Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-22
Letter from Gov. Harris I'm rep1r TO q
Committee Of citizens Of Robertson
County.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, NASHVILLE, 4

LetSek from 6OVs n Arr11 In fep1F TO q
Committee of citizens Of Robertson
County.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, NASHVILLE. .
Aug. I7tb 1861. 6
Gentlemen: Your note of the 18th instant
asking sthe removal of the Yankees from the
Edgedeld and Kentucky Railroad. and the
stoppage of the trade in Cincinnati whisky
and such other merchandise from the North
as you ID may think proper" came to hand
this morning. 500 10 ~ sr fe
You also inform me that "freight trains
loaded with articles not needed by the South
VIII be stopped; and the removal of the
Yankees will be POSTPONED until your (my)
wishes are known"
Fully approaching, as / do, the loyalty.
patriotism and zeal of the good people of
Robertson, / must be allowed to say that
neither the Government nor the people of
any county of the State of Tennessee, have
power to interdict or prohibit trade between
the States of the Confederacy or foreign Gov
ernments, except upon the principle of abso-
lutte military necessity, and when il is done
upon that principle the order must issue from
military commanders, and not from the peo-
pie of the various counties. For the people
OF the various counties to undertake to con-
troll the matter, would involve interminable
and serious conflicts between the counties,
one county deciding upon free trade, and
chandize which another county resolves shall
not be permitted to pass to the purchaser.
Such conflicts between the people OF the
counties of the State cannot be tolerated.
And as no order interdicting the importa-
tion of merchandise to Tennessee has been
issued by the Commander-in-Chiei, or any
other military commander, you will allow
the merchandise heretofore stopped at Spring
field, to be forwarded to their owners and
C0nlinnQaa Tho riofx Of iii
the Importation of Cincinnati whisky and
other articles, not of absolute necessity to
the South, shall be considered and decided
by the proper authorities in due time; but
certainly the people of Springfield will not
claim the right to determine for the people
OF the whole South what may or what may
not be necessary to their comfort or con-
venience. So, until this question is deter
mined by the proper authorities. you will not
interfere with the passage of treights over
the E. & K. Railroad.
The fact that maH was born in another
State, or is called a Yankee, is not sufficient
reason for his removal from any position.
If the employees upon the Edgefeid and
Kentucky Railroad are incompetent to dis
charge the duties of their positions, OF are in
any manner dangerous or unsafe to the State
OF Tennessee, or the Confederate States OF
America, such employees shall be promptly
consent to remove man from his position
upon the mere charge that he is Yankee.
The Edgefield and Kentucky road is owned
by the stockholders, and only temporarily
held by me, in trust for their benefit, and the
security of the State. As TO the agents that
should manage the road, / felt bound to res
pect the wishes and opinions of the stock
holders las expressed by the President and
Directors) They (the stockholders) being
the real owners of the property, for whose
benefit it was being managed, L do not know
personally any officer OF agent On the road
except the receiver. But the officers and
agents being satisfactory to the owners OF the
property, who have the highest interest in its
proper management, ! cannot entertain q
proposition to remove them unless it be based
upon facts well established, showing the in
competency of the agent in question, or the
TACT OF his disloyalty, and that his presence Is
unsafe to the State or Confederate States.
Understanding, as you do. that it is my of
fetal duty to protect the rights of all the peo-
pie of the State alike-those of the people OF
| one county as well as another know the
public spirited patriotism, and the law-abid-
ing and law-loving people of Robertson too
we'll, not to know that they will never drive
| ME or any other public officer TO resort to
harsh measures to maintain the law and pre-
serve the peace and good order of the com
| munity in the various counties OF the State.
| Very respectfully, IsHAM G. HARRIS.
To b. G. BIRDwELL, NJ. THOMAS, H.V. HAIR
RIsoN, w. P. Al MATHEWS, and others.