Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-01-16
A S. -CUSSINGHlN,
Assistant Adjptaut Gener,

a. IS. LUNNINaHlM- -
Assistant A~djptautGeneraL
In pursuance Of this Invitation Bmwulow came in
and reported himself as required. and made arrange
ments for his departure. Bat, on the next evening, the
district attorney general. Mr.. Ramsey. caused 2 warrant
20 be Issued. charging him with treason and alleging that
he has given aid aHd comfort 90 the enemy by The publ-
cstion ofthe Knoxville Hhig. in virtue Of which be was
arrested and sent to jail aud there detained, without any
examination OF his ease, till hs was ~discharg d, as stated
by your correspondent on the both December
Now, Mr.. Editor. in the foregoing you have a fun and
detailed statement Of my action in connection with this
ease. Bat an attempt is made to impress the public mind
sentation that Bro~niow was entirely beyond lis pow
IT. and so concealed that no one could get possession Of
hs person, aud that if he had been in the hands Of the
government, his proposition would not have been accept
cd" NIr. Beniamin's letter TO Dir. Ramsey, upon . fair
reading, is susceptible Of no such construction. It turns
ont that he was concealed, and could probably command
the aid IF a large number Of friends 70 cover his retreat,
and that h~ischanee for escape was very good. We know
that several persons have since successfully male their
way into Kentucky. and the probability is Br9wnlow
could have done the same thing. But / have no recOllec-
ton of having said TO the President or TO Mr.. benjamin,
at any time before ar. Benjamins letter % General Crit
tendon, that Brownlow was entirely beyond The power Of
the government and Il any officer Of the government
acted in the matter upon this hypothesis. / had no init
nation Of it. After his arrest wrote TO General Bragg,
insisting that good faith, in my opinion. demanded his re-
lease, and among other reasons, a. well as / remember,
stated that he was eoncea ed aud out Of the reach Of the
government, and had come in on the invitation of Gene
raj Crittenden, and upon the promise Of a passport to
KENTUCKY. But whatever was said in this letter was said
after the government had consented 70 allow MIN 10 GO
and could have had no influence in obtaining that con
sent
The fact is at the time Of the application for his pass
port, ] did net suppose that the government desired 10
get possession Of him, or that it had any prosecution to
prefer q had been generally announced, IN the manner
hereiubefore stated. that he would not be prosecuted:
threatened and unauthorized violence. the accumulated
rdicule Of the southern press and the hstred Of malig-
nant personal euemi-s Under this view, there was no
necessity tc place his application upon The ground that
he was beyond the reach Of official power and beiev-
ing thar his presence in st Tennessee tended 10 indu-
encs the Union sentiment and com. hcate our dinicuities,
I deemedi it good policy to let him 60, unless he would
consent to change his opinions and aid the South in the
achievement Of her Independence. Animated by this
conviction and a friendly disposition to disembarrass him
and his family, ] ~cheerfuly undertook the mission conf
ded to me byhis wife. and did what believed to be
right bat in doing il, Iaeted in good faith TO the govern
nent as well AZ TO my client
President Davis objection, as previously stated, i'm
pressed me with the idea that this was the only objee-
ton and Nr. Benjamius offer 70 make a general procLa-
nation indicated a willingness 10 adopt the proposition
in BrownOw's case as a general policy Tor d / the NAL
contents among Us: and this view is sustained by his let
ter TO Gen. Cntenden, as in it be makes no intimation
that bis desire to see Br0wnlow on the other side Of the
line, as an ayowed enemy, rested on the information aud
belief that he was SO conc aled that no one could get
possession Of his lerson
And again. it mus be remembered that his letter 10
Gen Crttenden h notn itself a passport nor does it com
mand the latter 10 grant one. He simply Informs Gen.
Crittenden Of his wishes in the promises. and refers the
matter to his disere ion whether he WI grant it or not
Gen. Crit5euden is upon the ground and in a situation to
know all the facts. II is said that he recently before held
q correspondence with BroWnioN. IL the government
had any charges to prefer it is presumed that he knew
what they were, and that he was as capable of determin-
ing tor himself whether Browul0w was beyond the
power Of the government or not as / was to advise him,
and in the discharge Of the high responsibilities attached
to bis command here he decided to pass BrOwulow out,
and it ca not be Justly charged that the government
acted hastily or injudiciously, or that it was oyerreached
or imposed on by any representation
This hue and cry against the government on account
Of its action in this ease, finds its explanation in other
causes than those assigned. 10 comes from the personal
chickering's and feuds which have disgraced this city for
many years past It is not my purpose, in this eommu.
ncauOn, to take sides with any particular combination Of
persons, but simply to state a fact known to all men
here. BrOgn'oVg has be Eunsparing in his denuneiatons
Of certain individuals here, and they have never resented
IT IN any other way than by vtuperauon- In this paper
warfare some very ugly disclosures have been made. which
do not rest upon the vergoity Of browaiow alone but
they are verified by the records Of courts, the are lives
Of the General Assembly, and written evidence from
under tLcir own hands known 20 exist The quarrel long
since 5ipeued into the most bitter personal hatred. As
long as it, pended on its own merits, Br0vYni0w, ia the
estimation Of this community, bad the best Of it. But
this revolution, which seekst to establish the Independence
OF the South, swallows up all minor considerations
and on tbs question Brownlow fell On the losing
side, since which the power and influence Of his
gdyersaries have gro~n and spread like q green
bay tree lie has been overthrown by force OF the
southern cause brought down at the feet Of his enemies.
who demand biz blood. Bat recently they decried his
/ powers, and effected 20 condemn his Influence now they
magnify bis power, and would. if they could, make the
authorities believe that he Is at once the most Intellectual
snd dangerous man in either government and they pros
Z EANNA NNNA NFaA AAAN UNI AN-NA NA AMkA VA NNINA
50 icitude for the southern people.
But, with this private quarrel the public has nothing
/ to do. The action OF officials must have a higher aim
and broader basis IN this, rs In all things else, the Pres
ident, and Secretary Benjamin, and Cen Crittendeu,
have risen above the personal hatred which controls the
di appointed malignity incur midst, and ascended 70 the
hight Of EtHsr9Rs HagEag5Htg Small aud contracted
minds can never 10 such acts. nor can they understand
how they are done By Others, or appreciate the policy
which dictates them Let them, therefore, complain.
But ] maintain that the governne has acted wisely,
literally and justly. lts conduct in this case viii contrast
most fagorably with the d~osPotisIn on ihe other side OF
the line, and produce a good moral effect IN orr favor in
both countries. while We viii loss nothing whatever
! When Broenloly departs ne wiz carry his influence, now
eoahned 70 the narrow limits Of East Tennessee, with
I him. We will ~ rid Of his teachings and example.
1 When on the other side, as az d50Ht3 ele1V. he can In
/ no way damage our CAUSE lie cannot add to their stock
! Of Information. nor increase or Intensity the-hatrad Of tho
! North against Us Bennett knows more Of our strength
AID resources than BrOvnlov, aud the ma'ignity OF the
North against the South is "a deep and universal as It
can be made, and ii viii not be pretended, 7 presume.
maj hi military skill viii add much to the success of
northern arms. The fact il thar this effort to excite
urriudice against the government aud against me, on ac-
connt OF the passport procured Brownlow, is an attempt
70 raise tempest ia a teapo'. II finds a motive in per
ssuai revenge-and here I will leave it.
an. sir etc,
} JOHN RAXVER