Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-08-10
RAnrcaI rssuEs

Oeo, AhOOAAASSAIo5 oiAu lbulSuduS people Will
pronounce against them, we publish to-
day in full an editorial article from the
Knoxville Chronicle of tie Sth instant.
The Chronicle is edited by carpet Dagger,
who was for while Clerk of sub Ku-
Kluk Congressional Committee that per-
egrinated through the South gathering up
and reporting such statements from
ignorant and deluded negroes
as were calculated to prevent the people of
the North from joining hands with the
people of the South "across the bloody
chasm which has too long divided them"
The paper, bitterly and proscriptively Radi-
cal, while it enjoys the smiles of Horace
Maynard and the patronage of the
Federal Government, is also the es-
pecial champion and organ of John
Baxter, Of the city of Knoxville. 1t
viii be remembered by many that said
Baxter brought suits some time ago against
the UNION AND AMERICAN and sew
eral other papers in the State
for $4,000 each, for publishing what pur-
ported to be speech of Gen. Mabry deliv-
cred in the Chaneery Court at Knoxville in
reply to speech of Baxter in the same
court. His suit was so shaped as to take
some nine or ten persons from Davidson to
Knox TO answer his allegations. A number
of other persons from other counties were
also taken by him for trial to the county of
his residence. This, too, after be was
promptly informed before his suit was
brought, that it had been published by the
UNION AND AMERICAN without knowledge
of its contents by any one
of the editors or prOprietors of the paper,
and regret was expressed at its publication.
But the suit was pressed and the Chronicle
entered the field to excite public indigna-
ton agail st the defendants in the minds of
the people Of Knox county, to whom de.
PENDANTS were strangers. Last summer,
few weeks before the term of court at which
these cases were expected to be tried, Bax-
ter concocted a series of charge
against the printers for the State
and published them in the Chronicle. The
UNION AND AMERICAN and Banner, being
partners in the public printing and
both being sued by Baxter, he and his Or
gan the Chronicle hoped to excite such in
dignation against the public printers as to
secure an enormous verdict in Bakers IA
vor against the newspapers he had sued.
The causes were not tried at that term of
the court. When the Legislature met the
public printers demanded an investigation
of the charges made by Baxter and circu-
lated by his obedient servant the Chronicle.
After a lengthy investigation the public
printers were honorably acquitted
Of every charge. 1t was clearly
established that the public printers
had done better and charged less than any
public printers that had ever worked for
the State. During the session of the Leg
stature a general law was passed to prevent
any further taking Of defendants from Car
ter TO Shelby to answer such suits as Bax-
ter's, and requiring like suits to be brought
in the county of defendants residence, who
in civil as well as in criminal law is taken
to be innocent until he is proved TO be
guilty. This law also permitted the re-
meval to the county Of defendants residence
of such suits of this character as were then
pending in the courts of the State. Baxter
knew of the tendency of this law before the
Legislature, and did all he could through
his Radical tools there to defeat it. As we
have been informed, he appealed to the
Governor in writing to veto it, alleging
that it was unconstitutional. The Gov
ernor submitted his appeal to the law ad-
wiser of the Executive, the Attorney Gen.
eral Of the State, whose legal ability and
personal integrity will not be questioned
until Baxter finds it necessary to do so
to help along his law suits. The written
opinion Of the Attorney General was in ia
vor Of the constitutionality of the law, and
the Governor, as it was his bounden duty,
signed it. Those law suiss are now pend
ing before the Supreme Court which meets
in Knoxville on the first Monday in Sep
TENDER. Hence the renewal of the effort
by the Chronicle through its columns and
of the feed attorney of Baxter on the
stump to influence a Court of Justice by
popular clamor.
The trick of Radicalism to serve the per-
sonal ends of an individual is too patent.
1t is well understood and properly appreci-
ciaLed. And it is not likely that Gov. Brown |
or the members of the General Assembly |
will be frightened by J. Baxter or the
Chronicle from laying bare to the public |
gaze the horrid atrocities of the Grant ad-
ministration in and out of Congress. The |
following is the editorial of the Chronicle to |
which we have above referred:
An ISSUE FOR TENNE ssEEANs.-We |
trust our friends throughout the State will |
remember that we have in issue before the |
people in this canvass not only the record |
of the National Democratic organization,
but also that Of Gov. Browns State Ad-
ministration. We trust they will remem-
Der that in November we not only choose
members of Congress, but also members of
our State Legislature. We want to make
the issue between Brown and bis Legisla-
ture and the people, as sharp and as plain
as possible. We know very well that most
Of the Democratic press of the State have
been SO mixed up with tie frauds and in
famies of the State administration that they
will as far as possible sink State issues in
the great National contest engrossing pub
lie attention. We viii meet them fairly
upon the issues presented in the latter and
We are determined they shall not dodge the
former.
VIII the people overlook the gross cor
rupsions and vindictive legislation of the
Brown administration? Going back TO the
of the last Assembly, will the
Union people Of East Tennessee forget
how, when Vaughn and Sewer contested
for the Speakership of the Senate, the latter
though in every respect the best qualified
for the position, was defeated by Gen.
Vaughn, solely because Sewer had been
Union man? Following up the record of
the Legislature, the people well remember
how, when Baxter assailed the Nashville
papers for defrauding the public treasury in