New-York tribune., 1892-01-09
THE CRISIS ~ TENNESSEE.

Judging from present lhuicalons, lhc uo"o'c
between tho Tennessee miners and the State
authorities is no nearer an end than it was SIX
months ago At that time the Legislative had
inst sanctioned continuance Of the convict
least system. by which the penitentiares are
drawn on for recruits 10 the working force or the
mountain coereS. Governor buchanan, one
of the strongest advocates Of the renewal, ap-
parently surprised by the sudden iLSing Oh the
free miners who had hitherto accepted the st'la-
ton peacefully, hcsitatcI to order out the militia
until the revolt had assumed the formidable piO-
portions Of organized inslrrcction. BY that tlme
the miners had armed and placed themselves
under military discipline, and peopled rho hills
with ShaIpshooels who could eassy have picked
eff in detail any single regiment sent against
them The futty Of the Governors attempt TO
eyade the dilemma by Withdrawing the militia
for Sky days and convcning an extra session Of
the Legislature to consider the repeal OF the law
was apparent even before the members assem-
bled and wasted month in frllitiess wranglng.
The liberation Of the cOnycts and burning OF
the ,tockades that Immediately followed showed
the grim carncstneSs of thoea in revolt and IN
dicatcd stubborn determination 10 stop at moth
ing to serve their ends; and the present grave
crisis is only natural and logical NSnlt 0f
executive and legislative shillyshalying, such as
might have been clearly foIescen months ago.
At this moment the recapr1ned cOnvlcts who
have been returned to the mines at Brlceylllc
and Coal Creek are tolerated only by virtue OF
the presence of armed mtamen, and flesh
outbreak is hourly expected. Early in the con-
test the miners made the mistake OF alternating
public sympathy by the forfeiture OF warrant IN
voved in hasty resort to violence Since then
they seem t. have thrown discretion to the winds.
IL Coal Creek the leader of the miners has just
issued a,cal for another meeting. rcyou-
tionary manifesto is circulated charging the
miners to stand together, "no matter what
CONES death, d,C1Tction or anarchy and ridl-
culing the idea that one hundred and sixty seven
men can hold ont against force of twU thou
sand and when a United States flag was raised
by the troops a miner is said to have yelled in
derision 4" 1t won't stay there long Well
shoot il down and you with it, II this defiance
at all expresses the true temper of the miners,
and there is much reason to fear that it does
Governor buchanan cannot hope to allay public
apprehension By recourse 10 any such tame ca
pcdicntS aS second withdrawal of troops and
the engagement TO arrange another legislative
iasco. The miners themselves would not only
regard the proposition with contcmpt they
would accept il as Il virtual condonation OF past
eyccs~c, and an invitation to renewed outrage tho
limit of which none could forcsee. Us it Is, tho
people Of Tennessee are face to face with the
humiliaiing spectacle OF "A narrow contingent 0f
the population holding at bay the authorized
agents Uf the rest of the State and iaty refusing
10 be bound by laws which the executive inStru-
mcnts are not competent to enforce.
This is no time 10 canvass the dement's OF the
lease law These have already been exhaustive
" explained and discussed, and are pretty gen
orally understood. II is too late now TO consider
the policy Of pcpctuating any system, for lcyc-
nuc reasons. that from all other points Of view
appcalS 10 excite such unanimous and uncJm-
promising hostility among the citizens directly
affected by its application. The problem inn
meIiatcy before the Governor concerns the ap-
prchcn>iOn Of the rngloadcrS of a awlesS faction
and the coincdcnt protection Of those likely TO
suffer from their miSdecds and until this is ac-
complishcd, tho pcrplcXing processes that deter
mine legislation productive Of results 20 inimical
- the common good must offer food for Won
dering speculation.