Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-03-25
Correspondence of the New York Tribune

4 encc-The character Oh ane Nseh
| who Demand RecOnstruction-T The
] Conspiracy Exposed.
| Correspondence of the New York Tribune.
| MEMPHIS, March 11.-An undoubted
| public impression to the contrary not
| withstandlng, | find that West Tennessee,
and Memphis in particular, can justly lay
claim to far more peaceable and law
abiding community than ever before or
since the war; Indeed, have the as
surances of old and tried Unionists,
against whose fealty TO the Union and to
the Republican party breath OF sus-
| piciOn even cannot come, that the general
| observance of law and order is better to-
| day even than before the war. | am
aware that the public journals have
teemed with accounts of gross outrages
| in this and that locality. To say the
least, such accounts must be taken as
highly exaggerated, intensely partisan,
and systematically put forward for effect.
| A strong effort is making to induce
Congressional interference in this State,
with view to either entirely overthrow
the Government as organized, or at least
subvert it by practically putting it under
| the control of few old party hacks or
attaches of the Republican party. Origi-
nally the programme, as understood here,
was to remand the State back to condi-
ton of territorial dependency. Later,
however, deSpairing of such Legislation,
the plan has been somewhat modified.
AS understood here now, in certain
| circles, consisting almost exclusively of
blacks, the programme, as changed, con-
sists of bill by which Congress, under
pretense of the enforcement of the Four
teenth Amendment, is to declare the late
Legislature an unconstitutional body, and
order a new election. Preparatory to
| such election, a new registration Is to be
ordered in conformity TO the restricting
clauses of the present State Constitution.
That such a programme if carried out
| will result in the complete overthrow of
the Democratic party in power is beyond
a doubt. In its consideration, however,
several important questions arise, not the
least of which is: viii it not in its GER
| tain rebound result in the overthrow of
the National Republican party as well |?
The principal points TO be decided before
| the adoption of such programme how
ever are these. Are the evils in Tennes-
see such as to absolutely demand Con-
| gressional interference Will the remedy
| proposed render the condition of affairs
therein better or worse9 Is it the politi-
cal demagogues attached to the party,
or q majority of the more respectable
| Republicans who most desire such
] interference In answer to the first,
| most hestatingly assert and
challenge the test, that no such evils eX-
list in the State of Tennessee, as can short
of fabulous manipulation worthy of a
veritable Munchausen, justify any pretense
even for such Congressional action. AS
| far as West Tennessee at least is con-
cerned he who asserts to the contrary, be-
lies the testimony of every prominent Re-
| publican who can be found. Upon this
point l have consulted a score or more of
the more prominent lifelong Republicans
in Memphis. There is not one who does
not scout the very idea of there being to-
day one whit the worse condition of
affairs in regard to law and order than du-
ring Republican rule. That outrages have
been committed, and that much lawless-
ness to-day exists in many of the counties
of Middle Tennessee is true. That such,
save it be in very exceptional cases, arise
from political differences, not one Re
publican in one hundred believes. Onth6
other hand, they most emphatically deny
it. On the contrary, too, | have the as
surance on every hand in Republican cir
Giles, that so far from there being any
thing like the manifestation of sectional
animosity as was seen only one short veal
ago, save in exceptianal cases, it has TO 6
great extent disappeared Indeed, FIND
it matter of remark among those whose
steadfastness to, and open advocacy OF
Republican principles formerly brOugh
them under the ban of proscrip
ton, that to-day they are every
where treated with consideration
and respect, and, more than this, arr
even frequently made the recipients OF
testimonials of esteem. AS a case in
point, and to show the marked change
which has been brought about, | vii
| mention the case of the Rev. L. Bills
of this city. To those at all conversan
with social affairs in the South since thu
war, it is unnecessary for me TO state thu
fact that nowhere was social Ostracism TO
opinions sake more manifest than in churcl
circles. Coming here as a representative
of the Bible Mission Society of Boston
forthe purpose of founding Congregation
al Church, Just after the war, few wer
more completely Ostracised than he. 1t j
equally true that no man has at all time
been more bold and manly in his opel
expressions of undying loyalty and Of
| E.. 80 Dnp,,I,1sann YNriprfrlnc fhnr hot
| the Rev. r. L. Bliss He was known and
abused on every hand as the ''Radica
preacher" He has just resigned his pas
| torship. What do we see on the coca
, | sion: A meeting of the Memphis Pas
/ | tors Association, and the unanimou
adoption of resolutions highly eulogIsti
| of this ''Radical preacher" and expires
, sive of their sincere regret at his with
t | drawal from their midst. Certainly, i
[ the language of a church member an
prominent Republican to me, 'this is
g wonderful change" Now does the Rev
I #. E. Bliss believe that Outrages are com
S mitted in Tennessee for opinions sake
| On the contrary, he tells me that he doc
= not believe word of it; that in no SEE
f ton can an honest man speak his homes
! convictions, in a gentlemanly manner
i with more perfect freedom than here.
: Such, too, | find to be the opinion {
= every prominent Republican here. Blu
+ says the doubtful reader, how about tn
/ outrages of which we hear As / said bt
j fore that much lawlessness exists in V;
o rious counties in Middle Tennessee is lru'
S It is equally true that in many of I'll
Y same much lawlessness existed even b.
e fore the war, and it is a matter of seriou
a doubt in point of fact whether there
d much, il any more, now than then. 81
how about these gangs of Ku-Klux {
| masked men robbing and plundcring Il
&c blacks, and even, as reported, murderir
h them as well2 That such an organizatiC
e existed in Tennessee, as elsewhere in Il
t. South, political, and to much extent rev
b lutionary in its designs, do not doub
l. That such an organization was made, eve
l. then, the cloak under which TO comm
J. every species of murder and outrage
N gangs of desperadoes under no contr
5r but their own base, devilish natures, ha,
4 reason to know full well. That the O
f. der as a political organization is still
W full blast under its former leaders, {
a. not believe. Thatnow, as then, howeve
d it is made a cloak for the commission
a. crime in certain localities is beyond
is doubt. That such crimes and outrage
III however, are committed through polite
lg hatred, certainly cannot as yet find a 7
DC spectacle Republican TO say he belieye
ct 1t is simply a matter of robbery and plu
or der, and occasionally, as a natural cons
a. ouence, of murder attendant upon &
"a | ....., That III, r,nnr hIncl-o cnrnn in {