Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1870-05-11
"Hew TENNESSEE is sLasBERED.,a
The Rcal Enemies Of eur Peace. y !
"The Press and Herald Mau'' Nanafac.
turing NeEs.v @Nx


| The Press and Herald of yesterday tnorning
contained highly sensational article, headed
"a Disgraceful Scene" &c, which iff true
might well excite indigestion and provoke re-
buke. Upon reading the artict We determined
to send special messenger, attnnce, 10 Blount
county, to Learn the actual fark sat inst as we
were n,akins saek a..ss .wss s-src .ssss--
formed that several gentlemen from Blount
county were in theeity, who knew something of
the facts The first of these we met was Capt.
r. n. Hood, clever gentleman and one of the
most active and enthusiastic CONSERVATIVES of
that county. We knew Captain Hood, ssrela-
| tons to the politics of Blount county very we'll
and we knew that he would not report the mat
| ter whit more favorable 70 the side of the ac-
cused than the facts warranted. We are there
fore satisfied, from what we know of Captain
Hood, that the facts as he states them are sub
stantially true.
In response to the question, as to what he
knew of the reported mob, he said: Il know
enough about it to know that what is reported
about it is - lie You know that have no
sympathy for the preacher-whippers of Blount
county, but then I don't believe in making mat
ters any worse than they are The facts are that
the Church referred to has been in the legal posT
sessionofthe Methodist Church. N orth ever since
the war. Who it belongs to of right, suppose
is a question of law. But il they are not en-
titled to it, it ought to be taken from them by
law. As understand it, this man Bays had no
right to the Church, and his going there was
calculated to get up trouble.-There was no
force or violence used, or knives drawn, that /
heard of, and 1 think I heard all Of it As
heard the story, they simply told Mr. Bays that
he coaldn't preach there, and heswentoG and
that is about the whole of it, We remarked
in reply that we were glad to hearthe story con-
tradicted, for if it had occurred as reported, we
intended to denounce It His answer was g s'I
have given the thing as we heard it at
Maryyille, and you can give me as authority for
what have said = IT
near r. = verbatim ss, s n q as possible. and 9
and Herald man."
4 few moments after leaving CAP tood, we
met with W. T. Parham, of Maryvila, IL gen
tleman of veracity His statement swas some
what fuller than Mr. Hoods, and is, therefore,
more satisfactory The two men so fully agree
in their main facts that we are satisfied they are
correct, and that the Press Foesd Iferald has
grossly slandcred the iuiet citizens of Bount
county.
Our second informant in substance, said "a
The building is the property of the Metho
dist Episcopal Church. 1t claims, and has had
possession of it ever since the war. -Four.
weeks ago last Sunday, Mr. Kennedy, with
out the knowledge of the Trustees of the
Church, invited Mr.. Bays to preach there. The
announcement was made and the people turned
out and heard him respectfully. The whole
thing passed off and nothing more was said
about it. Some time last week the Trustees
learned that Mr.. Kennedy had again invited
Mr.. Bays to preach in their Church As he had
never asked them for the use ofthe ChuIch, they
thought it rather cool.
cat meeting of the Trustees held on last Sat
urday, it was unanimously decided that Mr..
Bays should be notified that it was not, t,-greea-
BILE that he should use the Church, and that
Mr.. Kennedy had no authority to invite him
there. When Sunday morning came, the mem
bers of the Church met and awaited Mr.. Bays
coming. As soon as he came he was quietly
notified of the action of the Trustees. He
promptly replied that he did not wish to preach
there if the people did not want to hear him,
and went off Our informant says there was no
barricading of doors or windows with benches,
nor any arriving nor preparing for trouble. No
violence was manifested, as none was called for
The whole transaction at the Church was order
ly and quiet"
Now we submit, in view of all these facts,
that the Press and Heraldlhas either been out
rageously imposed upon, or has rlant,fac-
tured'' the account in TOTO In justice to the
parties named, and to the good citizens of
Blount county, We call upon our contemporary
to give the names 1of its informants, that we
may all know who these slanderers are The
Press and Herald must either do this, sustain
its charges, or stand convicted of deliberately
and outrageously misrepresenting an innocent
and unoffending community. -