Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-12-31
ifrcn tie Rockville Register OF to ssA E.eE:
SrOCEI To Jvr ARRIVE

Eva - In "a cktSI VA 49, ~Ss4 SA9.GL
sEoCE TO TEE ABOVE.
Yesterday %eyeuins, at 8 o'clock, Judge Fay.
holds ordered q session of his Court 1t The
Courthouse a few unimp5T:sct CASES we're
before bin Tor biz consideration. all OF which
were properly disposed Of. The Deputy Mar.
shai Fox having been ordered 10 bring lran
jsii W. G. Brownlow, reported that i. was TOO
unwcii, ~ lie represented himself. 10 appear c:
tho G0GrI E0us=. Very few Spectators were
presea. Tue Commissioner ordered tue Dis,
trict Attorney to proceed-whereupon the
District Attorney arose aud read tie following
letter, which he had just received from Mir.
Benjamin, Secretary Of War, at Richmond
Co1EpBaATE STATES OF AMERICA
WAa DEPARTMENT.
RICHMOND, Dec. %, 1861
Sir:-Your letters Of tie l7th and ls!n 10.
slant have been received. Il relation 10
8rowniow's case, the facts are simply these:
BroTnlow being concealed soinewnere in the
mountains, made application to Gen. Grittcn,cn
for protection against what he called u military
mob or military tribunal, # he CAME to KauZ-
vile, protesting his willingness lo undergo g
civil trial, i. G., 3 trial before tine civil Court.
as distinguished from Court Martial, AM! IS l
understand General Orittenden promised to
protect him from any ~violeece aid froun uGy
trial before o military tribunal.
Ia tie meantime, Mr. Baxter calnr here and
represented TIA: Browuiow, who was entirely
bs?nnd our power, aud so concealed that nc
one could get possession o! his person, was
willing 10 lea7s the country ard GO into cx:!e
to a7oid any further trouble il East Te~nnessee,
- slot O..rIL-, -.S 49, ..
end deliver himself up to bs conveyed out 9:
East Tennessee, if tbs Government would
agree to let hiu do SO, aud to protect him ia
Lis exit.
If Bro1Glow had been IL Our hand; re
might not have accepted this proposition; but
decining it better to have him Us IN open enc.
my on the other side of the line than a Secret
coeny within the lines, authority vas givon 70
Gen. Crittcnden to ascure bin Of protection
across the border ii he came in &c Knoxville.
Il Vas not in our power, nor that of any
one else, to prevent his being laheu by process
Ct law, and I confess it did not occur to INC
tia; any attempt would be made to take him
out Of the hands Of the military authority.
This has been done, however, and it is only
regretted in one point Of view that is, color
has been given to the suspicion that Drownic#
has been entragpsd, ard has given himself up
under the promise Ct protection, which has
not been firmly kept Gen. Crittenden feels
sensitive on this point, and [ share his feeling.
Better that any, the most dangerous enemy,
however criminal, should escape, than that the
honor and gaod faith Of ths Government should
tenacn gave his word only that Brownlow
cin,l3 pnt fo frtoI 10 ,bn n-urS ,,,.t;.t -
| gave authority to promise him protection il
no would surrender, to be Conveyed across the
border. We have both kept our To;ds, as inr
as IVES in cur power, tat every one must so;;
that Bro~nlcE would now be s.aie, and O. large,
if he had MOI supposed lbs; his reliance on the
promises made him would e,.urc bis safe de.
parturG from Ess; Tennessee.
Under MI tue circumstances, therefore, IL
ErownloI ID exposed ~ harm from MS arrest,
| shal. deem The honor Ct tbs Government so
far compromised as 70 consider i; my duty to
urge on the President g pardon for any offence
OF which ne may DO found guilty and | repeat
the expression of my regret that be vas proc
ecuted, however evident may he his guilt.
J. P. BENJAMIN,
Secretary OF Yer.
y. u It&A5L1, Gs4
c. ). Uie. Aitriu=y, Kro1';!ir.
Upon the reading Of tie foregoing Letter,
the Attorney remarked that TO arrest OF
Brownlow had been made after consultation
with the military butterflies, who lad g;9en
asSH7ance that ii Brow Nov should De arrest
ed by civil process that Tie military would in
&c wey interfere in his behaiT, except 70 pro-
teci him from personal violence; that hs cGres.
had oecu u2du because Of the following and
similar articles Which lad Sz5n published II
3ruwuiow'S paper:
Let the Railroads Oh which Union citizens
Of East Tennessee are cou Keyed to AontgcEe-
in irons, be e;crnhiiy Ind h0uelasslE &C.
stroyed Let thu property Of tho men coz.
cerned be consumed, and let their lives pAy
tho forfeit, aud the names will be given"
District Attorney Ramsay then proceeded to
say that he would enter q noite proscQu! only
upon The ground that the good faith of the
Confederate States Government should be oar
ported beyond OUT lines This be did that no
iwputation whatever should be made against
the authorities at Richmond Of bad faith, nc
matter what might be the circumstances which
led the authorities 20 such a conclusion. For
he believed that Brownlow could have
teen arrested, but So a different impression
prevailed at Richmond, ard ihe authorities
upos: thai, from the information they Lad,
he could not DO otherwise titan entcr i nolle
Judge Reynolds having heard tte letter OF
the Secretary of War, remarked that, under
the circumstances, be could not hesitate as to
the discharge Of Browrlow, and so ordered.
Whether Brownlow was we'll enough to leave
thu Jail last night, or what has become of him,