Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-10-13
WASHINGTON.
Attorney Williams Response o
Gov. John G. Brown.
He Enunciates the Law Of Cen
tralism.
State Governments q Superiority In
the Cesarian SYsfem.

uclSuOOinOOu, Tie ucldllS Ol NuiCAA HofC
been heretofore published, making pSticu-
lar reference to sixteen negro prfoners
taken from Jail recently and hanged and
says that as soon as the facts were properly
brought TO his attention, he caused war
rants to be issued for the apprehension Of
such persons as he believed guilty frem the
| testimony in his possession. Sixteen men
have already been indicted, and Others will
| probably be as soon as testimony can De
| adduced.
District Attorney Murray further says:
Il have great difficulty in securing proof
against parties engaged in this transaction,
and in some instances witnesses do not ODE!
processes of court, and am Obliged to havs
writs Of attachment issued in order to Sc
cure their attendance" He further submits
that the same was violation Of the acts q
| Congress, and was crime that emphatica-
| " calls for action on the part Of the Unitei
States. As to prosecution of the parties n
a State court, he says he is reliably IL
formed that the forty-one men supposed 10
be guilty, and thereon indicted for murder,
but under the sections of State cited n
Gov. Browns telegram to the Presiden,
he also says: "There are various grounds
of prejudice which will readily suggest them
selves TO you existing in local court which
| could not exist in this United States Court,
and | am well convinced that the parties
indicted here can have full, fair and in
partial trial.
Att Orney williams TO GOV. Brown.
Upon receiving this communication from
the United States Attorney, Attorney Gen
eral Williams addressed the following ct
far IN Gov RrovUu.
Department Of Justice, Washington, Oct.
10. Hon. John c. Brown, Governor, Nash
vile, Sir: Referring to your dispatch to the
President, of the 18th ult., asking him to
order, in respect to the Gibson county cut
rage, no further arrests be made by the
Marshal, and that the parties already in
custody be turned over to the proper local
tribunals for trial, and to the Presidents
answer thereto, in which he stated that
your telegram had been referred to the Uni
ted States District Attorney for the West
ern District of Tennessee for information,
and that when such report was received,
a more definite answer would be made to
your request, / have the honor to enclose
here with copy of that report detailing
the circumstances under which this action
of the Federal authorities was taken in the
NdoC- NJ hOuDbo C<au CAloI d. " bA4C
diction of the courts of the United States
upon the facts as stated by the District At
torney. Nor can there be any doubt that
it is as much the duty Of the President to
enforce the so-called enforcement acts as
any other acts of Congress. To admit that
persons charged with and arrested for GRIM
inal violation Of laws of the United States
ought to be turned over for trial 10 the
srih hun Of he Gfafa inv hfab ha arfr1a
are committed, upon demand of the ex-
ecutive thereof, because such persons may
also be chargeable upon such a state of
facts with violation of State law would
be, as it seems to me, to surrender a power
essential to the existence of the national
authority, and introduce a practice that
would tend more to retard than promote
the administration of justice.
Touching your statement Il at the parties
may be punished under the laws of the
State, and, therefore, that criminal pro-
ceedings in the United States Court ought
to be discontinued, beg TO cite as a suf-
fcient comment what Mr.. Justice Greer
says in delivering the opinion Of the SUI
preme Court of the United States in the
case of Moor, Agent Of the People in the
State of Illinois, IA How. p. 20, as follows:
Every citizen of the United States is a
citizen of the State or Territory. He may
be said TO owe allegiance to two sOvereignS,
and may be liable TO punishment fr an in
fraction of the laws Of either. The same
act may be an ofiense against or a trans
gression of the laws of both. Thus an as
sault upon the Marshal of the United
States and hindering him in the execution
of legal process is a high offense against
the United States, for which the
perpetrator is liable to punish
ment, and the same act may be also gross
breach of the peace of the State or riot, as
sault or murder and subject the same per-
son to punishment under the State laws for
misdemeanOr or felony. That either or
both may, if they see fit, punish such an
offender, cannot be doubted. | know Of
no reason to suppose that the parties ar
rested will not be fairly tried in the United
States courts, and if innocent acquitted.
| But if found guilty, am sure no one will
| object to their proper punishment because
| they were not convicted in State court.
While if consistent with his official duty
the President would be pleased to adhere
to your wishes, he does not feel at liberty
to interfere with the judicial proceedings
referred 20, and they will therefore be al
lowed to proceed in the usual way to inal
| determination in the courts of the United
States. Very respectfully your obedient
servant,
GKo. H. WILLIAMS, Atty. Gen.
The Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court assembled at noon
to-day for the October term. The Chief
| Justice and his associates were present
with the exception of Davis, who is in
| Illinois to attend the dedication of the Lin
coin monument, and Bradley, detained by
sickness. The argument of cases will be
gin tomorrow, when it is probable an adj
journment till Thursday will take place.
Postal Promises
The Postmaster General will shortly is
sue orders organizing a special agency
branch of the postal service, limiting 1t
generally to the detection of frauds and to
the instruction of postmasters in their
duties, and to secure the prompt transac
ton of the money order business. He will,
however, detail two or more special agents
| to look into the matter of the local eX-
penses of postoffices throughout the coun-
try, and ascertain why it is that COMPARE
son of the cost of running various large
postoffices of free delivery grade shows that
the percentage of expenses to receipts is as
| high as sixty per cent, and in some cases
as low as twenty-five per cent. with all
sorts of varying figures between. When
this investigation is completed, it will be
extended to al officers appointed by the
President, or all offices in which postmas-
ters receive yearly a compensation OF one
thousand dollars and upwards.
| There is to be no extensive removals OF
postmasters ia Texas, but those Of Calves
ton and Houston will be requested to resign,
not on account of anything wrong in con-
nectiOn with their official duties, but on
the grounds implying to disreputable con-
duct outside of them and their unpopular
ty with citizens. The POstmaster-General
desires the appointment Of such officers as
will secure his and the public confidence
for efficiency and integrity.
The Plan of Redemption.
Treasurer Spinner decides that the pro
ceeds of National bank notes forwarded in
good faith for redemption will, If desired,
be credited to the per cent. When calls
are made upon the National banks to re-
imburse the Treasurer for their notes re-
deemed, legal notes or drafts payable in
such notes must be sent.
RumOred Surrender OF Satanic.
A despatch from Darlington, |. t., Oct.
18th says, twenty-four lodges of Kiowas
under Satanta surrendered to Gen. Neill.
| nj 1raa will 10 hold in Close