The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-09-03
GOVERNORS PROCLAMA-
TION.
To the Judicial, Ministerial
and anPeace Officers, and to
the People of Tennessee.
Civn Officers Responsible for
Riots and Jail Breaking.
If They Fail in Their Duties
Let Them be DisgPaced.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE,


NASHVILLE, Tenn, August %, 1919
To the Judicial, Ministerial and all
Peace Officers, and to the people OF
Tennessee:
The means at the command OF the
Chief Executive of the State are wholly
inadequate to the enforcement of the
law, without the hearty cooperation of
all civil officers, supported by healthy
public sentiment. Appeals are daily
made to this office for military assistance,
or for authority to organize companies.
The recent atrocities IN the State nave
engendered a feverish and unnatural ex
element in the public mind to such an
extent that the lawful remedies for ex-
listing and apprehended evils are over
looked in a morbid anxiety to have mil
itary protection
Tennessee has no military power.
The militia can be called out by the
General Assembly alone, and then only
in case of rebellion or invasion. If past
experience may be regarded as just
criterian, the militia, if called into ser
vice, would tend rather to aggravate
than to alleviate existing trouble.
If we would preserve our State Gov
ernment,- and the liberties of our peo-
pie, we must cease to look to. military
power to enforce the law and punish
crime. The civil law affords ample pro-
lection to society, if Sheriffs, Constables,
judicial and ministerial officers will do
their duty They are elected by the
people, and will do their duty, if public
sentiment will demand it. The leading
men in every community create and con-
troll public sentiment.
The civil officers of each county have
ample authority, under the law, both to
prevent and punish crime.
By section 1888 of the Code of Ten
nessse, "The Sheriff is the principal con-
ser0GtOr of the peace in his county, and
it is his duty to suppress all ARRAYS, RI
OTIS, rOuts, unlawful assemblies, insur-
rections or other breaches of the peace,
to do which, he may summon to his aid as
many of the male Inhabitants Of the county
as he thinks proper"
ministerial officers of Justice in the State,
and the Mayor, Aldermen, Marshals and
police of cities and towns, are also con-
senators Of the peace, and required to
aid in the prevention and suppression OF
public offenses, and for this purpose,
nlGg act 1Oith all the pOtoeF of the Sheriff"
By section 1899, ait is the duty of all
peace officers who know, or have reason
to suspect, any person of being armed,
with the intention of committing riot
or affray, or of assaulting, wounding or
breaking the peace, to arrest such per-
son forthwith, and take him before some
Justice of the Peace"
And by another section the Justice is
required to bind him in bond, with
good security, to keep the peace or com
init him to Jail. The substance of which
! is, that all Justices of the Peace, Sheriffs,
COnstables, Mayors, Aldermen, Marshals
and police officers, of cities and towns,
are conservatOrs of the peace, (the Sher-
if being the chief conservatory, and
they are bound to prevent any violation
: of law, to preserve the peace, and to ar
rest offenders of the law-and it is their
duty, if not able to do so without as
sistance, to summon as many of the
male inhabitants of the county without
regard to age or Occupation) as they
think proper.
Officers or citizens who fail or refuse
to perform their respective duties are
guilty of misdemeanOrs. If the Sheriff
cannot obtain force enough in his cOun-
ty TO meet the demands of the law, it Is
the duty of the Governor, on the appli-
cation of the Sheriff, to send the neces-
sary force from another county. With
such ample authority, coupled with the
power to enforce it, the civil officers are
without excuse if the law is not eXecu-
ted in their counties. They are respOn-
sible for riots and jail-breaking, and
public sentiment should demand and re-
quire of them Vigiience and fidelity in
the execution of their high trusts, and
public opinion should boldly sustain
them in their efforts to protect society
and uphold the lawful authority.
If from ignorance, cOwardice, or want
of fidelity, a public officer fails of doing
his duty, let the people, whose servant
he is, turn him out of Office through the
means pointed out by the law, and dis
! grace him. If the people of the county
will not sustain or aid the officials in
] the proper exercise of their authority,
/ let the officers apply to the Governor,
and he will, agtthOut delay, send them
force enough to execute the law.
! Let me say to the people of Tennessee,
come to the rescue of the fair name you
have heretofore so nObly won for your
State. You are now heralded to the
world as jail-breakers and murder
ers, rioters and law-breakers. With a
! few bloody and horrible exceptions, you
| do not deserve it. But those exceptions
are taken by the world as the rule, and
! the effect upon your reputation, if not
cOunteracted, will prove as disastrous as
! if the condemnation were deserved.
/ Let every community speak out in just
| terms of Indignation against these out
RACES, and create a spirit that will fOrti-
| fly and sustain your public officials in
| suppressing riots, and in preventing the
| commission of crime. Declare that
every man, white and black, shall re-
ceive an equal measure of protection
| from the laws strong arm, and that ev-
cry offender shall be brought to speedy
punishment. Act promptly and cOur-
| ageously upon such resolves, and your
State will once more be an example of
peace and order. Your homes will be
secure from violence. sYOur wives and
children can rest in security. There will
exist no longer animosities of races.
Your jails will become what they ought
to be, houses of custody and protection.
The law will be respected and Obeyed,
and your State will regain what she has
temporarily lost by the acts of a few
wicked and reckless men. A few men
in every community have the power to
control the evil-dOers, and l implOre
you by your love for your State, and as
you value life and liberty, and the ma
terial prosperity of the country, lose no
time in meeting the responsible duties
you owe to yourselves, your families
and your country. This will save you
from military rule, and worse, even,
than that, from anarchy, and probably
nothing else will.
anu III TIC hASSAidA VI III Ouby W
enforce the law, 1 do warn all persons,
white and colored, who have unlawfully
banded together under the pretext of
defence, or otherwise, Immediately to
disband; and / do warn all persons
against any such organizations. And L
do most earnestly eniOin upon all civil
officers, and especially in those lOcali-
ties where there have recently been
blOOdshed and disturbances, that they
compel the disbandment of all unlaw-
full organizations, and that they use the
utmost vigilance in bringing the guilty
parties TO punishment, and that they re-
sort to every lawful remedy to prevent
further violations of the law, to the end
that the majesty of the law may be
maintained and society protected.
Done at the Capitol of Tennessee, this
Goth of August, 1874.
T.. s.. john c. BROWN, Governor.
SHERIFF'S SALE.
] ny virtue Of an avanus,o IN han1s