Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-02-16
Gov. Brown, % Georgia, to Gov. Morgan,
o. Now York.
wExECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, I
MILLEDGENE NILE, Georgia. Feb s, 1861. {

MrLLEDGEE NILE, Georgia, Feb s, 1861.
To his Erceleney Ifl1in D. Morgan Governor of the
/ State Of Nelc Yosc, Abcny, N T:
SKA:
| You are doubtless aware that the Telegraph and
Newspapers of thu city of New York, the 22d of
last month, conveyed to the country the intelli-
gsnce that certRipS boxes of muskes. shipped for
Savannah, we're OF that day seized by ths police of
the city Of New Y5rk, while on board the steamer
Monticello On Saturday the 2n1 day of the present
month, Messrs. D C. Hodgkins & Sons, of the city
| of Macon, who are citizens of this State and de-
maud and entitled to be protected by it, filed in
this Office satisfactory evidence OF the fact that two
/ hundred of said nusketS were their properly. and
were seized by the police of the city of Nev York
without warrant or legal authority from any Court,
and were taken frem said ship and deposited in the
| State Arsenal the Seventh Avenue in said city
1t is understood that the members of the police Of
New York who made the seizure we're not appointed
by the Mayor and Council of the city, but sp-
pointed either directly or indirectly by your Excel
lency and act Up Ter the immediate authority of
the S ate In this-aase therefore, the citizens of
this STATE have &ODly been bbed of their prop
erty by persons ac-;ng in official capacity under the
authority Of the state Of New York. but one Of the
public Arsenals ':Ionging to that Safe has been
made the reposi 2 of the plunder Feeling it to
be my duty tc lyLEsct the persons and property Of
this state agan+:ihe lawless attacks seizures of
the officers If o & States, The evidence
1
your Exeellenc1.yl Saturday, the 2Bd day of This
month by TelsgMph a letter, which l was after
wards Informed "a she operator of the Telegraph
line at Aibaoy, Si been delivered to your Excel
lency; which lGeNr was in the following words
~ EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, &"
MLLBTassvILLE Ca. Feb. ID, 1861. I
His ExcelleUey, gov. MoRGAN Albany, N. Y:
SIR 1 have S0efore satisfactory evidence of
she fact that ~ t5luudred muskes belonging to D.
c. Hodgkins I'd S>ps, citizens Of this State, were.
placed on boardGl ship Monticello at New York,
for Savannah, o. were seized by the police of
that city, on or 81. the tEenty-second eff January
last snd taken ~ the ship, and are detaia-
ed in the State lEYislal in the city. As Governor
Of Georgia, l lssE:hy demand that the guns be i'm
mediately delives + under your order, to g. B. La
mar, of New Yofg SWho is hereby appointed my
agent to receiv&@t sSm | trust similar outrage
may be perpetraih Gan future.
Your will oblie3 ~ communicating your decision
Immediately by tH!egraph
Very respectfully, your ob't. serv't,
JOSEPH E. Brown
To the above demand had received no response
at O'Clock P. NJ, on Tuesday, the 9th day Of this
month. Feeling that your Excelency had ha1 suf-
fcient time 10 inquire of your police officers to
the character of the seizure complained Of if uz-
authorized by you aud to direct the delivery 10 the
Messrs. HodgkiAs of their property or to indicate
your willingness to do the production of evi
dsnce of ownership if you not satisfed on
that point; and feeling that tie outrage upon the
rights of citizens of this State, so great to
admit of no unnecessary delay on my part at half
past O'clock p. NJ, on Tuesday, tue 5th inssat,
l Issued an order to Col Henry r. Jackson, did-de-
camp, in the city Of Savannah, instructing hin TO
call out through Col. Lswten, sufficient military
force and make repriSal by the seizure of all ships
then in the harbor of Savannah, belonging to cti-
zens of the State of New York. In obedience TO |
this order, l informed that he has seized the |
following vessels and will hold them subject to my
order, to-Wit:
Banks, Adjuster and D. Golden Murray Briggs, |
W. r. Kib6y and Golden Lead, and Schooner Julia |
A. Hsllook.
Since the issuance of the ove-mentioned order,
have received telegram signed by your Excel
lency, in which Jon acknowledge the receipt of the
dispatch sent by TO you, alleging, you are
pleased to say, hat certain had been retained
in New York. You further say, of my dispatch,
that its grave character and unofficial form for
bid you from tal ng action in regard TO it without
better authentic sd information" Nevertheless,
you say that yn2 iespond to enable me if verita
ble,'' to conmul ste my wishes by letter.
am unable & perceive what reason you had to
doubt that my 4 Batch was peritable. 1t was dat
ed at the Exec f-e Department, and was signed
hsre by me. u also object to it eccount Of its
unsfical form5 Is is not only dated at this Depart
ment, but | exSrES,ly state thst make the demand
as Governor Of t7ssgia. am not aware of the ad-
ditional langUsg'' which your Excellency would
consider requisite give to demand of this char
lengthy o.1cAl correspondence in this case is
neither invites Cor desired. The outrage was a
public one. Sitjens of this State have been rob-
bed of their pfopSry in your State by officers under
your control. Ssat property is now detained in
public building u der your control As the Execu-
tive of Georgia, hhaye demanded its delivery to
its owners Ny Jemsnd, when met, has been met
evssively by rsispg technical object to its form,
which has no Foundation in fact a simple refer
ence TO the demand itself will show. The case Is
one therefore, Which requires action, not lengthy
diplomacy.
Ihsve the honor, therefore, to notify your Excel
ency Of the seizure Of the vessels above mentioned
under my order; and that shsll hold them until
justice be done the injured citizens or this Stste
above named, by, re delivery of the guns to Them,
or to G. B. Lamar, Of New York, whom have sp
pointed my agent to receive them.
If the property seized reprissl belongst to citi
zens Of New 1qrk who are friendly to the cause of
Justice and trutE ard the equal rights of the peo
pie of the Sor'' en- States shall regret the in
convenience tG Ttich they may be exposed
| cannot forget however that my first duty is to
protect The citzes of this State against the lawess
vioeace of tn. officers or citizens of other States.
il go doing i5eiieutsl injury should be done to or
derby and law abiding citizens Of such offending
State for just aud full indemnity, they must look
to their own G9Yef1ment, which has brought the
injury upon then.
/ trust your E.r,llency may have no difficulty in
arriving at the = sIusioR that this communication
is s.cffical'La ~ :yeritsble'
lSesy respectfully,
4