The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-09-18
Gov. Brown Makes "a speech
at Trenton.
The Origin OF I8e Slaughter in
Gibson COunsy.
TRENroN. TENN.. So s. 81.

TRENroN, Tenn, Sept s, 1871
Judging by the crowd and The deep
interest manifested, yesterday, deserves
to be noted as one Of the days in the
history Of the place. The OCCASION
that brought such an a>semblage to
gether was partly to attend the Demo
cratic county convention, which met to
nominate a candidate for representative
in the State Legislature, bur more par
ticularly to see and hear Gov. Brown
on the Situation of affairs ia the couu
ty. The convention nominated L. S
Cooper, Of Trenton, to carry the eoun
ty Democratic standard In the coming
election, let Us hope to victory.
Gov. Brown made a mastery speech,
calling upon the citizens to come for
ward and clear upRhe stigma resting
upon them, by bringing the guilty
parties, or aiding in bringing them, to
speedy punishment. He showed them
conclusively their duty in the prem
ises, as law abiding citizens, aud as
sured them Of his determination to use
all the means at his disposal to ferret
out the criminals The Governor Is
square on the situation; that 10 one
eau doubt lie was followed by the
Secretary Of State, Attorney General
SkihingtoD, aud others. Skiihngton is
a trump. He can speak with the best
of them, aud can't be beat on Joke
He eau tell one with Infinite gusto.
aud lie knows how to laugh when the
laugh comes in
|; seems to me the public generally
seem to ignore nearly altogether ths
causes that led to the tragedy at Treu<
ton. They seem to overlook the fact
that there are two sides to the question
aud in their anathema and deuuucia
lions of the perpetrators OF the Tren-
ton tragedy they fail to visit any por
ton OF their curses upon the origina
tors of this trouble. Was it the me-
groes' fault that the two men Warren
and Morgan we're not killed? Are
they not assassins? Did they not con-
fess that their intention was co Kill the
two men to see if they could kill white
men with impunity? If they failed it
was pot because they did not try The
failure lay in the fact that it was dark
and they were not accustomed to the
handling of firearms l do not pro
pose 80 iastify the Trenton outrage 1;
[ could not do so, even if [ would.
But l ask a thinking public to weigh
both sides Of the question and say to
themselves dispassionately whether, in
Justice. one ofense does not balance
the other Ten of these negroes are
supposed to be at large sumo of them,
it is asserted, have been seen In Mem
phis, Brownsville and Jackson Should
they not be rearrested aud tried under
the law? They are assuredly guilty
of firing upon nnarmed men with the
intention to Kill, and should, as we'll
as the Trenton Jail breakers, be brought
to punishment
believe that Gov. Brown is con
sidering this matter, aud have confs
dence enough in him to believe than
he will do his whole DUTY.
In conclusion, Que word for Gibson
county. Take them as whole, do noI
believe that you can fiud in any coun-
ty, 10 any State, more peaceful and
law abiding people Should the whole
State be condemned for the wiIful act.
/ of a few men? And should a whole
county be condemned from the same
cause? Assurediy not. Aud yet, fol
few isolated facts, the North is clam
oring for military rule again in til.
/ suffering, down trodden land.