The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-11-18
y freedom and Nationality

ing from this place had mace a great
blunder in saying that the Notifications
at this pace had been constructed "under
the direction and supervision Of General
NEauEY,v when the truth was that the
constEuction'of thefortiHcations had been
urged by Governor Johnson, in the first
Mace. upon General BUELL. and were
subsequently, planned by'and built by
Capt MohroS. Our statement was not,
only correct, but we have the highest au-,
thority for stating that General NEGLEf
himself in ono of his reports, expressly
gave the credit Of the works to the Chief
Engineer, Capt MoRTos. General NEG-
LEY entirely diselaims, officially, the
praise thrust on him by this oiIicious
correspondent, whose statements were
made without his knowledge I .r
Tn our remarks with reference TO the
great embarrassment, confusion, and OPP
preston Of the pass system, our purpose
was to point ont the upreasonableness,
and futility, of hampering hundred per-
sons, for fear that they would carry in
formation TO the enemy and then allow
ing even one disloyal person to pass our
lines, who would DO certain to carry to
the rebels oil the intelligence which they
wanted. Granting that the restriction
was wise even, the few exceptions clearly
rendered the restrictions wholly nugato-
nv, and even gave them the appear
ance Of oppression. II will make
the matter no better 10 say that the ex-
ceptional cases, in which passes were
given to rebels, came to the Commander
of the Post, with high vouchers and en-
dorsements. We will do General Meg
LEY the justice to say that in all our
personal intercourse with him, we have
evO. found him the most courteous and
obliglag Of gentlemen. We never solicit
ed favor for ourselves, or our friends, at
his Office, which he did not promptly
grant. Consequently what we have con-
demned in his case has not had the re-
hottest relation 70 ourselves, Our strict
ures have not resulted in any degree
from personal slight or proyacation. We
claim to be a better friend to-day of
General NEGLEY, than theindiscreet cor
respondent of the Louisville Journal OF
our readiness to do him justice the col
umns of the UNION have repeatedly given
evidence. What we have censured, we
censured because we sincerely believed
that he was expressing loyal people, and
involving himself in aworld of perplex-
titles and annoyances, by attempting to
do that which others could do much bet
er. We now do him the justice to say
that he failed, where il is not probable
that any Commander of a Post, could do
himself any credit. The duties of a
Provost Marshal, at a point like this, are,
of a most onerous, and perplexing, and
aggravating character. A thousand sue
eessful decisions viii bring him, no credit,
andl one mistake will bring upon his
head tempest Of obloquy and censure,
But the reason why we reviewed the
Journals letter, was not that we designed
TO cast any reflectionsupon Gen. NEGLEY.
The letter deserved refutation and expo
sure, because, whether designedIy or not,
it was a misunderstanding letter The
battery which it heaped upon Genera,
NEGLEY, was nothing but breast work
from which a gun might be fred at the
official course Of Governor JOHNSON, who
is here by the appointment Of the Presi-
dent of the United States. With un-
bearablc insolence, il speaks of the pre-
sumption Of the Governor of the State
and says "there are too many to1ecls il the
machinery" It would, no doubt, be
highly agreeable for some Of the inferior
officers and hangers ON in the army here,
to have Governor JOHNSON deposed and
the Union suppressed. The impressment
of horses and other properly, belonging
to loyal, as well as disloyal persons, the
unauthorized disposition Of Government
property for The benefit of private per-
sons, and the shocking outrages per-
petrated under pretence Of foraging
could then be carried on with
impunity, and without the risk Of ox-
="
posure and punishment. There are Q
number of these military nuisanccs, wtC
say that there is no loyalty ia Tcnnes-
see worth protecting, that Governor J oHN-
SON is in the way, and that the Union ii
a radical sheet and ought to be suppress
ed We speak from personal knowledge
when we assert that it il had not been
.ri. rIss. G.. tf .i "Il. tI.
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