Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-10-12

she is more prosperous even now than she eveI
was, that she owns her property with fewer en-.
cumbrEnce5 than she ever did. Go and look nj
the results of our labor, to your depots work
shops, great marts of commerce and trade You
find the labor of the South greater and more
productive than it was ever before. We sec
men going to their work as in olden times, only
more cheerful and better contented. Tell me
! you men Of Tennessee, of rutherford county,
you men that took such part in this fatal move
ment, whether a government that has done this,
/ call il Radical Conservative or Democratic, tell
: me hs it proved failure and does it doscryo
! the 70 groaches and denunciations it 9ccve
OUR STATE GOvERkMEN1
! duo TO candor, j owe it to myself in fir
nos, TO YOU not TO withhold anything in this
connection. The effect of the war was to do
/ privo us OF State government here in Tonnes
see. Our Governor abdcated. He went, he
! fed, he broke and the Legislature followed in
/ pursuit. Our courthouses were occupied as bar
/ racks. We had no government legislature, eX-
ccutive or Judiciary in TENNESSEE Andrew
/ johnson. who occupied the position of military
governor, invited the people of Tennessee to
| come together and organize government in
| harmony with the government Of the United
States Without going into detail he Invited
everybody to come up and take part. Those
who were disposed did so and the government
was organized and the choice was Mr.. Brown
low for Governor, and q Legislature. J see some
of them before me now. This State government
was recognized by Congress and by the Presi-
II,
as the government of Tennessee. Whether it
was a good one or not it was in effect by the
action of the Federal authority, the true and
lawful government of the State. In August,
1862 that government was reyolutionized under
the form Of n popular election that had nomore
regard to the law and constitution Of the State
than though it had been a gathering of Il lot Of
Sunday-school children. That government 50
established has never been recognized by the
government of the United States. Now, you
men who are interested in it ask, will Congress,
the Federal Government, recognize this as the
government of the State If so il will be a
legal government, If not It will never acquire
that character What will Congress do? Please
understand me as simply expressing opinion and
belief and not speaking authoritatively either
for the purpose Of making pledge or Of max
ing threat. ] do not believe that Congress
will interfere in our affairs or will fail to recog-
nize our present State government simply to
take the offices out of the hands of one set of
men and put them into those Of another. That
would be small business The government was
not made for the otice-holders.
Mr. Lincoln once characterized ours the govern
ment of the people Cor the people and by the people
The object Of government is to protect the citizen in
oyment OF his opinions, and the untramnelled eXer
else Of all his civil and political rights And let me
tect these rights will later be overthrow. II
may stand for years for generations, but YOU see
You find governments there that do not protect these
rights. Napoleon who rule! France with despotic
Intelligence TO this morning that the Gar Of
Russia who represents that great christian organization
pion. is sweeping down the Bosphorus. All these
things teach the great lesson that government in
this world can trfe with the rights Of man and be per-
mitted to stand. Now how is it with us here in Ten
nessce. | certainly hoped you would use the power
would he n cause not of regret but of rejoicing. You
had through such were used secured your en-
put TO shame all who were afraid to trust you Your
legislature met the first of October, hardly dozen
Republicans in the body. happened there at the
close of the month. / found that they were busy in
sweeping from the statute books all the laws that the
previous legislature had made not for the oppression
Of you but for the protection OF themselves Inc hrSt
of December took my seat IN Congress busted myself
coming from ali over the state saying that this govern
men thus placed in power had utterly failed to protect
the citizens that men had been assaulted at night by
armed and disguised men, men had been whipped and
hung without trial. and numerous other 0utrnges com
the Committee Reconstruction consisting OF fifteen
members, with Gen. Butler as chairman. They were
must be oyerstatcd. The matter went over. Dccem-
Der passed by. They supposed that after the CHRISTMAS
state Of things prevail January rolled by and the
telegraph told that the Governor hal sent special
man whom you helped to elect. ] read from it
Gentlemen of the Senate and House Of Representa-
sty Of directing your attention to the aarmingy fire.
quent violence TO the peace amt dignity ct The state
in the mgrcatment and even atruclous murders ~ her
citizens by persons generally reported in disguise or
unknown Many Of the States citizens have been out
mites not u few slain outright without charge Of hay-
ing in anywise offended the laws; while Others under
criminal charges have been iurclby wrustcd Nom tn"
custody of the law. and their blood deliberately shed
by bodies of without the least shadow of author
ity That these enOrmites be in midst without
the perpetrators in sing lie instance being
ed to answer for thcir awless and criminal acts, demon
Sracs the existence OF srGdHzdonN ON then part net
only dangerous the individual citizen and adverse To
the public dignity, but formidable 10 the public
peace and safety,
The committee said surely the legislature will now
interfere They waited during the month OF February
and until March. The Governor then addressed his
grievances to the President of the United States and
he referred the memorial TO the Reorganization Com
mittee. Men we're examined, both white and black.
When it was known here in Tennessee, that such an
investigation was going far could learn,
these depredaOns referred TO by the Governor ceased
least abated. In the contested election from
this District, between MessTs Tman and Shcafe he
fore Congress- much testimony taken and in the
the manual of an organization without name name
most studously suppressed We find in this book, such
terms as dismal" dark furious" portentous,p
wonderful" alarming, terrible" horrible"
ling >" awful. /" "woefu' "horrid" bloody" dole
full sorrowfnl" "hideousr "frightiul' appalling"
lost ! read Of "dens." dragons, ghouls, cen
taurs wizards" monks +" magic" and "(irand
CyclOps." also lind Latin notices and little French
interposed. A loud yell from in the crowd
Col. Maynard pointing his finger at full length, said,
that in 1865, the fourth OF July there assembled in
the State of New York Il Democratic Convention to
nominate candidate for President During the pro-
cecdngs there broke out with "A yell when one
said, BILL hatsis the same old yell that we used 10
hear down before Richmond lLaughtcr,l | find in
this book an oath which reads as f1ows: Il --O Of
my free will and accord and in the presence of
Almighty God. do solemnly swear affirm that will
never reveal TO one not member of the by
any ntimetion. sign, symbol. word act, in any
other manner whatever of the secrets signs grips,
uassWOrda. mysteries of the on that |