The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-09-24

Address CT the Executive Committee
of Tennessee.


Tennessee issued their address this
morning, of which the following is q
synopsis:
We are aware tl@t attempts have
been made and VII continue to be
made to create a prejudice against
the Democratic Conservative party of
Tennessee, because Of acts of lawleSs-
ness which have taken place in some
parts Of the State, but when il Is re-
membcrcl that every effort has been
and will continue to be made by the
officers of the State to bring offenders
to Justice; that throughout the State
these acts have been condemned, not
only by the public press, but by
various Democratic and Conservative
Conventions which have met, without
a single dissenting voice; that in no
part Of the United States are acts of
lawlessnesS more discountenanced by
public sentiment than in Tennessee;
all fair minded men will say that 1t is
UNJUST to attempt TO throw odium
upon the whole State because of the
ac.s Of a few reckless, bad men, which
lhey could not prevent, and for which
they are in no wise responsible, and
this, too, for the purpose of making
political capital to serve the ends Of a
sinking party. We condemn, as thor
oughly as any one, all acts Of violence,
whether committed by whites or
blacks. We feel determined to defend
all persons, of every race or color, in
the enjoyment Of their legal and con-
stitutional rights, and to secure to
them ample protection for their per-
sons and property. Our object is to
preserve friendly relations between
the white and black races, because in
50 doing the welfare and happiness of
both will be promoted. In this State
under a Democratic and Conservative
administration, negroes enjoy as many
rights as they do in any State in the
Union, and there is as little prejudice
against them on account of color as in
any of the Northern States. If let
alone there would be entire harmony
between the races, and general pros
peritv would be the result. But I'M
fortunately it seems to be the desire
Of certain parties, for personal and
political ends to engender strife be-
tween them just previous to an cleo
ton.
The civil rights bill, so called, seems
to have been intended to bring about
the unfortunate state of affairs which
now exists in many Of the Southern
States, our own among the number.
The object Of the bill seems to have
been to poison the minds Of the black
race and to inAdme their passions and
prciudices so Is - dag them into an
tagoniSm with the white race, with
which they have been living on terms
Of friendship and good viii. 1t has
produced it, legitimate fruits, first by
arousing the passions OF the negroes
50 as to cause them to utter inflamatO-
ry sentiments, and to form unlawful
combinations and conspiracics; and
then it has naturally excited the white
people to such an extent that some
reckless men, disregarding the obliga-
ton Of law, have been induced to
commit acts Of violence, bringing re
pr0ach upon the State, though, as We
feel most uniU.I}v. The men who
planned these schemes to destroy har-
! monv between the white and black
/ races, hv pressing the passage Of a bill
that could he OF 10 benefit TO either
race. are the real authors Of the law
Iessness which unhappily prevails
! among a few men III parts OF the
country. < = :: \ = We
oppose this lii because it must neces-
sarily produce an antl@onism between
| the races, hurtIuI to 10th and destruc-
tive to the best interests Of the c0un-
try. We oppose it because it viii
. destroy the system Of free schools in
/ tennessee and other Southern States,
from which the black race may receive
50 many great and cool blessings.
. We oppose il becaue it Is an attempt
! by legislation to control the social
habits and customs Cf people. We
/ oppose it, because it would lead to
such interference on the part Of the
/ Federal Government with the local
affairs Of the noople as will destroy
the last vestige OF State rights. The
tendency Of the Federal Government
to Capitalization is increasing with
alarming rapidity. x : < One
Of the great doctrines of common law,
handed down to us for generations, is
= bulwark Of liberty and personal
| rigiJs-thal Is, right to be tried by a
! jury Of the vicinage-will be taken
away, and men viii be dragged from
their homes upon the slightest suspi-
cion, to he tried by juries and tribu-
mails organized to convict. The i'm
preston which has been industriously
sought to lie made, viz, that immi-
grants are unsafe in Tennessee because
Of tie spirit az ldwlessness which is
said to prevail, is an unmitigated
Islander, without shadow of foundation
in truth. We have in our State
thousands Of Germans, Swiss, Swedes,
Irishmen, Italians, and men of every
nationality, and they will all testify
that nowhere are they received with
a more joyous welcome or are their
rights and persons treated with more
courtesy and regard. Men have been
elected by the Democrat: and Con
sentative party of Tennessee to posi-
tons Of honor and trust who were
born in Europe and in Northern
States, some Of whom served in the
Federal army during the recent civil
war. These malicious reports are cir
culated with the two-fold object of af-
/ fecting our material interests ard Of
gaining a party triumph among those
unacquainted with the real facis. We
do not say, because We do not believe,
the great body OF the Republican par