Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-09-19
A PRECIOUS CREW.
The Personal and Political His
tory of Alabama's Champion
ScOundrels.

Hays Lying Letter to GEN. Hawley-
who ST. M. Jsy'' is-BEngham, and
How He Got Even With Busteed-
Montgomery Postmaster rs q Wife,
Rhiaper-Progress Of the Plot 20 Se-
cure Federal Intervention.
To the Union and American:
DECATUR, ALA, Sept. 16, 1S74.-I have
illst read an editorial in your issue of yes
terday, in which you refer to a letter, from
Congressman Hays of this State, addressed
TO Gen. Hawley, of Connecticut. have not
seen the letter, and / know nothing of its
contents. except what your article furnish
es. You say he is represented as mention
ing startling facts concerning the murder
of white and black Republicans in Ala
bama.n and further, that he gives only
swell authenticated facts, with names,
dates and localities" / reside in Mont
gomery, where the character Of this lying
Congressman is well known, and beg to
assure you that your intimations as to the
weight that his statements are entitled TO,
are perfectly Just. lie is entitled to the
same credence that the slanderous LIN. Jay
deserves portion of whose infamous let
ter YOU published with its denial and de-
nunciarion by the most prominent Repub-
licans in Montgomery. This l.. NJ. Jay is
one J. NJ. Levy, United States whisky
gauger, against whom an indictment for
forging is pending in the City Court of
Montgomery.
So far as veTacity is concerned, Hays and
Levy deserve to stand upon the same level.
The respectable white people of Hays dis
trict give the same credence to the state
ments of CONGRESSMAN Hays" that the
citizens Of Montgomery give TO the infa-
nous tales of the little rascal, Levy. Just
before leaving hOme-about ten days ago
| read in the paper published in Eutaw,
where Hays lives, and where he has been
known from his childhood, this statement:
Here where Charley Hays is known it is
not necessary 10 say anything in refIItation
OF what he may say lie lives in what is
known as the 'sblaek-belt and is elected by
negroes. There are not, venture to as
sert, a half-dozen respectable white men in
his district that would vote for him, or be-
lieve. without corrOborating testimony, any
thing he might tell. The Livingstone
Journal published in Sumter county, HAYS
district, not long since, in noticing his pub
lished statement in regard to one Billings
and his murder, pointed out no lessthan six
or seven lRtIriths.
4
largely in HAYS letter to Haw-
ly. He and his Inscriptions
Radical confederates have done all in their
power to blow up a Ku-klIIX storm over
this foul affair. They have been unceasing
in their efforts to make Radical capital out
of it, when the truth is, there is not parti-
Gle of evidence going to show that the Dem
oerats, or politics of any kind, had anything
e. 10. II
ings of the case point IN q uery different
direc ton.
| thank YOU for your defence of Alabama
against the ISLANDERS of these miserable
wretches. They are all designed for sin
gle puTpoSe-to induce federal interference,
and to save the State to the Radical party.
am glad 10 assure you that in this they
will most signally fail. The Radical lead
ers are making a desperate effort, and hesi-
tate at no falSehoOd or fraud however great
or gIaring. Outside of the Radical party
(Which is composed almost exclusively Of
negroes and such creatures as Hays and
Spencer there is not in the whole United
States or any where else, q more orderly
and law-abiding community.
Three of the principal and most unscru-
palous slanderers of the white people Of
our State, are Arthur Bingham, the present
Radical State Treasurer and candidate for
reelection, and editor OF the State JoUdaldl,
John G.. Stokes, pOstoffiee agent or detec-
tive, and Congressman HAYS. OF the last
it is not necessary that / should say any
thing further, but | wish you to print 4
fact of two about Bingham and Stokes.
This Radical State Treasurer and editor is
the same creature who so disguised the
Busted Impeachment Committee" that
one of them, Mr.. Kerr, told him he ought
TO be in the penitentiary. He confessed
on oath before that committee, that he had
printed in his paper falsehOOds on Busted,
kROJCiaq at the time thGt they lgeTe false
hoods. His sole excuse for this was that
he wanted to 'fget even" with Busted for
some offence that this notorious individ-
ual had given him. This single circum
stance in Bingbam's history, gives his true
character, and | need not add anything
more about him.
Stokes was raised in our city and is well
known there. There are not, in my opin-
ion, three white men in Montgomery, not
even his own father, who would believe
him on oath. He is noted in Montgomery
as liar, swindler, wife-whipper and cow
ard. He was for while the Radical so
licitOr of our county, and collected numer-
Gus sums Of county funds, but never paid
over solitary dollar. He got up a grand
lottery scheme and then pockcted his vic
TINS money. He passed himself offin New
York city as a Confederate Brigadier Gen
eral, and actually imposed himself upon
and married young lady, and afterwards
abused and whipped herl These, sir, this
Hays, and Stokes and Bingham and the
like, are the men to whom military AttOr-
ney General Williams gives ear,
and proposes on their representa-
tions to put Federal bayOnets in Alabama
to stop DemOcratic-'outrageS! Ii is a
shocking insult to our people, and yet, sir,
we gladly welcome the soldiers; We want
these brave men in blue 10 see for them
selves who and what these rascals are, and
what they propose.
write tOyOu under my own signature,
and refer you for my character, and for
the truth Of what have written, to the
white people of Montgomery, among whom
| live, g. p. KEYES.