Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-01-05
THE CASE OF GEORGIA,
Senator Wilson'S Appeal to Grant--
The Proposed Military UsurPatiOn
i'm that State--What Terry RecOm-
.,,nnhnh-uAnI Ieck,s EndnrSenIenI

Senator Wilson'S Appeal to Grant--
The Proposed Military UsurpatiOn
i'm that State--what Terry RecOm-
mended--HalIeck's Endorsement.
Correspondence of the Baltimore Gazette. 81
WASHINGTON, Dec. 81, 1569.-It was
determined from the first Eafter Georgia
had cast her electoral vote against Grant,
to remand her to colonial vassalage The
documents from the War Office, just is
sued, prove this beyond peradventure. 1t
will be remembered that measures were
at once set afoot to manufacture Ku-Klux
| outrages there. 1t was not known at
that time, that the leading Radicals were
| at work tC force Gen. Grant, as soon as
he assumed the Presidency, to commit
this outrage without waiting for the &C
ton of Congress. The following letter of
Senator Wilson lets in new light. Re
mark its date, and where dated:
''NATIQK, Mass, May IA, 1S69.-Dear
Sir:-Can nothing be done to stop the
outrages in Georgia. These political
murders should cease. Nothing animated
the people more in the canvass than the
idea that the Rebel Outrages should be
stopped. They were checked much by
your election; still they go on, and many
| of our best friends say we do nothing to
stop them, and that we rather say nothing
| about them. l fear that unless something
is done many of our most devoted friends
| will grow dissatisfied. Cannot a prOcla-
nation in regard to Georgia be issued
Cannot these criminals be caught by the
army and punishedl l am sure some
thing should be attempted. Martial law
is this day needed in that, the worst of all
the States, for the security of the friends
of the country.
"Yours truly,
President Grant. HENEY WILSON.
This letter was promptly referred by
the President, through Gen. Sherman, to
''thc Commanding General, Department
of the South Gen. Terry, "fOr thorough
investigation. 1t is needless TO add that
the Radical partisan military commander,
commenced at once to scout the State for
subjects of complaint, but not until
August following had he scrapcd together
a sufficienCy of falsehood and exaggera-
ton to answer the purposes of the Radical
faction, and for a pretense upon which to
found a recommendation (Which he then
made) Of ''rcsuming," without even con-
sulting Congress, military cOntrOl2 over
State confessedly readmitted, and
whose representatives had taken their
seats in the House of Representatives
He, after all, finally in his report grounds
his recommendation 10 proclaim ''martial
law" in obedience to the dictatiOn of VIII
son upon the vagucst gcncralities. He
says:
Il have thus delayed making the Tc-
port thus called for, until the present
time, in order that l might become he
had held his post at Atlanta since bis as
sirnment acquainted with the condition
of affairs in Georgia before expressing
any opinion in regard TO them. Now |
have reluctantly come to the conclusion
that the situation here demands the inter
position of the National Government, in
order that life and property may be pro
tected, freedom of speech and political
action secured, and the rights and liber-
ties of the freedmen maintained This
opinion is based upon complaints made TO
me, the reports of officers detailed TO in
vestigate alleged outrages, and upon the
statements of many persons of respecta-
bility and high positions from different
parts of the State, in whose representa-
tons l must TepOse confidence, some of
! whom have given me information only
under the pledges of secrecy.
''In many parts of the State there Is prac-
tically no government. The worst Of
| crimes are committed, and no attempt Is
made to punish those who commit them.
Murders have been and are frequent; the
abuse in various ways of the blacks is too
common TO excite notice. There can be no
doubt of the existence of numerous in
surrectionaTy organizations known as
Ku-Klux Klans, who, shielded by their
disguise, by the secrecy of their move
| ments, and by the terror which they in
spire, perpetrate crime and impunity.
This military upstart, (after reviewing
the law upon the subject thus tlippantly
dispOscs of all obstacles:
''The process of resumiug military con
| troll would, it appears to me, be very
simple one. All that would be required is
an order from the President cOuntermand-
| inc General Orders No. 55, Adjutant Cen
erals Office, July %, 1868, and General
Orders No. lO3, Headquarters Third Mill
tary District, July %, 1868, and assign
| ing an officer to the command OF the dis
| trict, excepting the States of Florida and
Alabama. This action l respectfully re-
commend.
This important report and ''rccommen-
dation" of Gen. Terry would undoubtedly
| have been adopted by the President, and
| the State expelled from the Union by the
| Executive alone had they received the APP
proval of Gen. Hallcck, through whose
] hands, as Terry's superior officer, military
| etiuue,te required they should pass. /
| quoted yesterday the flat contradiction OF
Halleck of Terry's bugbear of the ku-
Klux- Khan, in Georgia, dated as late as
| Nov. 6, 1869. now quote the endorse
| ment of that General upon the back of
Terry's report and recommendation. 1t
reads thus:
II cannot concur entirely in the views
| of Gen. Terry. After the recognition for
so long time of the State Government of
Georgia by the President and the highest
military authorities, for these officers to
now retrace their steps and declare then
| own acts illegal and void, would not only
seem inconsistent, but might produce
much harm. Should Congress, however,
decide to return the State to the condition
of a military district under the recon
struction laws, on the ground that it had
not been fully reconstructed, the case
would be very different. l therefore re-
specially recommend that the matter be
left for the action of Congress.
EH. w. HALLECK,
| "Major General commanding
This caveat Saved the life of the
State" for brief period. BY what slen-
der threads is the fate of Empires sus-
pended! The most remarkable reason
assigned by Gen. Terry for ''resuming
military control" over Georgia is that Sin
many parts of the State there is no prac-
teal government" The whole executive
authority of the State is in the hands of
the Radical Governor, Bullock, who has
full power to call upon the national
troops! But of this enough. The dearth
of current news of Importance has left