Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-09-09

and made the same demand, when
pretty much the same conversation took
place, and they dispersed, and / saw
nothing more of them. reported these
proceedings to the sheriff, and he re-
tained us AS guards to guard the jail
that Monday night. There was no
trouble that night, and next tuesday,
morning and my posse returned TO our
homes. W. N. sENTER,
Constable Gibson County.
l furthermore state that / did not re-
cognize any OF the disguised men or
their horses, nor did any OF the men
who were with me, as we talked the
matter over that night and the next
day. W. NJ. sESTER,
Constable Gibson County.
INTERVIEW WITH GovEENoR BROWN.
From the New York Herald, OF Saturday
NASHVILLE, TENN, September L.
The correspondent of the Herald bad an
interview with Governor John q. Brown
to-day, with regard to the origin Of the
troubles with the blacks in Tennessee.
In response to a question to elicit that
information the governor said:
"Our present troubles in Tennessee
are attributable to the agitation of the
civil rights bill. Until the sitting Of the
enlored convention in the city OF Nash
vile last April the relations between the
black and white races, for several years,
hsd been of the most amicable charae-
ter. There had been no disturbances
worthy Of notice. Masked marauders
were not heard Of. Under the act of
March, 1873, public schools for both
races had been established all over the
State. The white people were friendly
to the eOlored schools and had fOstered
and encouraged them, although 1t was
a notorious fact that nineteen-tWenti-
etha, and even much more of the school
taxes, were paid by the whites. The ne
gro was becoming both industrious and
frugal; and intelligent men everywhere
INDUCED = hope that the negro would
become not only q useful freedman, but
q satisfied member of the community.
THE PROvOCATIoN.
fsUnder the inspiration, however, of
the agitation Of the civil rights bill in
congress, the leading negroes in the
State gave utterance, in the April con-
ventiOn, I'd the most infammatOry de-
mands for their social rights. Many Of
fensive EXPRESSIONS fell from the lips of
the speakers in that convention. Sam
uel Lowry demanded the right, under
the law, 10 take a white woman on his
srn, and go all around Nashville with
her. Another speaker said they did not
want the white mems daughters unless
they were ladies, and qualified and COM
petent to be the wives Of eolored men,
"a short time afterward, aG a negro
gathering in Somerville, in the midst Of
a pOpuious 6ol0red community, one of
the speakers was reported in the local
paper to have declared that they would
have the right 70 marry white women,
send their children to the same schools
with the whites, etc, even If they had
to ride in blood up to their bridle-bits.'
These and similar expressions raised a
feeling Of intense indignation and re-
sentiment among the whites. These
events, together with the passage Of the
civil rights bill by the senate, produced
q deep impression upon the whites OF
both parties. And so intense did the
feeling become that in the canvass for
county officers, which soon followed, in
almost every county in the State, the
civil rights bill became
A TEST QUESTION
for Office. And so overwhelming was
the public sentiment Of the white peO-
ule against this measure that scarcely
an avOwed friend of that measure was
elected in any of the counties, or even
stood as a candidate of either party. 1t
Is not difficult to perceive how such an.
tagOnism OF sentiment, especially in
communities where the negro equalled
or Outnumb bered the whites, ripened into
feelings of bitter hostility. Threats of
killing, sackiug and burning were made,
or reported to have been made, by the
blacks. And thus this excitement,
kindled by the speeches of negroes at
Nashville and Memphis, became more
and more intensified, until it eliminated
in the recent outbreaks which have
filled the columns of the press for the
last few days"
" What immediate causes, in your
opi1iOn, precipitated the late troubles
between the whites and blacks in Glib
son cOUnty2"
IMMEDIATE CAUSES OF THE OUTBREAK.
''You can readily perceive that, in the
midst Of the unfortunate excitement
that existed in communities where the
blacks We're very numerous, very slight
causes might produce serious conse-
quences- IA the immediate locality
where the disturbance in question &C.
CURED, the negroes were numerous and
lawless. They bad been under bad in
dueEces and accepted bad counsels.
Under very inadequate proyOcation they
intemperately, and perhaps without any
well defined purpose, threatened to burn
an ADJACENT village, and kill the people.
These threats were communicated to an
excited popUlaee with increasing ex-
aggerstions, as they passed from lip to
lip, until a formidable conspiracy was
believed 10 exist. 1t was thought that
the negroes had an organization
aad meditated the execution of these
threats. at az events, one of their
number confessed that fact, and impli-
Gated sixteen others by name. They
were arrested and committed, after a
preliminary examination, to jail. 1
have no doubI it was the desire OF nine
teen-tWentieths or more of the people of
the county that they should be punished
by the judgment of the courts, and but
for the untimeiy act of few rash and
reckless men they would have had a
fair trial under the lSw, and met only
the punishment prescribed by statute.
The people Of Gibson county are intelli-
gent and law-abiding. There is no COM
munity in the State or out Of it more or
derby or more pacific. The fifty or sew
enty.fve men who violated the Jail and
cruelty murdered those helpless, unre-
sisting, misguided negroes are an eXcep-
lion to the great body of the county.
Every community is afflicted more or
less with such men,
THE LYNcHERs To BE PUNISHED.
"Will these men be detected and pun
ished?n
81 feel confident they viii be detscted
and brought to trial. The grand jury are
ia session, and the whole matter is un-
dergoing a strict investigation. l am
confident the grand jury, the Judge and
attorney-generai will do their whole
duty, and that their labors will result in
the Indictment Of the guilty parties.
This hope is based upon my knowledge
of the efficiency and fidelity of those
agencies aud the unmistakable indigna-
ton of the people at the commission, in
their midst, of crime 80 shocking. II
the parties, or any of them, are indicted,
they shall be arrested at any cost or sac
rifice and brought to trial.
40 MORE TROUBLE FEARED.
"I do not think there is much reason
to apprehend a recurrence of these
troubles anywhere in the State. The
danger lies only in the possibility that
the negroes may be instgated to acts Of
violeace by bad men for political eff
feet"
''Do you think the general govern
ment will interfere, or that its aid Will
be required?D
nI do not. There is no necessity for