armed and masked parties in this vicinity. I propose to fight it out."
Upon the receipt of this dispatch, Governor Brownlow made a second request for federal troops. This time he received an unfavorable response. General Thomas informed him that "the State of Tennessee, being in full exercise of the civil functions of a State, the military authority of the United States cannot legally interfere except in aid and support of the civil authority. For these purposes troops have been sent to various locations. These details, together with the present demand for troops to assist the United States officers in collecting revenue, have so exhausted the forces at my command as to prevent the complying with your request to send companies to the counties named."
Governor Brownlow now had recourse to an extra session of the Legislature. His message was couched in the most violent language. "The rebel element of the State," he said, "were secretly arming themselves, and perfecting a military organization, known as the Ku-Klux Klan, composed of ex-rebel soldiers, and those in sympathy with them, thus violating their paroles at the time of their surrender, and violating the laws of the State, and plotting and planning mischief in every respect.
"These men have been arming and organizing for a year past, with an eye to the overthrow of the State government, and, ultimately, to carrying the State in the presidential election. Organized upon the same basis, and having the same dark designs in view that found a fit culmination in Booth's assassination of Abraham Lincoln, it works in secret with signs, symbols, and pass-words, hatching plans to scatter anarchy and permanent disorder wherever it may have an existence. I recommend, most emphatically, that these organized bands of assassins and robbers be declared outlaws by special Legislature, and punished with death wherever found."[1]
- ↑ Acts of Tennessee, Extra Session, 1868.
