certain ambitious men have made incendiary speeches, advising the overthrow of the State government, thereby encouraging these bands; and whereas, certain rebel newspapers have encouraged these men by denying the existence of the Ku-Klux by ridiculing their acts, and failing to condemn them; and whereas the legislature has amended the militia law and given me authority to meet such outrages: Now, therefore, I, William G. Brownlow, governor of Tennessee, do call upon all good and loyal citizens to enter the ranks of the State guards, be mustered into service, and aid in suppressing lawlessness. Those enrolling in east Tennessee will be transported to Nashville and armed and placed under the command of Gen. James A. Cooper. Another proclamation will be duly issued designating the counties in which I shall declare martial law, the effect of which will be to set aside civil law and turn over offenders to the military to be tried and punished summarily. These outrages have been long borne, but the executive is not to be cajoled or trifled with. The citizens are warned against harboring any Ku-Klux. The governor will make the guards numerous and effective enough to make middle and west Tennessee as orderly and quiet as east Tennessee is today. XIII THE UNDOING OF RECONSTRUCTION INTRODUCTION A YEAR before Georgia was finally reconstructed the undoing of Reconstruction began with the re-enfranchisement (1869) of ex-Confederates in Tennessee and the consequent transfer of the state government to them. The border states began to go Democratic in 1870 and in that year North Carolina and Virginia returned to the control of the Conservative whites, while Georgia followed a year later. The Ku Klux movement greatly aided in the recovery of these states, and also assisted the whites in the other states to regain control of the white counties; so that after 1871 although the reconstructionists held seven state governments, within those states they controlled only in the black counties, the majorities from the black districts overcoming the majorities from the white counties. As the Reconstruction governments grew more corrupt the better class of whites deserted the Radical party, leaving only from 3,000 to 5,000 whites, principally office holders, in each state to organize and control the blacks. Sympathy for the South grew in the North and the Democrats carried several states. But the Southern Radicals were now greatly aided by the Enforcement laws and by Federal control of elections. Disputed elections and dual governments were always decided in favor of the Radicals. Consequently by 1874 the whites were exasperated to the point of rebellion. In this year there was a revolution in Louisiana, 1 and revolutionary elections in Ala 1. See p. 144. XIII THE UNDOING OF RECONSTRUCTION INTRODUCTION A YEAR before Georgia was finally reconstructed the undoing of Reconstruction began with the re-enfranchisement (1869) of ex-Confederates in Tennessee and the consequent transfer of the state government to them. The border states began to go Democratic in 1870 and in that year North Carolina and Virginia returned to the control of the Conservative whites, while Georgia followed a year later. The Ku Klux movement greatly aided in the recovery of these states, and also assisted the whites in the other states to regain control of the white counties; so that after 1871 although the reconstructionists held seven state governments, within those states they controlled only in the black counties, the majorities from the black districts overcoming the majorities from the white counties. As the Reconstruction governments grew more corrupt the better class of whites deserted the Radical party, leaving only from 3,000 to 5,000 whites, principally office holders, in each state to organize and control the blacks. Sympathy for the South grew in the North and the Democrats carried several states. But the Southern Radicals were now greatly aided by the Enforcement laws and by Federal control of elections. Disputed elections and dual governments were always decided in favor of the Radicals. Consequently by 1874 the whites were exasperated to the point of rebellion. In this year there was a revolution in Louisiana, 1 and revolutionary elections in Ala 1. See p. 144. |