Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1865-05-24
GOV, BRowNlow TO roRBETT AND FISHER
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT /
Nashville, Tenn Nav Is, 1865. I

GOV, bhVNNlON ~ IOhbkll AND FISHER
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENL
Nashville, Tenn, May Is, 1885.
! &. C. 7orbett md j. 4, FiShey President md Cash-
| ier, Bank Of Tennessee;
| GENTLEMEN: Your communication of the I'd
inst. is received and would have been answered
earlier but for my absence in East Tennessee My
! proposition, or rather the request of Mr. Fisher,
granted by me, was that The officers of the Bank
of Tennessee may to the city of Nashville with
the bank and It's assets without being moestedr etc
You now admit that "the institution has been inn
paired by change Of securities And in an open
letter protesting to "encloso memorandum of your
assets, which by great energy and personal detri-
ment we (you) have been able TO preserve no such
memorandum appears l cannot believe this oms-
sion was unntentional. And the conclusion come
to is, that tho Constitution has been impaired by
changing its securities, including the coin and State
bonds and school fund into Confederate notes or
bonds and that the suppressed memorandum
would show this fact. You must not presume that
in agreeing that you might return "tho bank and
its assets | intended that you should insult the
loyal people of the State by presenting them with
quantity Of worthless and reasonable trash On
the contrary, you must know that il was the mean
ing and intention Of the agreement that you should
return the bank At least in good condition as it
was before you prosttuted it TO the purposes of
treason and rebellion This you must satisfy me
you will do before | make any further pledges And
| may add that fidelity to the State of which you
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 ac-
quired millions. am advised that "ddelity TO the
State demands that you should account for all such
gains.
will not engage III u controversial corrospon-
dencc with you, but will point out to you, and, if
you are not blinded, you shall see the gravity and
magnitude of the errors into which you have fallen
You say "All that we have done has been in strict
accordance with legislative authority The consti-
tuition which You were sworn to support provides
that the school fund shall never he diminished by
legislation, and shall never be diverted to any other
use than the support and encouragement Of COM
mon schools and 'the interest thereof shall be in
yolably appropriated to that purpose for the equal
benefit of the people, You now admit that it is
"tnlpatred by change of securities and the truth
is you ran away with it, without even the authority
of an act Of that concave of traitors you are pleased
to denominate "a legislature But afterwards,
somewhere in its flight passed an act to cover the
case, which does not show when il was enacted.
1t is useless TO add that no act of that body sworn
as its members were to support treason constantly
lsborng to destroy the state and the nation itself
a great crime, violating each day every principle of
law and justice, can be pleaded in excuse of any act
you may have performed If you are fortunate Won
viii live to see it in this light
While i am ready TO mak6 almost any sacrifice |
that will secure 10 the State the recovery of her lust
rights, will not shield the guilty without some
hing like full restitution
Send me full statement OF the assets and profits |
Of the Bank, and prove your fidelity to the State |
md you shall not bs molested on your return with
he Bank and its assets as they were when you fed |
with it. W. G. BRowNLow
Governor Of Tennessee