Year: 1874

From the Nashville UHion and Americana


COLUMBIA, Tenn, September eth
There being a lage number OF persons
in attendance on our county and crimi-
nal courts, q meeting was organized by
calling Judge Martin to the chair, 10
have an expression of the sentiments OF
our county in regard to the recent out
RACES in Gibson and sother counties.
Judge Nicholson being discovered in
the crowd, yielded to the urgent demand
made upon MIN to address the meeting
He said it was the first time he had
spoken TO a popular audience since he
had been upon the supreme bench. He
would be far from doing so now, but for
the peculiar object of this meeting, and
the exigency which demanded such &C.


ton. He spoke for no party, bat for his
countrymen of all parties. A great


wrong had been done the State. The
courts had been defied, and the law


trampled under foot. During the sitting
of q court and within the hearing of the
Judge, attoTney-geneTal aud the grand
Jury, an armed mob Wrested prisoners
from the custody Of the law and infiict-


ed summary punishment upon them.
Similar disregard OF life and the authoFi-


ties hiss manifested itself in other places.


II the enemies Of prisoners could take


them from the jail for one purpose, their


friends c0Ud rescue them for another.


This was blow at the very basis of all


governments. He was getting old and


would soon pass from the stage Of action,


but he saw around him younger men on


whose shoulder would rest the RESPONSE


bility of government. he appealed to


them to vindicate the honor of the


State, and show our full capacity for
self government, which can only be


done by a sacred regard for the law and


the constitutional authorities. He saw
ia these outbreaks no reason TO question


the capacity or good intentions of cur
people, but be did regard it as an emer-


gency that loudly called for action in


putting down this Outlawry. 1t was not
his purpose to discuss the relation be-


tween the races. They were all under


the law, and they were entitled to lis


protection without regard to color, and


that man was false to his race who would


usurp the prerogative Of the law. The
social relations was q different matter,


and should not bias any one on the coa-
sideration Of this subject. He knew


there was but one sentiment with the


great body of the people of Tennessee,


out it was necessary that they should
come boldly to the front in upholding
the hands of our chief executive, in order
that the laWless should be brought to
punishment and our honor vindicated
at home and abroad. Judge Nichol-
son : brief remarks were listened TO with
una ked attention and approval.


a committee composed OF MessTs.
| Hickey, Aiken, Chairs and Dunning-


ton, brought in the following report as
/ expressive OF the sense of the meeting
which was unanimously adopted: eve,
a portion of the citizens of Maury
| county, in convention assembled, hasten


TO give expression to the very earnest
| Indignation which we feel at the fre-
auent recurrence of mob violence in diff
ierent portions Of our State, especially
| the recent outrage in the county Of
/ Gibson; that in our judgement the
machinery of local self-gOvernment as
wisely provided in the constitution and
/ laws Of the State, are amply sufficient
/ for the protection of life, liberty and
property; and that their disregard by
Eany number Of the citizens who seek to
! take the law in their own hands, is an
inexeusable outrage against every prin-
| ciple scared to constitutional liberty, the
! Deace of society and the security OF the
/ citizens; that the evils resulting from


such infTaetions OF the law, II tolerated
/ by the legal authorities, would be in


cSlculable, and the thought cannot be
for a moment entertained; that, in our
judgement, the people Of Tennessee as
apOlitical community, are as much we'd
ded to principle OF law and order, as the
| people OF any State of the Union, and
that the natural inference to which these
vislatiOi Of the law necessarily lead US
is false to the true sentiment and man
hood OF our State officials, both executive
and judicial; that the circumstances OF
the times loudly demand such general
! uprising of the citizens in the support Of
their civil officers as will secure the ar
4 rest of criminals and the stern admins
tration of Justice; that to this end we
give our most cordial approval TO the
energetic policy inauguTated by the
I chief executive of the State, and appeal
to our fellow-eitiZens throughout the
counties in which these disturbances
have taken place to come earnestly and
4 energeticaily to his support, and that we
urge our people everywhere to resolve
upon such timely action as may be


necessary to correct the misconception


that has gone abroad that ours Is . state


in which the law Is not supreme and the


citizens not secure; and that we will


shoW TO the world that we are capable Of
self-government, and not the aid oi
Federal bayonet or other Federal inter,
vention to secure that end; therefore.
ResolUed, that. we pledge the present


State authorities our hearty approval
and cordial cooperation in the prompt
policy iusugursted to vindieate the laws


and TO suppress crime. :.
Resolved, That We tender to our dis.
tingaished citizeB, Hon. A. o. T.
Nicholson, our thanks for his wise ant
timely counsel in this critical emer
j gency,


Timely remarks were made by judge


Martin, Colonel Wright. Captain Hickey
and +. g. Dunnington, Esq.


: The champion game of Lacrosse wa
/ nlavei On the grounds OF the Northern Ohi'