Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-16

United States that is mere Peaceable or
than East Ter nessee, and [
have often, since have bee q Postmaster,
in answer 10 letters from distance,
stated the fact that there was less dis
turbance growing out of political differ
ences than perhaps any portion of the
South. But that the mort Il does truly
represent the past, and in some portions
of Middle and West Tennessee the present
condition of things politically and soci-
ally, is apparent to every well informed
man. hope you will in future, in re-
ferriDg to this matter, bear in mind these
facts and not place myself and others in
false attitude before the community.
Respectfully, JAMES RODGERS.
Some more of the 'lame ducks" make
ga brief explanation of their action" as
follows:
That such an organization known as
the Ku-KluX Klan ever existed in East
Tennessee we have no knowledge OF, and
that otherwise our section is quiet and
peaceable we are free to admit, hence
any allusion made to such was solely Tor
intended to beg confined to Middle and
West Tennessee. This memorial was
signed when the State Legislature was
acting so recklessly, and manifesting so
little regard for loyalty and with a
knowledge that the proceedings of the
Supreme Court were so detrimental to the
interests of the Union people.
Furthermore, our act in 80 dong was
in good faith and with an honest purpose,
however public opinion may have con-
strued our motives to the contrary.
We depIecate the seeming injury likely
10 result from 1t, in common with all
good citizens, whose all, like our own, is
dependent upon the future prosperity OF
this section.
Again we say that all acts of personal
violence, insecurity of property, and the
helpless and deplorable condition of Union
people from X. K. Khan in East Tennes-
see, was so far from reality, that we
did not deem it necessary 10 discriminate.
We venture to assert that no persons
are more DESTROYS of cultivatiug friendly
| feelings and TO Obliterate all former polit-
ical distinctions than we, as our past
course will attest.
No further newspaper explanation or
controversies will be INDUCED in by us.
With due respect to all, and malice to-
wards none, we subscribe ourselves,
| 3. L. STACY,
JOHN B. CLoTwORTHY,
w. o. WHITE,
GEO. w. Ross,
Assessor Int. Rev.
These are decidedly lame apologies or
explanations or whatever they may be
called. There can be no mistakipg the
language employed. II applies 10 East
Tennessee. And if it does not, who
asked these adopts in letter-writing 10
speak for Middle and West Tennessee I?
We have Radicals in these divisions OF
the State who are entirely competenttO
take care of themselves, and it Is pre-
sumed they have not yet applied to their
EeBt Tennessee brethren to act as guardi
ans and spokesman for them. The letter
was gotten up to influence the action of
Congress go as to again place the power
and patronage of the State government in
the hands of the Radicals. To do this
it was necessary to state things strongly,
to make the Radicals in Congress believe
that We had in Tennessee little
edition of purgatory, or something worse,
and that even the Union-l0ving peO-
pie of East Tennessee lived in
daily terror, and now when then
representations come back and stare them
in the face, it is no wonder they are
ashamed of what they have done. Il
will not do to say that this language wa:
intended to apply to bIiddle and Wcst
Tennessee and not TO East Tennessee
These men who try to cxplsiC their mo,
tives, testify as to the quiet and orderly
disposition of the people of East Tennes'
seee, and they ought in candor to have
cold, what is true, that they know moth
ing personally as to the other divisions
of the State. The whole thing was q
piece of Officious intermeddiiDg which de,
served the rebuke it has received, and ii
should teach the men who united in
the representations contained in that
letter, never to siga paper fsir and
homes. construction Of the language OF
which will place them il the unenyiablC
position they nov occupy, that Of ira
ducing their Deighbors.
This affair shows how the South is
misrcpresented, rot TO ssy maIigned. Here
are q number of gentlemen appealing to
Con.rcss for protection, " and declaring
that they ''are neither protected n life
or property" and get when they are
pressed, some of them who have not lost
all shame declare, substantially, that
there IS not one word of truth in the
representations so far as they snd East
| Tennessee are concerned.