Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-26

| OSmOCTauc party is concerne0; and II
the gentleman is 30 ignorant as to the
facts, he ought to be more cautious in
his statements upon this floor, for / pre-
sumo almost every gentleman here knows
that there Is q law on the statute books
OF Tennessee to-day, in full force, pro-
| viding that any man or combination of
men, disguised or otherwise, riding over
the country to the terror of peaceable cit
liens, shall be Liable to indictment, and
upon conviction shall be sentenced to the
penitentiary for not less than five nor
more than fifteen years, and that if such
armed or disguised men beat or otherwise
maltreat any citizen 30 that he dies, such
party upon conviction shall suffer death
by hanging. What punishment more Be-
we're do gentlemen desire to have inflicted
upon criminal than this law inhicts9
And this law, Mr.. Speaker, was passed
by the Democratic Legislature of Tennes-
see. v--1.- $50 --r
Now, sir, ask you why crime is not
suppressed where it exists in the South,
and especially in TENNESSEE You have
Republican Governor in that State, and
have had one there ever since the close of
the war; you have had all the judicial
officers of the State ever since the war,
up to some ten or twelve months ago |;
your party have been charged with the
affairs of the whole country ever since
1860, through all its varied fortunes !;
therefore the country must ask the Re-
publican party why just laws are not
enacted and faithfully executed every
where in the United States. Why did
not the Governor of Tennessee, if out
RACES exist there, offer rewards for the
apprehension and lringing to justice of
the law breakers9 called upon him last
September, in person, and requested him
to do so. Why did he not do it? Be-
cause he knew, aud his party knew, that
if these supposed Rebel Ku-Klux were
caught the majority of them would be
found TO belong to bis own party (Radi-
Gals and niggers), and that the fact that
many of the outrages were committed by
men of his own party would be fastened
down upon them by such proof as could
not be denied.
know of two Ku Klux having been
captured in Middle Tennessee by Demo
crate, men who were in the Confederate
army, and the captured parties were Rad
icals. know, from good authority, that
one was killed with a mask upon him in
Jackson county, Tennessee, less than two
months ago, while attempting to rob a
Democratic citizen; and he was Radi-
cal. ! know further, sir, of my own
personal knowledge, and if demanded,
can bring the proof before this House at
its next session, that in some of the
counties composing my congressional
district, and in other mountain counties
in Tennessee which gave majority of
Republican votes in the last election, held
under the new constitution, where all
men were allowed to vote, where the
revenue officers of the Government have
been assailed and insulted while attempt
ing to discharge the duties of their offices
in Selling illicit distilleries. And know
further, that in less than two years after
the close of the war, almost every pIOmi-
nent Democrat was driven from his home
in those Republican counties. / have
seen hundreds since the war pass my town
going westward, who stated to me that
they were driven from their homes by
Radicals, and alone for their political
opinions. Yet, Mr.. Speaker, we have
never heard one word from Republican
newspaper, nor from Republican stump
speaker, in condemnation of these ont
RACES.
You send committee down into Ten
nessee, care not if it be composed en-
tirely of Republicans, if they are but
honest men, and let them make an inves-
LEGATION of the facts as they actually ex-
lst, and guaranty, on my responsibility,
that such an array of facts will be
brought as will put the whole party to
shame, and as will fasten down upon
that party such an amount of crime,
fraud and ISLANDERS as would fix its po-
liticsl condemnation forever. | know
how thieves, robbers, and murderers, aud
l appeal to the records of my State for
testimony, have been protected by Re-
publican judges, Republican Legislators,
and Republican Governors 10 Tennessee,
a large number of whom are to-day in
full fellowship with the Republican party.
You will find, upon an examination of
the records in the Executive Department
at Nashville, that near five hundred
thieves, robbers and murderers, convicted
and confined in the State penitentisry,
were pardoned out and turned loose upon
the country by single Republican Gov
ernor, who to-day, sir, stands in full fell
lowship with the Republican party.
Then, sir, let the county ask that party
why crime is not prevented in the South.
The Republican party have been in
power in all those States, IS well as else
where, ever since the close of the war,
and now l ask the gentlemen on the other
side of the House, to tell this House and
country where there has been Republi-
can thief, robber, or murderer punished
in accordance with the sentence pro-
nounced against him in dozen instances
in the whole South since they have swsyed
the scepter over those unfortunate States.
Let the country know the truth. Sir,
tell them that all the party wish to know
is that man is Republican, and that he
votes the Republican ticket, aud where
that party have the power to try his
cause, he may commit crime with i'm
punity without fear of punishment by
the courts; tell the country that Fed
eral soldier, although he may have suf-
fered for years in the service of his coun-
try, and although he may have lost leg
or arm, and his character for loyalty and
fidelity to the national flag may be as
pure as snow drop when it falls upon
the mountains brow, if he dares to exer-
else his freedom as an American citizen
and vote the Democratic ticket according
to his conscientious convictions of right,
he is at once denounced IS a traitor, cop
perhead, Rebel or Ku-KluX, and If he by
chance holds any petty office, which but
few of them do, (for the offices are gene
rally monopolized by ex quartermasters,
negroes and csrpet-baggers,) in twenty
-four hours after he casts his vote for the
Democratic party his head goes off, and
some negro or csrpet-bagger who voted
the Republican ticket is Immediately in
stalled in his place. Tell the soldiers and
the country all these facts as they exist,
and attempt no longer to deceive them by
your loud proclamstions upon paper only
that you are attempting to protect the
loyal citizen in his rights; let the people
know that loyalty to party is all you think
worth protecting. .... /
1t has been said upon this floor that
this great Republican party saved the
and freed -four million blacks