Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-06-03
THE LARGEST CIRCULATION
or Any Daily Published in East Tennessee.
A LESSON WORTH REMEMBER1Ne.


fAtfhis season, when the patriots of the
the country have just finished their an
i1ual tribute to the memory Of the brave
men who gave up their precious lives to
save their country from disintegration and
ruin, the declaration of that demagogue
and arch couspirator, JEFF. Davis, which we
print elsewhere. that he Z" accepts moth
as settled by the war, CRATES harshly
on the ear, and is not calculated to induce
people TO bury very deep the passions the
war begot. What does jeff. Davis mean
making this tour through the South, and
at the two prominent cities of Georgia in
cite people to hate the Government and
boast Of their treason in the midst of ma
TONS prayears for its heroes? Does he
imagine that because, in the hour of their
triumph and magnanimity they suffered
him to pass under. the gallows instead of
letting him drop through Il, they will see
him faunt his crimes in the very faces of
the widows and orphans kneeling over
the graves iof their dead, and not re-
buke the insult? The people of this coun-
tfys because they did not hang him, do not
wish to be understood as conceding by any
means the right they had to his neck, and
he need no. imagine that his speeches in
any way palliates his offences. -
1t does seen to us that the spectacle his
efrontery now presents is worthy of more
than apassing thought. Even he has the
cheek to talk now of oppression and ty-
ranny In a government that has been
beyond all precedent. Why
the very fact that he is allowed to live,
and talk SO, in the very hour when the
nations wounds are, as it were, opened
anew by the sense of sacrifices and sor-
rows that at this season almost overwhelm
il, is striking commentary upon his own
complaints. We hope none of our read
ers will fail to see in the spirit of these
speeches, and in the acts of the man who
makes them, a new proof of the fact that
the only safety for us, as people, is in
keeping the Government in the hands of
its friends-of the men who saved it. We
hope they will realize, too, the necessity
of sternly reproving such spirits, and of
lending no aid or encouragement to the
party or politicians who either endorse
these sentiments or lend their organize
ton and influence to encourage them.
The Democratic party South can not, dare
not, deal with such leaders as they deserve
to be dealt with. Their record, their al
liances, their strength lies with these men
who sympathize with them. and it is
therefore utterly impossible to cut away
from them. To encourage Democracy is
to encourage such men as jeff. Davis and
the reasonable sentiments he now utters,
and it amounts to nothing short Of it.
--t,-rH -
We are always willing to commend
what we consider a good movement,
whether those engaged in it are political
friends or enemies. While little penny
whistle democratic stump speakers and
ex-Union League Democratic editors are
denying the existence of kuklux klans,
the bone and sinew Of the 2lst civil dis
trict of Davidson county have been hold
ing meeting and passing some practical
resolutions on the subject, from which we
make the following extract:
Rcsolred, By the Democratic and Conserva-
tive party Of this district, that no secret meet
ings of this club shall ever be held; the mem
bers Individually and collectively of this club
recognize themselves q part of the posse eonsi-
tatUs, and as such always ready at the call
either of the United States Marshal or Sheriff
of the county to arrest and bring to justice any
person guilty Of violating any of the provisions
OF the kukiux act of Tennessee; without being
called by either the Marshal or Sheriff, we bind
ourselves to pursue with hue and cry any such
offender beyond the confines of this district. and
this club hereby offers a reward of one hun
dred dollars, TO be assessed on its members in
proportion 70 their tax lists respectively, for the
arrest and conviction Of every such offender in
the district That we earnestly request the
Democrats of every county of the State to or
gairize similar clubs under these resolutions.
They do not deny the existence of such
klans, rs will be seen, neither do they
empty their walls of indignation on those
who charge that they do exist but instead
thereof, they pledge themselves to bring
to justiceI any one guilty of VIC
latlng the kuklux act of
Tennessee. Not only this, but they offer
a reward of one hundred dollars for the
apprehension and conviction of offenders.
There Is marked contrast between their
action and the action of certain would-be
shining lights in the party in East Ten
nessee. The difference is, that these Da-
wilson county Democrats know their
standing In the party cannot be called
in question, while these East Tennessee
fellows, few of them, feel it necessary to
be over-zealous now to make up for their
doubtful position in the past. Aman who
belonged to the Union League in 1866, as
did the editor of the Press and Herald,
and is. now O Democrat, finds it neces-
saay to be very abusive in order to preserve
his standing In the party. They deny
the existence Of Kuklux klans and de-
nouuce all who do not deny their existence.
RY-uIr disraafs.l,az Il ,a-;Il -s.x,a..