Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-09-09
LAW AND ORDER ASSURED.
President Grant Says The Out
RACES Must stop.
Important Instructions 90 u. n. Mar
shaIs in the South.

'"p"''"hi hhSlruclOnS 10 U. y. mAr-
shaIs in the south.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 3.-The fol-
lowing letter was received here to-
day
LONG BRANCH, Sept. I'd, 1874.
To General W. W. Be,knop, Secretary
Of War:
The recent atrocities in the South,
and particularly in Louisiana, Ala
bama and South Carolina, show dis
regard for the law, civil rights and
personal protection that ought not to
be tolerated in any civilized Govern.
ment. 1t looks as If, unless speedily
checked, matters must become worse,
until life and property there will re-
ceive no protection from the local au-
thorities, until such authority becomes
pOwerless. Under such circumstan-
ces it is the duty of the Government
to give ali the aid for the protection of
life and civil rights legally authorized.
To this end | wish you would consult
with the Attorney General, who is we'll
informed as to the outrages already
committed, and the localities where
the greatest danger lies, and so order
troops as to be available in cases of
necessity. All proceedings for the
protection of the South will he under
the Law Department of the Govern.
ment and will be directed by the Att
torney General in accordance with the
provisions of the enforcement acts. Ne
instructions need therefore be given
the troops ordered into the Southern
States, eXpcept as they may be trans
mitted from time to time on advance
from the Attorney General, or as cir
cumstances may determine hereafter.
Yours truly, u. S. GRANT.
AS result of the conference held at
the War Department this morning
between Secretaries Bristow and Belk-
nap and Attorney General Williams,
the following circular was issued this
afternoon at o'clock, to the United
States Attorneys and Marshals. 1t
has the approval of the President, the
substantial parts of the same having
been communicated TO him during the
inverview with the Attorney General,
at Long Branch:
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE,
WASHINGTON, Sept. 3. 1874.
SIR: Outrages of various descrip-
tons, and in some cases atroeious
murders, have been committed in your
district by bodies of armed men, some
times in disguise and with the view, it
IL believed, of oveTawing and intimi-
dating peaceable and lawabiding citi-
zens and depriving them of the rights
guaranteed to them by the Constitution
and laws of the United States. Your
attention is directed TO an act of Cons
gre-s, passed April O. 1866, entitled:
An net to protect all persons in the
United States in their civil rights, and
to furnish means for their vindica-
ton ~ and to another, passed April
20, 1870, entitled: An act to enforce
the provisions of the 18th Amendment
to the Constitution of the United
States, and for other purposes;p also to
one passed May 80, 1870, entitled: "An
act to enforce the rights of citizens of
the United States to vote i'm the several
States of this Union, and for other
purposes" which, with their amend
ments, make these deeds of violence
and bloody offences within the juris-
diction of the General Government,
| consider it my duty, in view of
these circumstances, to instruct you to
proceed with all possible energy and
dispatch to detect, expose, arrest and
punish the perpetrators of these
crimes, and to that end you are to
spare no effort or necessary expense.
Troops of the United States will be
stationed at different and convenient
points in your district for the purpose
of giving all needful aid in the dis
charge Of your official duties. You
understand, of course, that no inter
ference whatever is hereby intended
with any political or party action not
in violation of law, but protection to
all CLASSES of citizens, white and color
ed, in the free exercise of the elective
franchise and the enjoyment of the
other rights and privileges to which
they are entitled under the Constitu-
tion and laws as citizens of the United
States. These instructions are issued
by the authority of the President, and
with the concurrence of the Secretary
of War.
Very respectfully,
GEO. H. WILLIAMS,