Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-03-23
wALLowING In THE MIRE.
Radicals Memorialising Congress
20 Overturn the state Government


[ 90 0verturn the state Government
of Tennessee.
From the Knoxville Press and Herald, March 10.
We have just arisen from the perusal
of q document entitled Memorial OF
Citizens of Tennessee" in which the
signers invoke Congress to overturn the
State Government of Tennessee, alleging
as true, statements that will probably sur
prise our readers, the more so as all the
signers, twenty-four in number, are resi-
dents of East Tennessee, and some OF
them, we regret to say, citizens of Knox
vile.
That our people may, in a measure,
understand the means which are being
employed to ''fire the Northern heart, "
and induce Congress to break down the
barriers of the Constitution, in order to
tyrannize over peaceful and law-sbiding
people, as are the people of Tennessee,
we make few extracts from the "Me-
mortal"
After stating that ''swift-footed and
INSCRIPTIONS law-breakers," by which
language the Conservatives of the State
are described, have ''openly dicregarded
and violated the Constitution and laws,
trampling them Indignantly under foot,
and stuffed the ballot boxes with urlaw-
full, fraudulent and fictitious tickets" the
signers of the memorial say:
''That incident to, and in harmony
with, this unlawful arrogation and exer-
else of power, is an active masked organ
ization known as Ku- Ktlsr, composed of
the elements which constituted the parti-
ian ranger highwaymen of the late rebel
lion-their forces largely augmented by
the addition of similar and sympathizing
material within the State, and also drawn
from the adjoining States of Kentucky,
Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama
and Georgia; and, either openly and posi-
lively encouraged, or tscitiy sanctioned,
by the great body of those who inaugu-
rated the rebellion of 1861, and who now
are the active agents and moving instru
ments of this, of 1869, 1870 and 1871.
This masked organization has assassi-
mated, murdered, outraged and driven
from the State many thousands, white
and black, for the only reason that they
were and are loyal and true friends to the
republican Government of the United
States. This more than fierce demon
work still goes on, holding in severe du-
ress the loyal people of large sections of
The State; ami visiting terrible death and
castigations upon those who
are freemen and law observing citizens,
to the manor born, of the United States
Of America
z
''Your petitioners can truthfully sum
up the following, because of the facts in
The premises stated: A desperate SLAVERY
EXISTS IOitbiaa the State Of Tennessee,
not for or because of crime on the part of
The sufferers; unless, as many in our
midst affirm, it is crime to support and
defend the Government of our fathers.
Il is slavery that destructively reaches
and terribly binds life, liberty and prop
srty, and prohibits the ordinary pursuit
IF happiness.
s'That the rights and privileges of
persons born,' as Well as 'naturalized
within the State have been, and are,
abridged and that their
lives, liberty and property have been
taken from them without any process
Of law except that which governs and
guides the assassin's blade, ball, halter
and bsstinado."
The signers of the 'NIemorial" are:
E. c. Camp, S. L. Childress, George ".
Ross, NJ. V. Wyrick, W. o. White, j.
B. Cate, ]. A. Cooper, N. A. Patterson,
NJ. Y. Childress, W. w. Low, W.
P. Hayes, r. S. Love, Luke Wilds,
R. L. McNabb, S. P. Evans, ]. L. Riggs,
). D. Leinart, n. 81. Green, L. /. Os
nent, J. W. Baker, E. II. Matthews, G..
g. Grisham, A. B. Morton, j. II. Ed
nondson.
Intended to give the Radical Congress
men an excuse for interference in Ten
lessee, in order that this State may be
held by the throat until after the Presi-
lential election of 1872. We are sure
hat not one of the signers will qualify
o the truth of a line in the above ex-
racts. But meanwhile, the statements
70 abroad, are read in Congress,
published throughout the North, and
re believed by our political opponents,
.reatly to the detriment of the
,est interests of Tennessee and her bust
less men. Only yesterday, Senator
sherman, on the floor of the Senate, as
erted that he had positive evidence that
here existed reign of terror in eleven
southern States. His proof is, undoubt
dly, the memorials of office-holders and
nxious expectsnts of political crumbs,
whose statements are made with just as
title reason or truth, as those contained |
i the memorial of the East Tennessee |
igners.