The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-09-10
GIBSON CoUNTY'S LYNCHERs.

GIBSON COCNTY'S LYNCHERS
4 Strong letter from GOV. Brown to
the Attorney General of the thir-
teenIh judicial District.
The following is copy of a letter
written by Gov. Brown to Attorney
General Skifington at Trenton con-
corning the breaking of the jail at
that place and the murder Of the col
ored prisoners:
EXECUTIVE OFFICE, NASHVILLE,
Tenn, Aug. 81, 4S7+Dear Sir: As
| have already assured you and the
Sheriff of Gibson County, by tele-
grams of previous dates, | am ready
and anxious by all the means within
nv command, to aid YOU in discover
ing and arresting all the actors in the
late unfortunate troubles in that
county, the rioters and Jail breakers
alike. If you need detectives or ass1-
ciate counsel, or additional force, | am
ready to furnish it, on the requisition
of yourself or the Sheriff. While do
not deem this assurance necessary, yet
/ it will do no harm. And | scarcely
have language to express my anxiety
to have the guilty parties detected and
brought TO punishment. This is a
test of the power and efficiency of the
civil law, to protect society in a State
where the people labor under no disa-
bilities. If we fail in this, it viii af-
ford the most plausible pretext of
bringing the military power of the
General Government into requisition,
of which, God knows, we have already
had enough. There is a great ten
dencv 10 Capitalization in all the de-
partmcnts Of the Government. There
exists, even in Tennessee, an ardent
desire to reopen the question of recon-
structiOn. And there is an equal de-
sire to give to the FedC.-;;,,l courts ex-
elusive jurisdiction Of all cases involv- !
ing any controversy between the |
races. If our local courts fail to de-
tect and punish the late offenders in
Gibson, the whole question will under
90 investigation before the United |
States courts under military protection |
if need be, andsuch investigation may |
not only result in the conviction of in
nocent parties under the effect of false
swearing, but it may afford centralizers
and agitators in Congress and else
where an manswerable argument
against the ability and disposition Of
the State courts to protect society and
do justice between the two races. To
my mind this is an important crisis,
not merely for the people Of Gibson
county bat for the State and the whole
South. 1t were better for your court
to sit until Christmas and for the State
to expcnd any amount of money than
for us to fail in this matter. Therefore
if money properly eXpended-if detec-
tives-if legal abiity-ifadditional pa
pers are needed, let any or all of these
agencies be brought into requiSition. /
am ready to assume any responsibility
within the expressed or reasonably
implied power conferred by the consti-
tuition, and will promptly and unhesita-
tingly respond to any such demand
made upon me.
In saying this much | do not mean
to imply a single doubt either of the
sufficiency, disposition or ability of the
agencies already involved. / have
the most implicit faith in the success
Of the efforts you promptly inaugural
ed and are still prosecuting. But |
only write what | do to assure you of
my interest in, and sympathy for,
your earnest efforts to proclaim the
efficiency, and power of the
civil law to meet all the emergencies
of society. ! know, too, the difficult
ties attending the detection of crime ..
committed by large body of men in
disguise under the friendly protection
of night. But when the difficulties
are overcome, as they can be, the
of the civil law and It's officers
is only so much the greater.
| have not written earlier because
my dispatches we're sufficiently COM :
prehensive TO give you assurances of
my desire of cooperation, and / desir-
ed also to take calm survey of the
whole field, uninAuenced by false ru-
lnors or excitement,
Yours very truly,
JOHN c. Brown, s
Governor.
To Hon. Jno. Skitfington, Attorn-
~ General Trnutop Tann