Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1854-01-13
AEEw FACTS FOR CANDID MEN.


the N. & G Railroad. The Winchester man is
properly indignant that Nashville has the State
House, Bank, Penitentiary, and Asyinns within or
near its limits, and threatens to make certain men
shout Nashville feel the power of outside mid
ence" This fellows threats and his low preJu-
dces are alike beneath contempt, and we would
mt notice them but that we desire to state lew
facts, that liberal minded and acelneaning men may
not be deceived Prejud:ces against the capital OF
State always will exist There are certain minus
incapable of any other feeling than that OF envy
They burn with low jealousy OF their nelghoor
prosperity and rail at and SANDER everything with
ont the area of their own dung hills. With such
men we neither reason nor quarrel They would
he incapable of understanding the irst and selfre-
snect f,rbids the last But we desire that Just and
high-minded men may not be led, by false repre-
sensations, into the belief that the citizens of Nash
vile are arrogating TO themselves more than their
fair share OF respect and consideration. We, there
FORE shall take the pains to rebut the statement
made in the following extract from the paper above
mentioned:
For notwithstanding the Bank Of Tennessee
with lis strong boxes-the Pententiary-the Asy-
lums and the Capitol of the Stat, have all been
located
ty. and millions of money, belonging to the people
of the aohoe State expended in that city and coun
~ in erecting those public buidings-after enjoy
ing advantages such have fallen to the lot of no
other people in the State they claim these insttu
tons as local" aud the offices to be filled IN them
Except Senators and Representatives, as belonging
to them.
The charge is made that Nashville claims the
right to gill the Offices in the institutions above
named exclusively with her own citizens. This
chargeis grossly untrue. No sane citizen of Nash
vile ever set up such preposterous claim. 1t has
its foundation only in the malicious inventions OF
her enemies A few facts will place this matter
in its proper light, and show whether Nashville Is
Justly chargeabe with arrogant and selfish preten-
tons:
First. in reference to the Bank of Tennessee
This institution has been in operation about sixteen
wears. and in that time has had four regular, and
two pro tenn Presidents. The two latter, who re-
ceved no COMPENSATION for their services were cit
Gems Of Davidson county, while but one OF the reg
ular Presidents was selected from this county
The last three Presidents of the Bank have all been
selected from other counties The present Cashier
ofthe Bank was few years ago, we learn, citizen
of Rutherford county, aid his immediate predeces-
sor was a citizen of Sumner.
When the Pententiary went into operation, Mr..
McIxrosu removed to Nashville from Kentucky,
and took charge Of it as keeper. He held the Of
fee until two years ago, when Mr.. HAYS, of this
county was elected keeper As to the subordinate
officers we have no means of ascertaning their To-
caltes previous TO entering the institution. We
presume however, that most of them were resi-
dents of this county, the salaries too small to
be an object 10 people elsewhere. The same
remark may be made about the subordinate officers
in the Bank Of Tennessee.
The present Superintendent of the Lunatic Asy- |
lum was aiaw years ago, resident of Robertson |
county while we believe the Superintendent of |
the Blind Asylum has never been selected from this /
city county. !
We have thus briefly alluded TO the institutions
located here, not for the purpose Of complaining of
the facts we have stated, but simply to vindicate
the capital of the State from the unjust charge of
cherishing selfish and monopolizing spirit We
hold ourselves above local prejudces and ealousie7,
and think the only correct general rule for the Sc
lection of State officers look to individual merits
and not to local considerations.
Hitis necessary further TO vndicate Nashville from
the charge we have turned aside to notice might
point to the fact that citizens of Nashville have
rarely been selected to fill the high and lucrative
Offices under the State Government. The candi-
dates for Governor have, from time immemorial
been selected from other localities The present
able Executive Is a citizen of East Tennessee, and
both in the Convention which nominated him and
during the canvass, his warmest and most active
No, lie Inla lie
has never, within our knowledge pressed the claims
of one of her own citizens for the Execu-
tive Chair The present President Of the State
Bank is a citizen Of Montgomery county
The present Comptroller of the Treasury was Sc
lected from East Tennessee. The present Treas
urer Of the State was selected from White county,
The present Attorney General was selected from
East Tennessee, and his predecessor was at the
time of his election resident Of West Tennessee.
Even the Architect of the State Capitol, the loca-
ton of which at Nashville is made standing
charge against her, was brought here from dis
lance. or these things, we repeat are do not com
plain. They are in themselves doubtless all right !
and proper, ami we have yet to hear the first com
plant against the officers mentioned because they
were not selected from this city or county. The
citizens OF the capital are ana we trust ever VIII De,
above taking SO ihbera a view of matters that
equally concern the whole State and in which each
county has proper interest Bat in the face of
these facts it is ungenerous as it is untrue to
charge Nashville with claiming and approprating
to herself all the offices ofthe State Government
The facts show that whatever her claims are, or
have been, she has deferred them without MUIR
rupr TO the citizens ofother counties
five speak of this matter in party sense, the
case is equally strong, far the democratic par
~ is concerned The democracy of this county
have long been in hopeless minority; and yet they
have never fatered in any contest. With odds
against them sufficient to justify despair they have
never despaired, but freely given their time and
money Ter the general good of the cause. They
Fought not only for their own resides against
OH enemy accustomed to victory and backed by e
wealth. but then eNertions have been equally for
the purpose OF oenehtug the party throughout the
State In the two last cauvasses strenpous ever. h
tons were made hy the democracv hora No. - I
III