The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-04-13
a6eQttteLLiqenesn
ThsReal SituanOh II Tepnesses

In Tennessee, states tairly what IS charBeo
on the one hand and denied on the other,
and adds what appears TO be an impartial
statement of the facts ofthG case:
have cndeavorcd TO give tatrly the
statements Of each side, that II may be
seen how difficult 1t Is for one at the North
TO understand our real condition. So
thoroughly partisan, on one aide or lthe
other, arc most Of the reports sent from
that State, that wes sometimes despair Of
being correctly understood. Now, though
It would be very unsafe to follow either
orthe above statements, neither one Is al.
todaflier untrue. Tint in Tennessee Union
men. or northern, mem Or icplorea mCH
a. a class, are unsafe In lite 81 PROPERTY Is
utterly untrue. That they are ever muir
dercd or outraged, rs belonging 70 any OF
these clusses, Is either very foolish or u
very wicked faIschoOd. Thus, u state.
ment has been made on the floor OF Con-
gross that oil the Union men In one OF the
districts of this county had been notified
TO leave, and that one Ind been murdered
already. It was false, Of course. But
when we are told that human life In Ten
neasee Is perfectly or even tolerably pro-
tected BY tho law one cannot but demuH.
Murders and outr0ges are not invented by
politicians, though their Causes may be
misstated for party ends. That these OC.
Currenccs have been unplcasantly frequent
during the past few months Is notorious,
and our people have deplOrel It.
Il is q matter which affects all classes
and all parties. The trouble docs not
arise from any ,rebelliOus spirit as our rad
lSdelight % believe, bdtlle far deeper
thin Ihat. Itcansbc traced back % the
days Of slavery, when tho law projected
property, but len life 10 the individual.
This will be readily understood by any
one familiar with Southern society OF
course the general decentralization Of the
war, the numerous private tcuds which
survived It, tho anomalous condition Of
society during the social and political
changes since the war, have all contrib.
uted TO the common result. Frequent as
are these murder, or shooting ARRAYS, us
they are called here, 1t Is very seldom that
they are caused by political quarrels; and
when they are, the "rebcl" is as often
killed as the ''loyal" man. Indeed, In the
cases which hare come under my own
observation, Confederate soldiers have
been generally the victims. But the worst
feature in, these murders is not their Ire
quency, but the immunity q the mnrdeEs
Ecfal Merry rarely isSthe Z guilty Party
brought TO justice, unless some friend OF
the deceased takes the law into his own
hands, or Judge Lynch is appealed TO. If
the murderer Is Of good family, or there
was any Question Of "honor" Involved, that
ends the matter. The longer one lives in
the South, the more thoroughly he Is con-
WINGED Of the folly of attempting TO reach
this evil by legislation. The trouble Is in
that public sentiment Of which the laws
must be the expression If they arc to he
enforced. Until that public sentiment Is
educated to appreciate better the import
ancc Of personal security, we must hopo In
vain for any permanent Improvement.
Moreover, Il can not be denied that
there is IN certain parts Of the State law
less, a brutal element, and In some cases
gross outfag6s have been ic0mmtttedS
though 10 doubt they have been greatly
exaggerated The evils of this unsettled
state orsocicty have fallen upon all classes
alike, though undoubtedly the negroes, Hs
Ithc most helpless have suffered thcmost:
But that II is,unsafe for. thenitolive In the
country Is simply ridiculous. They swarm
in anil about our cities and frequent the
yilest haunts Of vice, while many Of our
country people find It almost impossible to
obtain household servants. These facts
arc notorious here None deplore these
outrarcs more sincerely than the citizens
themselves, and II the United States troops
are really needed In any locality 10 assist
tho civil authorities they will lIc heartily
welcomed by the great mass oI the pcO-
plc, It Is no kindness 10 the southern pcO.
bic 10 conceal any Of these facts Indeed,
| If this apprehension Of Congressional In
importance OF protecting life BY the law,
and of depressing yleasness lHI !sy ,sS
Anu' i1'"l'""' p' "'s"'"s ss''" 'bVS"S"
w. ~p =
Tie excitement on The subject Of Con;
grcsslonal interference is very great; ana t
stlT c.sI y, Is IA IA ,Ssi ,Hn Union men md
, ,crC%S " mo" bcrc orc almos, united in
Jcnrnca,;n" "nv sIcI measure, The few
noiiticinnS wh3 hone 10 I've directly bcnc-
';t,nj IN a new distFibntIm OF lie offices
"r ssT ;ts n,iv friands The vindicliyc noli.