Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-03-17
AT WASHING
TON.
The Desperate Efforts she Radicals
are Making 60 Have the state Re-
construcscd-0pinio as TO what
will be Done

| The Desperate Efforts tIae Radicals
are Making 60 Have the state Re-
neutrality-suspicious. as 20 What
Will be Done.
TIE PROPOSED TENNESSEE BIl1,-GKNERAL
BUTLER ON GOVERNMENTS N THE STATES.
Correspondence Of the New York Herald
WAsHrNeroN, March 13@The proposed
| reconstruction of Tennessee win be con-
sidered at the meeting of the Reconstruc-
ton Committee next Tuesday. The Ten
nessee Radicals scarcely know what they
want. They are DESTROYS Of making q
change in the present condition of affairs
in that State, but they do not know how
to 90 about it. In their dilemma they
have laid the matter before General But
Ter. and are anxiously awaiting his advice
and action. Butler is not the rash uncon-
siderate man he is supposed to be,
and he is therefore giving the whole sub
iect serious thought before bringing it to
the attention of the House. He is salts
fled that the condition of affairs in
Tennessee demands some action on the
part of Congress. He has no idea of
reducing Tennessee to territorial con-
dition nor of placing her under military
rule EXCEPT in so far as it may be neces-
sary to execute the laws. Situated as
Gov. Sentcr is said to be he should call
out the militia, but Butler says the Legis-
lature has repealed all the laws relating to
the organization of militia and there is
none in the State. The Governor is thus
left helpless, unable 10 enforce the laws
or to protect life and property. Butler
says the evidence before the Committee
on Reconstruction shows that Gov. SEN
ter confesses that he is in this condition.
'TWhat is to be done under these circum-
stances?" says Butler. '9The United
States must guarantee to every State
republican form of government, or in
other words, agovernment republican in
form. First of all, there must be gov
eminent. 1t is presumed that the United
States would not allow any OF
the States to remain in con-
ditiOn OF anarchy. They must
have government of some sort, and the
Constitution says its form must be repub-
lican. Now what is a governments
Why, it is an institution for the protec-
ton of life and property and to promote
the welfare of society in general.
Whenever it ceases to 10 this it is no
government at all, because it fails to ac-
complish the chief object of its exist
ence. Very well. How is TENNESSEE
The Governor says he can't enforce the
laws. He can't protect life and property.
He has no militia and the Legislature has
decreed that he shall not have a militia
force. In the meantime murders are
being committed every day; property is
being destroyed and there is no redress.
What is the inference! That there is no
government in Tennessee. Now Con-
gress is bound to see that every State has
a republican form of government, but it
must first see that there is a government.
1t is easy then to decide what form it
shall be.
asked the General what he proposed
to do, and if he had prepared a bill to
remedy the matter. He replied that he
had NOT quite made up his mind yet, and
no bill had been prepared. What they
wanted was to establish an efficient gov
crnment in Tennessee, one that could pro-
tect the people. He presumed the best
way would be to have new election
there and prevent persons from voting
who were difranchised under the State
Constitution. referred to a rumOr that
the President and Secretary of War,
after consultation, had agreed to send
a regiment of troops TO Tennessee to aid
the revenue officers in collecting the rev.
enuc. Butler inquired how he could do
that, and called my attention to the act
of 1895, which says that in case of in
surrectiOn in or invasion of any State
for the collection of the revenue,
the President shall call out the militia of
the State or of the neighboring States to
suppress it, and to preserve order and en-
force the laws. That was the law under
which the first Is, 900 men were raised to
suppress the rebellion. Inquired if there
was not some law authorizing the Presl-
dent to use the regular army in case of
instruction. ono, sir, ~ said Butler, "Our
fathers didn't know anything about a
regular army going into State; they de-
pended upon the militia, either of the
State where the instruction existed, or
of the State nearest to it. Very well.
To come back TO Tennessee, have said
there is no militia in that State to call out.
How is it in the neighbOaing States ?
There is no militia of any account in
Mississippi, Alabama or Georgia, and
what there is perhaps find enough to do
at home. As for Kentucky, the militia
there is composed of the Ku-klux, and
Tennessee is better without them"