Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-13
How Immigration 10 Tennessee is
Prevented.
The Knoxville Press and Herald of

Three weeks ago we puDnshed extracts
from memorial TO Congress, together
with the names of the signers, some of
whom were citizens of Knoxville, and all
of them residents of East Tennessee, IN
which Congress was asked to oYertuln
the present State government of Tennes-
see, and as q reason therefor 1t was
asserted that ''an active, masked organ
ization, known es the Ku-Klux" was
E'engaged in numbering thousands Of the
loyal people of the State !" This
memorial was read in the House by Mr..
Maynard, on the 9th of March, of the
present year. One month previously,
or on Wednesday, Feb. l, 1871, the
House being engaged in debate on bill,
introduced by Ben. Butler, prescribing
an oath of office to be taken By persons
who participated in the rebellion" Mr..
Maynard said:
BY the mail of yesterday | received g
communication addressed 10 the gentle
man who reported this bill, which was
requested 10 present 10 him. l will take
this opportunity of presenting it to him,
as part of my speech. l ask that the
Clerk will read it.
'DRAR SR-Thc uEdrrsigngd would
respectfully represea. t. you and your
committee, and through that medium
make known 10 Congress, that he Union
people OF 7, nnessea are IN helpless and
deplorable condition.
'sMahy of US have peTsistenly OPP
posed any further efforts at Teconstruc-
ton, having been willing to await results
before asking FEDERAL intervention; but
we are now constrained to appeal to you
for protection in the enjoyment OF that
liberty which is regulated by law.
'Under the present state OF affairs we
are completely under the control anG az
the mercy Of the enemies of the Govern
ment We yielded to the usurpstion Of
the legislative branch of the State gov
eminent; we quietly submitted to The
forced adoption of so odiGCs iGR!Tumens
dignlfed by the name of constitution;
we witnessed The overthrow of the
state government, the displacement Of
its regular cons'ilutionally chosen
officars. including the judiciary. This
zUaa alI.anns ling, but we trusted IN tn
wisdom. II -fi,JC m me patriotism of the
judicial department of the government,
We relied on the go5d sense OF the new
rulers. In all this we have been dlsap-
pointed. We have seen the Supreme
Court organized in defiance OF the ma
tional Constitution. It has proclaimed
The ConfedeTscy q nation, gov
eminent de factO; it has turned
Union men out If court and JUS
tilted rebels in robbery and crime; it has
established doctrines which, If permitted
10 become the settled law of the State,
will ultimate in making treason hOnoTa-
ble and LOYALTY odiOus. The law OH Ger
of the State, the Attorney General, has
already caused several thousand dollars
of the rebel war debt to be paid, not
withstandDg the United States Constitu-
ton expressly prohibits the act.
"The Legislature is proposing TO pIO-
vide pensions for the rebel soldiers II lie
shane of artificial limbs. A measure Is
peuding 10 reimburse certain rebels for
judgments recovered against them IN the
Federal courts for their tolls in behalf OF
rebellion. In fact, the rebellion reigns
in this State. We are neither protected
IN life or prop rty. Many OF our Oos'
men are trying 10 dispose OF. their prop
erty and leave the State.
ave, therefore, earnestly invoke such
protection as Congress may deem JUS
and calculated TO meet the demands O!
the Union-lOving people of this State.
ave close by adding that we represent
ninety-Dine hundreGlhs, if not the entire
sentiment, Of the Republicans and Union
men of East Tenness e.
in Greer, B p Stacy, Assistant Asses
sors; ,IGhn B ClOtworthy, NJ o White, .
A Tavlo-. William S Mcknight, John
Rleatt, E ii Matthews, Joseph A Cooper,
Collector Second DISTRICT George w Ross
Assessor Second District; N J Wilds-
James Rodgers, Postmaster; A
Prosser, S. p Evans, United States
Marshall: George Andrews, L. L, Os
meut, Assistant Assessor; w. Z. Hayes.
Samuel L. Chndress, Richard Slow, J. 5,
Riggs. John Anderson, Hamilton county;
II. ii. Guthrie, HsmilJon county; Il. =
Kinzel, John W. Stewart, L. II. Western
!. Gibbs, D. I. feLerman, -Roaue county
Up. Walker, Rhea county; ID. q. Thorn
~ ourg, jefferson county; Z. ThoTnburg
Jefferson county; J. w. ThornbuLgh
Jefferson County; A. Thornburgh, JeiteF
son county: J. Lawrence, Jefferson
county; NJ V. Wyrick, Marion County
"A. Willard, Sullivan county; ). +
Hamil. uAmillon county; w. Hunt
Bradley county; William Grill, Scot
county; J. J. Edsnr, Carter county
FyeIerick Rule, Knox county; Sam
mel "a, Mshan, Sewer county; Alex
under Ueedor, Knox county; W. L
Yardley. Justice Of tue Peace for hno.
county; StepheE Matthews, Blount coun
Nv. r q. Camp, u. &. District Attorney
Up. Eduioudsou, Blount county; K II
brown. Knox county; L. c. HouE, = Z
Edwards, Anderson County; Luke Wilds
Hon. B +. Butler, ChSlrman Rscons'ruc
ton Committee, Washington, D!St'ie
of Columbia.
irbe sinners of the memorial" had S!
exceedingly true conception of its charac
ter when they addressed i 70 STlbis
mug Butler, the universally recognize
b!sckgU2ld and scouGdIel OF the UniIe
States.
After the Clerk lai finished readin
the document, BlaynsId said:
The list attached 10 that paper contain
,ba Qames of representative men IN tina
:, 1,-t of the State EAST Tennessee) 81.
;hrse me state whereof they know.
These "E.hastly Witnesses" endorse
,,y themselves md by thei7 Representa-
1--WE in Congress, IS representative Eas
.Ft9nessee Radicals, ee"iare, using The!
own words: ''Tha ',.ueli1p reigns, j
rbis State. We are npit,c,@r PTo'ees-.
power or property. Many Oh GU u.
men are trying to dispose of their prone!
" and leave the Sia-e. Thus O. hes
.'chas,ly witnesses write Of the c5udi
ton of affairs in East Tennessee, 81
their letter is published as campalg
Jocument in the interest of RaIical'st
aud is used 10y Mir. Sheliabargcr to aGor