The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-02-18
celled osnaburgs, and is for the sum Of

$40
Both these bills bear the endorsement
Loyalty to Be established" That must be
done before the proper endorsement can
be made thereon to secure their payment,
and as I view The case, the proof must be
clear that you were loyal citizen at the
date when you claim the accounts ae-
crued TO you. Were you At those dates,
a loyal man? In reply, let notorious
facts in this community answer.
1si. You advocated and urged the peo-
pie to vote for secession.
I'd. You furnished money to arm aud
equip soldiers to fight against the United
States Government.
Sd. You offered through the public
prints Of Knoxville. to clothe and uni
form At your own expense, q regiment Of
men, if raised in Knox county by >
stated time for Confederate service.
4ih. You are charged with being &C
eessory to the murder of Charles S
Douglass, Union man, and with taking
the murderers to room where you dealt
out to them, with q liberal hand, cham
paigne, in commentator Of the murder
they had committed
9th. You recommended the introduc
ton of and did introduce into this
place blood hounds, to run down Union
men eonscripted by the rebels for their
service.
9th. You have pointed ont Union msn
as subjects Of rebel vengeance.
9TH. You have given all the moral and
material aid TO the rebellion that your
high social position and great wealth
would enable you to give.
There is no evidence n show that You
had in any wise changed your views up
January 29ih, 1864 True, no acts of
disloyalty are shown to have been com
mitted by you since the occupation of
Knoxville by the loyal army; aud am
equally without proof Of any change in
your well known sentiments.
With such evidence before me, you
cannot reasonably expect me 10 doubt
that until within 3 few days past you
have been known and only known, as a
rebel against the Government of the
United States, using yOur influences and
your money TO overthrow the Government
TO which you now flee for protection;
and that such wss your position on the
days your accounts bear date there can
be no doubt. Such being the facts, were
you on the 4sh day Of September, or on
the 10th Of October last, entitled, Of
right, to receive anything from the Gov
eminent? certainly think not, unless
the Government establishes a new rule
and undertakes to reward disloYalty.
On the 29th Of January last you ap-
peared at this Office aud took the amues-
ty oath. That most undoubtedly, Sc
cures you a foil pardon for al your acts
in sid Of The existing rebellion and re-
stores you to al rights, where the rights
of third parties have not interviewed.
Certainly these rights must have existed
to secure their restoration Whatever
the Government has taken is not an ex-
listing right 10 be restored Nor does
the taking Of the oath, in any way gall
vanize into life thai which was dead
from its inception. The property taken
from you Gas set out in the accounts
was taken from you while 4 rebel No
act of yours, since, has created such
right. Any construction that would re-
quire these accounts to be paid because
you had taken the oath, would DO sim
ply saying to al rebels, either in or out of
the army, that By taking the oath they
should have indemnify for all losses By
them sustained, aud to which loss, they,
like you, had contributed by supporting
the rebellion. The restoring Of all the
rights claimed by such, might include
the right secured by the constitution, 10
be hungtor treason.
There is another objection to allowing
the bill under date of September 4lh
The articles included in that were aban-
doned by the enemy at Clinton, Ander-
son county, Tennessee, when shey were
driven out By the United States forces.
Possession Of the same was tsken By
the Government agent The title there
TO vested in the United States as cap
tured rebel property. Subsequent to
this capture, you present an order from
an officer of the so-called Confederate
authorizing You TO take the
articles IS a credit upon a debt owing -
you from them. l do not see that in
this transaction you obtained any right
1.-THE Confederate officer after giving you
the order had sold the same to an limo
cent purchaser, that purchaser without
notice Of your claim, would have held
the property a. against your claim. Cur
forces csplursd the property, a mode Of
obtaining title as fully recognized IS
that by purchase. That IL became the
property Of the Government by capture
cannot be doubted. Any other rule
would enable you TO take an order fOr,the
entire confsderacy, and claim il piece
by piece, or item by item, as our forces
should capture it. For the reasons above
stated I have found myself compelled
respectfully 70 decline endorsing your
in such = manner IS TO secure
TO you their payment.
Very respectfully, &c,
f NJ. KEITH
II. Col and Aeiing Prov. Mar. Gen. ofE 4. |