to it
severely. The cross examination
compelled him to say that, in Tennes-
see, "where the rebel element was in
the ascendant the loyal men were
hunted down and molestedj and that
in localities 0here The uniontists aCere
strongest the rebels acre m~dltredted in
the same manner" We understand
this assertion to mean that on the one
hand "loyal" men arg prosecuted for
being so in one case, and ''rebels" for
having been so in the other. II
o1oyaI" or union men have been
"moiested" on political grounds, and
because they were so, anywhere
in the State, it is more than
we know or believe. 1t is i'm
possible Governor Senter should pro-
duce the proof. AS to whether the
" unionists" have maltreated the
"rebels" he ought to know, and his
testimony as a unionist is entitled to
more weight as a confession. The
Gazette correspondent evidently cred
iting the testimony of Senter, says;
Such a state of things is the legitimate
and inevitable consequence Of the shame
full legislation of Congress called the re-
construction system. In this very city,
right under the nose of his Excellency,
where the Democratic " element F" is lying
dormant-in nc way interfering in the
political affairs of the Distriet-there are
nightly "molestations," cummings
down" and "msltreatment " by the fac
they are perpetrated by the rowdies in
the localities where their different
wings" are In the ascendant" or
where they are the strongest" precisely
as in Tennessee. Not a night passes but
that masses of police officers are in requi-
sition' to prevent bloodshed among the
negroes supporting Bowen on the one
hand and the negroes and their white un-
derlings who sustain Richards on the
other. The real difficulty, of course, lies
in the new political element" created
by the unauthorized legislation of Con-
gress, and purpOsely sent over the
whole land as a frebrand to set the coun-
try in a fame, in order that preconcerted
anarchy shall furnish excuse for further
entertainments upon the rights of the
States and the personal liberties of the
people. The remedy proposed by Govern
or Senter is ridiculously inefficient. In a
very few years, from the very necessity of
the case, if Federal troops are to be
sent at random into the States, the whole
{" army" of the United States will prove
inadequate to quiet the utterly discordant
T" elements I" in a single Southern State.
IL is th6 policy Of this administration and
al others WhO desire a form of gOUerR-
meRt founded fpOn moRGrchicaL pTinci-
pies, to form civil connections, rather
than allay them. Federal " troops" WiH
but hasten the catastrophe.
To show the eminent fitness Of
Senter to act as commander-in-chie
of the army and navy of Tennessee
in this trying emergency, the same
correspondent further adds;
"In response to a question from Fer
nando Wood, whether Governor Senter
considered General Forrest a man OF
veracity, and would believe his state
ments on the Tennessee troubles, Cover
nor Senter declined to give a positive
answer n way or another, for the rea-
son, he said, that Forrest was a shooting
character, and might infict personal in
jury if he told the committee his opinion
of him."
These are brave words, and show pluck
to the backbone. Pray was there not
some other shooting character on the
other side of the fence, at the command
of whom this new CheYalier de Bayard
posted here to get troops" to put down
the party which elected him ?