Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-09-19
HANDS OFF!
Gov. Brown Protests Against
Federal Interference In Glib
son County,
And Demands That the Arrested
Parties be Turned Over to the
State Authorities.

Gov. Brown yesterday sent the following
telegram to President Grant in regard to
Federal interference in the Gibson county
affairs:
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, NASHVILLE,
Tenn, Sept. .-IS, 1S74.-His Exeellency,
u. 5. Grant, President of the United
States. Washington, ID. c.: There were
sixteen negroes committed to the jail Of
Gibson county, in this State, charged with
a conspiracy to take the life of the white
citizens of their neighborhood. On the
night of the 18th Of August, 1874, party
of disguised men violated the Jail and took
these prisoners, forbibly, from the jailer,
and killed four and wounded tTo-the re-
mainder escaping and being now at large.
The next day offered a reward Of SOU,
each. for those unknown offenders. The
State Court being then in session, took i'm
mediate cognizance of the outrage, and the
labors of the regular and special term have
resulted in the detection and Indictment OF
forty-one of the guilty parties, the majority
of whom have been arrested, and the re-
maipder will be, if they have IOt fed the
country.
They are indicted under the second and
third sections of the act Of the General
Assembly of Tennessee of 1S69-7O, passed
the 30th of January, 1870, entitled IAN
act to preserve the Public Peace The
sections are as follows:
H2. Be il further enacted that if any
person or persons disguised or in mask, by
day or by night, shall enter upon the prem
ises of another, or demand entrance or ad-
mission into the house or enclosure OF any
citizen of this State, it shall be considered
prim2 facia that his or their intention is to
commit a felony. and such a demand shall
be deemed an assault with intent 20 commit
a felony; and the person or persons so Of
Tending shall, upon conviction, be punished
BY Imprisonment in the penitentiary not
less than ten years nor more than twenty
years.
IS. Be it further enacted, That if any
person or persons, so prOwling, travelling,
riding or walking through the towns or
country of this State masked or in disguise,
shall or may assault another with deadly
weapon, he or they shall be deemed guilty
of an assault with intent to commit muir
der in the first degree, and on conviction
thereof, shall suffer death by hanging; pro-
vided the jury trying the cause may sub
stitute Imprisonment in the penitentiary
for period of not less than ten years nor
more than twenty-One years"
The State authorities have manifested
the most earnest desire TO enforce the law
against the guilty parties, and have demon
strated by these indictments and arrests not
only their disposition, but ability to enforce
the law and protect all citizens without
regard to race, color or previous condition
of seryitude. These efforts, ! can assure
YOU. will in no sense be relaxed, until the
majesty of the law is fully vindicated
Notwithstanding these efforts with the
results stated, the United States Marshal
and Commissioner for the Western division
of Tennessee, with the aid of detachments
from the Government garrison at Humboldt,
have arrested and are continuing 10 arrest
citizens. and conveying them under guard
to MemDhis, nearly one hundred miles dis
tanf, to answer for the same Ofiense charged
against them by the State courts
As Governor Of Tennessee, do most re-
specifully but earnestly protest against this
exercise of jurisdiction by the United States
Commissioner and Marshal, without refer
ence to the question whether the offenseS
! are proper subjects of cOgnizance by the
United States Commissioner, but alone
upon the ground that the peace Of society
will be more certainly preserved and the
rights of citizens as well protected by con
ceding jurisdiction TO the State courts.
And L therefore respectfully ask your eX-
cellency TO order that no further arrests be
made by the Marshal, and that the parties
already in custody he turned over to the
proper local tribunals for trial and punish
ment.
undertake TO assure your eXcellency
that no effort will be spared to enforce the
laws and protect the citizens by the State
government throughout the borders of this
State. And l believe the local authority
is ample to protect people ofeyery race and
| condition in life.
An early reply is respectfully solicited.
JEo. c. BROWN,
| Enunr-nnr Of Tannasspp