The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-11-24
Conversation betReen Governor Andy
Johnson, Of Tennessee, and Rebel
priSOunr


Prisoner.
Among the prisoners recently taken
near Nashville was Capt J. E. Harris, of
MOrgan's light artillery. A correspond
ent of the New York Times says:
AS the prisoner was brought INFO the
Provost Marshais Office, at the capitol,
the Governor CHANGED to be in the room,
and some conversation took place be-
tween him and the prisoner. Harris is
the son of George Harris, a former
prominent politician here, who once
edited paper in Nashville, and who has
been, for some years, in the United States
service as Purser in the Navy, and is
now acting in that capacity on board the
frigate Sabine. J. E. Harris, his son, is
fne-looking young man, some six feet
tall, with complexion bronzed by expo
sure, clad in the favorite dirt-color adopt
ed by the rebels, with any quantity of
filagree gilt stripes on the sleeves. The
following dialogue took place between
them
Gov. Johnson-Well, Mr.. Harris, am
sorry to see you in this company. l
knew your father many years, and al
ways knew him to be a sincere and true
Union man.
Harris-Tm just where I want to be,
Sir.
Gov-Let me, Mr. Harris, not for the
sake of argument, but in friendly man
ner, ask you what right you have ever
lost under the Constitution?
Harris-Well, ] will mention the right
to recover slave property from the Free
States.
Gov-Can you mention an instance
where property of that description was
not recovered when identified? You
know, Sir, we can not always recover
what we have lost, be the property
horses, cattle, or negroes, unless we first
discover their whereabouts
Harris-We are not fighting So much
for what we hare lost as for what we
might hare lost under the present Ad-
ministration.
An audible smile was here INDUCED in
by the bystanders, in which the Governor
joined.
Gov-We won't speak of things which
might have occurred. You can see as
we'll as l what has happened from the
attempt made by designing men to over
throw the best and wisest government
the sun ever shone upon; and | tell You,
Sir, that the laws will be executed, and
this unholy rebellion put down.
Harris-This war was forced upon us.
Governor" Forced upon u.s." We
have a Constitution which says that the
Government has power to put down in
surrection and suppress rebellion2 Did
not the South first fire upon Fort Sum-
ter, seize our forts, arsenals, and proper
ty belonging to the government, on every
portion of Southern territory? | tell
you, sir, that this is war for slave
aristocracy, and was brought about by a
few designing, disappointed politicians,
to obtain power and place. Moreover,
they are the men for whom you and these
prisoners are fghting-for whom thou
sands of deluded men now sleep in un-
known graves, and languish in prisons.
And for what? Why, that this aristocra-
cy you are seeking to elevate, may re-
main secure from interruption-so long
as their wealth can procure them twenty
niggers-and you, who never owned a
negro, and never expect to, fight and
perish for such cause as that Gentle
men, [ assure you, at whatever cost, the
Government will put down this rebellion.
and that this country will be one coun-
try and one Government, now and for
ever more.
Harris evidently wilted under the ad-
monitions of the Governor, and he " an
swered him not again.
During the Governors remarks, the
most profound stiffness prevailed, and his
words seemed to deeply impress the mul-
titude, who, in anticipation of seeing the
"secesh," had thronged the room.