Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-01-08
THE CONSPIRACY.
Invoking Congressional Inter-
ference.
The Plot to Overthrow the State
Government.
Startling Development of the
Purpose of Stokes and his
Henchmcn.


A secret political meeting was held in a
| certain office in JOnesbOro one day last
week, the object of which was to memo
rialize Congress, calling upon that body
to set aside the election in Tennessee,
overthrow the present State government,
and place the State under military rule.
In accordance with this programme, a
preamble and series of resolutions were
adopted.
This document, which we learn was
sent ready made from Washington, Is to
be circulated through the country for the
purpose of getting the signatures of such
Republicans as are in favor of the move
ment. A number of names have already
been subscribed to it, some of the
owners of which, strange to say, have
never seen the document. How their
names happen to be there let some one
else explain.
To convince our readers that this was
secret meeting, we publish the following
correspondence which took place between
the editors of this paper and the Secretary
of the meeting aforesaid, which explains
itself.
As we are dealing with institutions,
and not with individuals, we suppress
names
oEFIGE OF TIE HERALD AID Tribune, JoSEs-
BoRo, Tenn, Jan. 4, 1s70.-CoL- -, Dear Sir
viii you please furnish Us for publication copy of
the resolutions adopted at meeting held in -
Office last week, and of which you were appointed
Secretary. BY so doing you will greatly Oblige US.
Very respectfully, WHEELER d MAHoNEY
REPLY.
JoNEsBoRo, Tenn, Jan. 4, I87O-Dear sirs:
Your letter of inquiry handed me this morning by
one of yours, is forthwith noticed. unreservedly
assure you gentlemen that had there been anything
Of public nature transacted in - Office you
would have been timely notified.
Respectfully,
LDIrOEs HERALD AND TRIBUNE.
1t will be observed that the writer of
the above does not deny that there was a
meeting held at the time and place desig-
mated; that he was appointed Secretary
of that meeting or that certain resolutions
were adopted, but does deny that any
thing of a public nature was transacted
there. What the writer NAV consider
transactions of a public nature we have
nc means of knowing, but in our opinion
every transaction involving the public in
terests is, or ought to be, public. Now
We happen TO know more about the pro-
CCedings of that meeting than the partici-
pants evidently intended we should. We
know every individual who composed it,
and the nature OF the business transacted
there; and as public journalist we have
felt il our duty to inform our readers of
the facts in the case. These secret con
Cla7cs SAVIOR strongly of Intrigue
and corruption, of which We have had
plenty in the past. II is this that
has ruined the State finances, plunged
us in debt, plundered the Treasury and
accomplished the downfall of the Repub-
iCan party in Tennessee. Let us have
no more Of it. If these gentlemen have
stated the truth in the declarations they
have made, where is the necessity for
COncealment 1t is sometimes necessary,
where false statements are made in order
to accomplish certain ends, that scCresy
be observed; but there is never any ne
ccssity for withholding the truth In a
matter Of this kind, in which all are inter-
estcd, the people should be fully informed
of everything that transpircs connected
with it. Every statement made should
be public. If it will not bear the or
deal of public criticism, the presumption
Is that it is false. Such procedures are
beneath the dignity Of the -rcat Republi-
can party. They are humiliating, I'M
manly, and contrary to the spirit of true
Republicanism. While claiming TO be
Republican IL every sense of the word,
We deny the right of any set of men to
gather in secret COnClave, and assume to
speak for US in a matter concerning
which, We feel perfectly competent to
speak and act for ourselves; nor do we
propose as members of the Republican
party, TO be identified with acts that will
not bear thetest of public scrutiny.
So far as Congressional interference is
concerned we have said, and we repeat it
here, that we have no desire for it so long
as citizens Of all classes are protected in
their rights, and we have heard of no com
| plants since the Inauguration of the pres
Cnt State government. There has been a
fewer number of Outrages committed than
at any other period since the war, and so
long as these objects, for which all gov
| ernments are instituted, are carried out, we
| are opposed to any outside interference.
But whenever il becomes evident that the
State government is either unable or I'M
willing to protect its citizens of all COlors,
or conditions, in all their rights, then we
| are in favor of Congressional or any other
interference TO protect the weak against
| the strong, and to crush out the last
vcstlge Of tyranny and oppression from
the land
But We should not anticipate evils,
which many of these so-called Republicans
are doing. If matters were as bad as they
represent them, they should be the last tC
complain. If they feared so much from
the convention which is about to assemble,
| why did they not make an effort to defeat
it while 1t lay in their power to do so
| The truth Is these men do not want peace.
| They are so constituted as only to thrive
in times of war, disCord and confusion.
Peace with them means starvation and
| social OstTaCism. 1t also means labor, q
thing they are decidedly averse to. There
has been altogether too much tranquility
in Tennessee since the last election to suit
their turbulent temperaments They de.
ClaTed at the outset that under the new re-
gime, no Union man, either white or col
Ored, would be safe; that their rights
would not be respected, and that a season
of bloOdshed and violence was about tC
set in. To their chagrin and disappoint
ment nothing of the kind has taken place
The country is at peace and their Occu
patton is gone. But we have the satisfac
ton Of knowing that while they noun
the people rejoice.
THE TOBACCO CROP
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