The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-09-17
For the Milan Exchange
THE LATE TROUBLE

As mucn mas Deen Safu ana WrIISu
with regard to the shooting of the
Trenton negroes, and that with the
most rigid severity, attempting to
make our community far more unciv-
ilized and lawless than other sections,
we write this letter defending cur
selves, and, so far as facts will allow,
extenuating the crime of the masked
men who committed the deed.
The crime was a plain violation of
law, committed by men under the
most aggravating circumstances. The
press took it up and in hot haste and
mad fury became prosecutors Of the
masked men, and that before the facts
were known or the circumstances I'M
stood, and in their partial judgment
condemned them and in their venge-
full desires had them executed as the
worst of criminals. In their blind
zeal they resorted repeatedly to some
Of the most fallaceOus arguments. In
the first place, all editorials and COM
munications either said nothing at all
about the emergency Of the case, or
spoke Of it as light matter or denied
| it altogether. They often said that it
was ridiculous and contemplate to
fear for moment that the negroes
would be able TO carry out their de-
signs. Very true, and we think no
sane man among us had the least APP
prehension Of this. This being the
truth-but inapplicable to the case
is the strong fallacy. The families
out upon the frontiers have not the
least fear that a rowing band of In
dians, in making war upon the United
States, will succeed; yet no news Is
more dreadful to a frontiersman than
an Indian war. He feels for the
scalp of his head, looks through tears
upon his wife and children, abandons
all else and starts with them at the
hour of midnight for safety, if there
is such place within his reach. a
negro mob is no less frightful than an
Indian raid, especially when its inten-
tons are known to be a general use
of ''fire and sword" These writers
often say the 'pOOr negro. In all
! such connections the word poor
means innocent and helpless. Here
again is mixing Of the true and the
false, the strongest Of fallacies. They
were helpless, but not innocent. Be
fore the magistrates they We're found
guilty by the most indubitable evil
dence, and by their own confessions,
of being in the very act Of carrying
out the most diabolical and fiendish
designs known to our courts or placed
upon the records Of history. Many
other fallacies, misstatements and
false reports might be noticed, such as
the over-estimate Of the negroes killed,
the attempt to kill the other ten, in
stead of merely frightening them, etc.
We will now try to give as near us
we can the causes and circumstances
which led to the killing Of the negroes,
and let everyone judge with due de-
liberation for himself. On Saturday
night a band Of negroes were found
and dispersed, who had fired on two
young men riding home from church,
for no other reason than that said
Young men were white. On Sunday
some Of these negroes were arrested.
They confessed that they had assem-
bled for the purpose Of carrying out
Il plot which was general over the
whole State, that they were waiting
for two other companieo-one from
Humboldt and one from Hope Hill
and Lavenia 1.-TWO villages eight or
ten miles distanD - and gave the
names of the captains Of these two
other companies, that their intention
was, first, to kill two or three individ-
uals against whom they had special
spite, then to burn the town and COM
mence an indiscriminate massacre Of
the people; they would then 60 to
Humboldt, Milan and Trenton, in the
order named, and hurn and kill as
they went, that their ultimate object
was to take possession Of the country
TO the exclusion Of the whites-with
one exception, the young ladies and
fair young wives were to be spared the
sword and taken as wives for them
selves that while they were waiting
these two young men came along and
they thought they might as well COM
mence, lest these young men should
inform the people Of their collection;
that they failed to kill the young men,
and this caused their discovery before
they were fully ready to act. Is it
not great wonder that these negroes
lived Y hours longer? Many others
were also arrested, but sufficient proof
not being found against them, we're
turned loose. The Hope Hill and
Lavenia negroes were found coming
by detail to Pickettville and many Of
them arrested, but no positive proof
being found, were set at liberty. On
Monday, between Hope Hill and
Lavenia, one negro came in and told
his employer, William Fly, that he
did not intend to work for him any
more, that it was death any way; if
the whites wanted to fight let them
pitch in, now was the time; and then
walked off by his cabin, which his
family had just left, and went on by
another negro's cabin and the two
went Of together. In the same
neighborhood a band of negroes was
seen at Rial Burrows, colored, and
some of them with guns. These facts,
and many other suspicious circum-
stances, especially the caucnsing and
unusual meeting of the negroes for
several weeks before, in some of
which they had been overheard by
eavesdroppers to discuss the very in
tentions attempted to be carried out
by the Pickettville band, together
with many false but alarming rumors,
brought about the greatest excitement
and most dreadful apprehensions.
Men were riding over the country,
preparing and notifying their neigh