Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-07-13
fcoMNUyIcATEp.l
A Card.

EDITORS CHRONICLE: With its proven
bal meanness, the Press and Herald, un-
der the caption "RoJcdsed,' publishes the
following falsehood: A fellow by the
name of Keith, who resides in Morgan
county, came TO Knoxville on Monday,
and went into Convention held at the court
house. and commenced raising general
disturbance
This sentence is false in conception, false
i'm expression, false by implication, and
false in assertion. The language employed,
" came to RROCUWc on Monday, and 'Ucnt
into the COnUcntioR,' would imply that
was an intruder and entered the aforesaid
body upon my own responsibility, ana
without authority. The reverse is, how
ever, true, as | was n regularly appointed
delegate, acting under instructions from
public meeting of the people of Morgan
county, which meeting was gotten up by
Democrats, though composed of all parties,
and the proceedings, including the instruc-
tons under which | acted, were unou'-
NOUS The statement | commenced rdtS-
ina u qcnoroI diStirbunccp or "coDlnleHc-
I'd" any character of "disttTbdRce," is
wicked lie of rebel conception. The Press
and Herald man knew he was writing
lie when he penned it, and the decent
members of the Convention will bear wit
ness to the truth of what | am about to
say. All the "distur6dRccn that occurred
was the 'FuiSti}g' OF the reDelS.
There we.o three parties in the Conven-
tiOn-a few Republicans, afew more Union
Conservative men, and avery large MAORI
ty of straight-out rebels. | was Union
man, and this fact caused me to be ordered
to take my seat, when | had obtained the
floor according to the most approved rules
of parliamentary law. This command
came not from the presiding officer, nor
any one having authority, but from some
obscure looking individual, who have no
doubt was a guerilla during the war. OF
course / refused to obey his mandate. He
then threateningly advanced towards and
menaced me with a large walking cane,
when did not "drdlU q pistol, " rs charged
by the rebel papers, but did tell him, as
plainly as my use of the English language
would permit, that "if he struck me UHh
that stick, IiOould Kill him." While de-
sired to attack no one was equally deter
mined to resist an attack from any source
whatever, and especially from the source
then menacing. | went to that Conven-
ton in good faith, to conform with and
carry out the instructions of the people OF
Morgan COUNTY. The people who sent me
there had no idea that the pretended Con-
vention was to he Il rebel mob, headed by
the rebel General Vaughn, who, during
the war, aided to plumber and murder the
mountain people, of whom he and Others
mountain counties" were named in the
Convention. ! know hundreds of Repub-
licans who intended to support ID. X. Young
myself among the number, but they
would scOrn to support the candidate who
should consent to become responsible for
actions of this pretended Convention. And
if he shall accept the race as the represent
tative of this branch of ''Hte reOrgdnlzed
DemOcrdcy,n which, according to the
X knoxville Ej02cO means tfbg j6OrONnizOn
rebel drDly," with the notorious John {.
Vaughn as its commander, commissioned
and sent forth TO accomplish by means of
the ballot, that which they failed to secure
by the use of bullets and bayonets. If the
Union people of this Chancery Division
and Judicial Circuit calmly submit to the
dictatiOn of such men as a majority of those
composing the Convention of which have
been speaking, they do not deserve the
name of freemen. They will have lost all
claimto UniOnism and forfeited the appella-
ton of patriots. The editor of the lVhtg
seems to he very much exercised over the
fact that what he calls " tiCO traitors "
We're in the Convention, which reference
is understood to apply to Mr.. Fritts and
myself. Had we entered the Convention
without authority, which we did not, il
would have been no worse in the eyes of
honest people, than the forging letters TO
and bredking Open letters from limos
Laurence. But then, that was done in the
glorious cause of rebellion. As TO the jew
looking GratZ and shared head Crozier,
when shall we all three meet again ,"
This much / have deemed necessary to
say in explanation of my course, and ask
its publication. Captain HOneycutt is
capable of explaining for and defending
of his own course.
Respectfully, &c,
w i KEITH