Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-09-12
OUR TENNESSEE OUTLAWS.
rbev shall Not Escape IL Governor
Brown Can Prevent IL.


Brown Tan Prevent IL.
4 MempLis Appedi reporter had an inter
view with Gov. Bsown in that city on
Wednesday, during which the following
conversation occurred:
Reporter-Are the statements made by
the tennessee correspondent of the CHctR-
n1fj C0mmerciaI, that thirty-nine murders
Ind been committed in Rutherford, SUM
nar and Gibson counties in the last eight
months eOrrect
Goyernor-That is not true.
Psnarter-Do you know Of any Organiza-
lions i'm the State, such rs ku-klux or the
White League, so openly and freely avOWed
in Louisiana?
Governor-I do not, and do not belle e
thera are any such organizations IN TIE
state The two or three instances Oi mask
.,,I ,,,a,rauJers furnished in the ,ast month
sl,ov, that these companies or gangs were
,..,,,,osed- u | believe, Of bad men sudden
Ia L,n,ed together for the specific purposes
that have made them notorious 10 the pub
lie They are a class that exists IN al
localities. and Tennessee can claim As
much immunity from them As any State IN
the Union, North or South.
Repoder-YOu have made and are max
inc. As has time and again Within Inc pas
two weeks been stated, extraordinary ei-
forts To arrest the criminals OF IrOusuaie'
Gibson and other counties, with what sue
cess
GoyeruOr-TwO of the mur'iererS OF Ju-
I;a HAYDEN have been arrested and are now
I'M iail awaiting trial, and the authorities
of1iibsou are actively and most earnestly
Iaborino to hiring the murlerOuS maSkefs
aud negro rioters tn justice. j know this
officially and personally TO be s0- Lawyers
~ ability have been employed by the State
Ia assist the State officials IN all these
c.tSes. ,
Reporter-Are the authorities OF Gibson
,ctuafeJ i'm this labor, in any sense, by fear
of nOIiticaI consequences, or by determi-
nation to uphold the law for the law sake
and the good of all the people?
GOvernor-They, as l have every reason
to believe from my official colninuhicaiio Oh
with them, are moved by sincere ueSHe
10 enforce the law and preserve the peace.
In the performance Of their duties / 90 iiO'
believe them to be affected by political Oh
race predictions. IN =.
RepOrter-DO you think they VIII Oe
able to secure any Of tlie criminals?
GOyernOr-I do. The grand jury, the
Circuit Court, and the prosecuting alt0r-
nev and associate counsel are all earnestly
Iaboring to that end The public do not
appreciate the difficulties attending the
diScoyerv or Identification Of the criminals
who took every Precaution to conceal then
identity. IL takes time, and the people
north as well as south, must be patient:
Reporter-The Tennessee correspondent
Of the Cincinnati Commercial asserts th'
impossibility of cOnvicting the criminals
even If arrested, because Of the sympathy
of the people with them, and even suggests
the sympathy Of the prosecuting officers ah'
Judges with the criminals. Do you OeiieV'
/ this true?
GoyernOr-I do not. Il is vile slande
both upon the people and the public oinciaI p.
Of the State. There is not public ofleial
] to INV Knowledge or belief, who synlpa
/ tbizes with the Gibson county or any "ti''
/ criminals-
Rep0rter.-You do not think there
any secret organization in the State inlm
cal 10 the NEGROES?
| GOvernOr-I d,, not.
Reporter-Is there any necessity lor ID