Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-03-23
WHAT. RECONSTRUCTEON MEANS
In TENNESSEE.

I'm TENNESSEE
The Washington correspondent of the
New York Herald writes, March Is;
"As stated in my dispatches last night,
A. ]. Fletcher, Secretary Of State of Ten
nessee, and Col. Frank Hyberger, of Gov.
Senter's staff, have arrived in this city
this morning. Col. Hyberger visited the
Executive mansion. and presented to the
PresiSent dispatches, of which he was Che
bearer, from Coy. Senter. The dispatches
called tie attention of the, President TO
the existence of q condition of lawless-
ness in Tennessee which was beyond his
power to suppress; that the Legislature
had repealed the laws giving him the
right to call out the militia of the Stata 70
suppress Violence and disorder and to
authorize a posse of citizens to pursue
and aTraign criminals; that the operation
of justice had entirely ceased, and be was
perfectly unable to protect innocent pers
sons; that gangs of ruf1ans were or
ganized and deliberately murdered citizens
without the preiense of law. In con
sideration of this condition OF at
fairs the Governor asked the Presi-
dent of the United States to author
ize him to take command of United States
forces in the State, or that may be sent
there at his request. The President read
the dispatches and stated that he would
give them immediate consideration. There
are many other persons here besides
Fletcher and Hyberger working to induce
federal interposition in Tennessee matters,
and it is said by some disinterested parties
that the whole movement is urged on by
inscriptions and designing politicians
and spectators. One of the petitioners
for government interference is said TO be
man who figured discreditably in con-
nection with Tennessee bank, and who
is represented as saying here, lately, II
we can only get the United States govern
ment TO reconstruct Tennessee again i
will be a mighty good way TO make
money. Let her be oveuun with fedora
bayonets once more and we can make all
the money we want. Just think of thai
as motive for reconstructing a sovereign
State once more.
There is little doubt that this fellow hal
expressed what is really wanted by thos'
Radicals who are clamoring SO Justify TO
reconstruction and a military government
They want to get offices and make none.
by getting fat contracts, like they had fiV
or six years ago, and if Congress viii onl.
grant their request, they win be the mos
delighted set of fellows that have bee
seen in Tennessee since the close of tn
war, not excepting the partisans of Sente
and Stokes when they shiVered the Rad
cal party in this State to atoms, in May c
last year. This whole movement is tn
= work of INSCRIPTIONS politicians an
Spectators, and the charge that outrage
upon the negroes and white Radicals ar
of daily occurrence, is simply pretext +
cover up the infamy of this thing. Thi
, is virtually admitted by that stauncI
Radical paper, the st. Louis Democrat
It says
F1t is strange that no account of an
of these misdeeds reaches us except b
Washington. We have host of staunch
loyal papers in Tennessee upon our eN
change list, but we have not observed ]
oneof these papers for months singl
well authenticated account of harm don
to any body on account of his politics
opinions. Nor do we remember that th
= special dispatches to the Western paper:
, or the associated press dispatches, hay
given any account of these outrages.
little more detailed information is surel
i desirable before proceeding to legislatio
a of character utterly unprecedented
, our history.
"TWe all know what this complain
means. Every honest man in the country
be he Republican or Democrat, who is res
sonably informed in regard to currer
events, knows that when the Stokes part
was beaten last year they threatened
overturn the State Government, to ou'
i the officers elected, and to get the powt
, | restored to their own hands by an act
o Congress. This threat was not made in
corner, nor by unnoticed individuals.
was made by Stokes himself, and by LEAF
e ing papers in his interest. We all no'
D that the movement now being made is
pursuance of that threat, and that its oil
ject is to get back the power for tho'
who have been voted out of office by Il
U | DeOple of Tennessee