The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1870-03-24
Fletcher's Late Speech---Let-
ter from a Tennesseean in
Georgia.

~ NAA Ill
Georgia.
Editor Enterprise - Without any
previous arrangement, | send you the fol-
lowing article, concerning the late speech
of Secretary Fletcher, which, l hope may
find a place in your columns.
MIR. Fletcher says that the present cri-
sis in Tennessee is one of great moment.
He asserts that every speaker who address,
es a Republican audience is in danger of
being hanged or shot. If this is true, they
deserve death, for the people will find out
what they deserve in six years. If they de-
serve it, let them have it.
The common school law and its repeal
attracts the attention of Mr.. +. very great
ly, in fact so much that one might think
he had been a school commissioner. He
thinks that the repeal of this law is a blow
at the negrO-as he does every thing in
the action of the convention, which dis
pleases him. He has a great deal of SYM
pathy with the negrO-more than | could
have unless | were to see him united to
me of them in the holy bonds of matri-
mony, according to the fifteenth amend
ment | could then say, with all the fer
yency of my nature, "Poor Negro"
The next thing of interest is, his re-
marks on the repeal of the "famous" Ku
Klux law. He grows quite enthusiastic
on the subject-declares two thirds of the
people, including all the wealth and re-
spectability of the State are Kuklux, and
the Kuklux, a leagued band of midnight
assassins-vilians of the deepest die Lis
ten to that Tennesseeans, you are branded
as villains, by one of your highest officers
of State. 1t is not restricted to individ-
uals, but publicly announced that two
thirds Of the population, counted the best
of the citizens are branded as murderers !
And that by one of the highest officers of
the State! Think of it Tennesseeans,
think of it !!
He then states that there has not been
u single execution under the Ku Klux
law. Though he does not tell the reason,
that will do. The only masked m~arauders
or KuKlux ever caught were Radicals,
either trying to rob "rebels," or SOM
"poor negro" that the Secretary pitios so
much.
With the opinion of Secretary Fletcher
in regard to the "wholesale vilainy" of
the people of Tennessee, is it likely that
he will do them Justice Will he hang
two thirds of the people of the State
1t is indeed refreshing to turn from this
picture of Secretary Fletcher, in 1870, to
one of Secretary Fletcher of 1869. He
says in a communication dated January
18th 1869: 81 nm p persuaded the misguid-
ed masses of the Southern people were
honest in their devotion to the Southern
cause, bad as it was. sit will not do to say
that the men and women of one third of
the nation are all %felons." How different
is his motto now, two-thirds of the people
murderers
The people of Tennessee, if there are
any besides the KuKlux who can read,
are requested to read Fletcher's speech
and see if | have misrepresented any thing.
TYRoL.
P. S.-There are a lot Of protests from
the members of the Convention, who did
not sign the new Constitution. They are
chiefly remarkable for the number of
times that the word undersigned" &C.
ours, and also the great number of italics
employed in them. There is little argu-
ment in them.
As to the vacation of the offices in Ten
nessee, which is the great objectipA~they
have, l think it is accSfajng, 1T only 70
r&s Constitution of the Sete, Abut also
'NwftS Yepublican governmental INA re-
SAubliS, it hRlecreed that "the., majority
rAall ruleV No one will preSend that
the old officers weheSelseted by tbS major
by by the l migo Tfseq Y o' ~an y's e;: So T' t6s ay.
bitrary authority of the GoverfESAe' Such
protests are not worth tbe papereheyEMf
written IN. TYRoh