The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-05-20
STATE MATTERS.
The Bank Of Tennessee-ImPOFtant
Correspondence.

Correspondence.
The following is the corrsspondsnce call
ed for by resolution Of the Senate on Thurs
day:
GOV. BRowLow TO P. X. MITCHELL.
STATE or TENNESSEE, CoNPrEoLLER's Or
| TIcE, NASHVILLE, April q, lS65.-P. II.
Mitchell, Esq.-sir: The officers Of the
Bank OF Tennessee may come TO the city Of
| Nashville with the Bank and its assets,
without sny fear Of being molested by me
/ or the military. This privilege is also ex-
| tended 40 the officers Of the various branches.
II IL understood that should they remain,
they will conform TO all the duties required
/ by the Federal Government
WILLIAM G.. BRowSLow.
Governor Of Tennessee.
ToEEKTT' AND FIsHER TO GOV. BROwELow.
GREExsBoRo, Ca, May 2, 1865.
Sir: Through the kindness Of P. II.
/ Mitchell, We have been favored with your
| official permission TO return with the assets
/ Of the Bank of Tennessee 10 Nashville, and
be unmolested in our persons, which we
accept The proposition is entirely agree
able TO Us, as we have kept as nearly intact
! as possible the assets of the Bank for the
people, TO whom 1t belongsSsnd our earnest
=
| crly constituted authorities. All that we
have done has been in strict accordance
with legislative authority and Instructions;
and II the institution has been impaired By
8 change Of securities, it has been IN obe-
dience 70 law. We enclose q memorandum
Of our assets, which, BY great energy, much
70 our personal detriment, we have been
able thus far to preserve, and If adequate
Federal protection is extended to Us, we
will be sble to keep them so. Il is neces-
saTy, however, that full personal protec-
ton from civil and military authorities be
extended 70 ourselves and all officers and
employees of the Bauk, and that permits
sion be granted them 10 visit the State
Capital, snd remain as long as may be
necessary to settle and just their accounts
say three or four months-and then, If
any Of them desire it, 10 receive protection
and safe conduct for themselves and fsmi-
lies out OF the United States, to any coun-
Try they may select. We think, Governor,
that our fidelity 10 the State entities Us 20
This consideration, and We trust that you
will send by our messenger full and ample
civil and military protection as above IN
dicsted.
We would move ct once, but the means
of transportation are inadequate, and the
whole country is filed with returning pa
rolled soldiers, % travel with whom with
valuables IS very unsafe Both Of these OBJ
structOns viii, however, be oOviated in
few weeks.
- - Very respectfully, etc,
G.. =. ToRBETT, PRECEDENT.
JEo. A. FIsHER, Cashier.
To His Excellency W. G. BrOwnlow, Gov
ernOr OF Tennessee.
GOV. BROwELow TO ToBBErF AMI F1sHFR.
Executive DEPARTMENT,
NASHVILLE, Tam, May Is, lsH.j
G. C. Torbett and J. A. Fisher, President
and Cashier, Bank of Tenpessee-Gentle-
men Your communication OF the Sd inst
| Is received, and would have been answered
earlier but for my absence in East Tennes
ee. Ny proposition, or rather the request
Of Mr.. Fisher, granted by me, was that:
! "Thc officers Of the Bank Of Tennessee may
come 70 the city OF Nashville with the bank
end its assets without being molested," etc
You now admit that "tbe institution has
been impaired by change Of securities"
And IN an open letter protesting 10 sen
close & memorandum Of your assets, which
by great energy and personal detriment We
you have been able 10 preserve" no such
memorandum appears. | cannot believe
that this omission was unintentional. And
the conclusion I come to is, thst the "irsti
sutton has been impaired" BY changing its
securities, including the coin and State
bonds and school fund into Confederate
notes or bonds; and that tho suppressed
| memorandum you'd show this fact. You
/ must not presume that in agreeing that you
/ might return "the bank and is assets" /
! nlended that YOU should insult the loyal
pcople or the State by presenting them
with a quantity Of worthless and treasona-
BILE trash. On the contrary, you must know
a I Of
the agreement that you should return The
bank al least in as good condition IS it was
before You prostituted it 10 the purposes Of
! treason and rebellion. This YOU must sat
isfy me you viii do before / make any fur
ther pledges. And may add that "fdel-
~ 70 the State" OF which you boast so free-
| ". might require much more at your
hands for, If your own friends are to be
| credited, you have with the assets of the
| bank engaged in blockade running and
cotton speculation, and acquired millions.
] am advised that Fidelity to tho State"
/ demands that you should account for all
such gains.
wli not engage in a controversial cor
respondence with you, but ! will point out
| 10 you, and, if you are not blinded, you
/ shall see the gravity and magnitude ofthe
/ errors into which you have fallen. You
/ say, "All that we have done has been in
| strict accordance with legislative suthori-
| ~" The constitution which YOU we're
sworn TO support provides that the ''school
1 fund shall never be diminished" bv legis.
/ lauon, and shall never be diverted 70
suy other use than "the support and en-
/ eouragement Of common schools, - and he
| interest thereof shall be inviolahly appro-
| pristed to that'purpose for the equal beue-
| 81 of the people" You Eow admit that II
is "impairCd by q change Of securities"
and the truth is you ran away with il,
| without even the authority OF Gu act Of that
conciRve of traitors you are pleased to de
nominate ga legislature" But dftcrlcerds,
somewhere in ITS flight, it passed an act 10
! cover the case, which does not show when
Il was enacted.
ltls useless 20 add that no act Of that
body, sworn rs its members were to support
treason, constantly lsboring to destroy the
State and the nation, itself great crime,
violating each day every principle Of law
/ and justice, can be pleaded il excu. Of any
act you may have performed. lfyou are
| fortunate you will live to see it in this
ighL
While I am ready to make almost any
| sacrifice that viii secure TO the State the re-
| covery OF her just rights, ] will not shield
| the guilty without something like a full
/ restitJIhon.
SEND mea full statement Of the Assets and
profits OF the Bank and prorc your fidelity
| 10 the State, aud you shall NOT be molested
on your return "with the Bank aud its as
sets, =" az they were when you tled with it.
". q. BKowSLow,
Governor OF Tennessee.
The Nashville and Chattanooga Rail-
road.
p. R. EITCuTEL TO GOV. BRowEIow.
AUeVsrA, May 4, ls65.-Gov. W. G. Brown-
/ low-Desr Sirs-I arrived a. Greensboro in /
seven days from home-round the officers
I of the Bank there with a portion OF the
/ Bonk-st once removed 20 Augusta. That
with sll the balance is now safely deposited |
| in the vsults Of the Bsnk Of Augusta.
am glad, sir, 10 say to you they sccept |
vour very liberal proposition, and are now |
-. L. -. n IN 49, - IL : l