Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-03-16
CUMBERLAND.N COUNTY = TILL
MAN AND FLETCHER.

To the Editors of the Union and American:
In the UNION AND AMERIoAN of March
3, we of the Highlands have an mixing of
some of the efforts by men claiming to
be Union men. now making to induce the
General Government to interfere in the
local affairs of Tennessee and establish a
military government. Mr.. Tillman in
forms Congress that ''the last election in
Tennessee was q lawless and totally illegal
affair." Fearing Congress might have
some doubt in this matter he produced a
witness from Nashville. This witness
takes care to inform Congress that he has
'sheld the second Executive Office in the
State since 1865" By the testimony of
Mr.. A. j. Fletcher of the 18th and 26th
of January, Congress is informed that
''two malignant and vengeful bodies are
now in session at the CAPITOL Legisla-
ture to repeal all laws for the protection
of loyalty; and the Convention, he COM
plains, was called by an Legitimate Leg
islation. Now, in giving testimony,
is it not the duty of wit
ness to tell the whole truth
Should Mr.. Fletcher not also have inform
ed Congress that he and his friends most
perseveringly tried to get the same ''ille-
gal and vengeful" Legislature to elect him
Senator to Congress How could he be
sworn into such office if elected by a
malignant and illegal body2 He states
that Tennessee has been a "seething vol
cano for five years." and complains of
Ku-Klux and masked bodies, and that
the Legislature has given no protection.
Now, let us examine what the facts are,
and it will be found that the present Leg
islature, in a few lines, has given more
effectual protection against 4nasked PROV
lers than all the efforts of the Radicals
in the last five years. Under this Code
the masked providers could range at large
by day or by night, and could not be dis
turbed unless they robbed or murdered
some unoffendibg citizen. Now, by the
law of the present Legislature, if any of
these masked robbers or prowlers but
make their appearance they can be ap
pretended and convicted as criminals.
No law could be better calculated to break
up the whole band. Mr.. Fletcher seems
to think that unless the great and gallant
State of Tennessee is turned over to the
tender mercy of military despotism, the
Union men and negroes will be compelled
to leave the State He says citizens are
shot or hung by masked mobs, by the half
dozen, without trial There is scarcely a
day or night that some white Unionist or
negro is not assassinated
Now, does not Mr.. Fletcher furnish,
himself, the strongest and most convincing
evidence of the determination of the peo-
pie to observe law and order, and of the
power of the present administration in
Tennessee 10 execute the law and main
tain the peace of the State2 In what
other country could man strcw over the
country such unfounded charges against
the honor and interest of high-spirited
and gallant State-a man who has had his
Golfers supplied for five long years from
the taxes of an oYerburthened but patient
people, and still walk in their midst I'M
molested? When such men as Mr..
Fletcher can do so, who can doubt the
safety of the Union man and the unoffend
ing negro! Can any one not see that his
prospect of losing the "second executive
office" and the disappointment of not
reaching the Senate Chamber, have given
color to Mr.. Fletcher's forebodings? | am
myself Union man of the Clay Wing
stamp, and on account of my faith in
CURED much danger and loss, and was
compelled to 90 to Ohio and abandon my
home. But when Gems. Lee and johnson
surrendered to the Union arms, | con
cluded the long conflict over and our diff
ferences settled. Then Immediately re-
turned TO my Highland home. When
Mr.. Senter and Col. Stokes became candi-
dates for Governor, l considered the con-
test between two Union men, as both had
been hOnored with high positions by the
Union party. As | thought Mr.. Senter
was more liberal and Republican in his
views, particularly on the franchise ques-
ton, | embraced his cause, and l never
could see, because he was the successful
candidate, why Union men should SANDER
the majority, or why those who loved
country more than office should strive to
have the State turned over to the tender
embrace of a military despotism. Since
the war the Union party in Tennessee has
always been bifurcated-one side radical
the other conservative. If it be true, as
it is said Mr.. Stokes has reported, that
the Radical party has gone to the kingdom
of his satanic majesty, | shall ever be
glad that / took the Conservative side, for
| have never dreaded any rule so bad as
his, excepting always a military depOtism.
AGRICOLA.