The New York herald., 1874-09-01

The Outrages In Tennessee.
When men want to fight it is easy to find
pretext, and 30 it is hardly surprising that the
recent terrible outrages in Tennessee began
with vulgar quarrel about roast pig at q
barbecue Yet this was bat the occasion, not
the cause Of the trouble, and. as our Nashville
correspondence to-day shows. the worst classes
of both whites and blacks are responsible for
these horrors The negroes are said to have
attempted the assassination Of two white men
near Pickettsville, which led to the arrest of
some Of the ringleaders. The confessions
made by these wretches recall the man.
ner in which the New England
witches accused themselves of dealing with
the devil The negroes had no hesitation
in testifying that hatred of the whites was
their only provocation, and one of them, who
turned States evidence, declared that they
had determined to kill the majority Of the
whites, in order TO own the land and make it
negroes country, where they might hold the
offices and govern to suit themselves. In this
they were persuaded that the President would
support them. This testimony is to be re-
ceived with certain degree of scepticism; but
there is unfortunately very little doubt that
the negroes were ripe for revenge and slaughter
On the other hand we find an equally blood
thirsty spirit on the part of the whites, united
with more determination and greater power.
The description of the midnight attack upon
Trenton Jail, where sixteen of the negroes
were imprisoned, and the deeds that fol-
lowed their illegal seizure, remind us of
the worst days Of the Ku Klux reign in the
South. One hundred armed and masked
men, dressed in black, took these wretches
from their cells and murdered them most
cruelty. Six were shot at once, and the re-
naming ten were hanged at intervals along
the highway. This was, indeed, bloody
vengeance to wreak upon the helpless authors
of an unsuccessful plot.
1t is encouraging to find that the more in
telligent whites and blacks of Tennessee have
had enough self-command to resist the
temptations Of panic or retaliation.
At Nashville a meeting of colored people
was promptly held at which counsels
of peace and order prevailed. The
support of the race was pledged to the Cover
nor in his efforts to legally suppress such out
RACES and to punish the perpetrators. The
speakers declared that all the colored people
of Tennessee wanted was peace. A similar
feeling was displayed by the conservative
whites Governor Brown at once offered
reward of five hundred dollars each for the Jail
breakers, and their cruel deeds have been de-
nounced by such citizens as General Forrest,
of Fort Pillow notoriety, Jefferson Davis and
Isham G. Harris. Our correspondent indeed
says that the massacre is universally con-
demned by respectable citizens, and we have
no doubt that he is correct; for violence and
assassination of negro prisoners cannot help
the white population, but, on the contrary,
is what they have most to dread. This cold
blooded massacre at Trenton will be quoted
against them by their enemies, and perhaps
made pretext for new plans of oppression in
the South. The white citizens have endured
great evils with singular patience, and now,
just when the whole North begins to recognize
their sacrifices and to appreciate the situa-
ton, the reappearance of the Ku Klux would
be the worst event their enemies could wish
them. The vast majority of the whites know
this, and if the outlaws of Trenton Jail are dis
covered and captured they will not have much
chance of mercy from an impartial jury and
court Of their own color.