Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1865-08-02
STATE OF TENNESSEE,
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
Nashville, july 18th, 1865.
Col. Commanding.
Headquarters, GreeneYille, E. Tenn
Nov. 80, 1861.

To VIM. j. A1adrecs Esq, Mayor Of Columbia, Ten
1aeSsee:
SIR: am in receipt of your letter of the 26th
inst. and hasten to reply. You assure me in brief
that you have given your influence to uphoding the
State Government; that General Order No. g. is
sued by Major General Thomas, suspending you
from performing the duties of your Office, was based
upon misrepresentation made to the General and
YOU call upon me TO secure for you fair hearing.
You will observe from the letter of Major Gen
eral Thomas, in the city papers of this morning
that martial law is still in force in Tennessee Our
rebelious people have not yet given sufficient assu
RANGES of returning loyalty to the General Govern
ment to warrant the withdrawal of the military
power or the abandonment of military courts. 1t
is not strange that the authorities should disrust
people who, for four years, have applied every
means at their command to destroy the nation. In
deed it is great concession on the part of the Gen
eral commanding to declare that the military will
sustain the civil government and never assume its
functions except in cases in which prompt action is
necessary to ensure the public safety" Neverthe-
less until our people have given conclusive evidence
of their intention to obey all our laws both State
and National you, and l. and all citizens are alike
liable 10 be arrested and tried according TO the forms
of military procedure.
1t is extremely important that all conflict between
the civil and military authorities should be avoided
For as we now situated Just out of rebellion,
in which people refused to lay down their arms
till they forced to do at the point of the bay
onet the civil government is only allowed to pro-
coed by permission of the military. Hence deeply
regret the occurrence at Columbia, but the high
| character of General Thomas for prudence Justice
and patriotism, warrant me In assuring you that ne
will gladly receive and impartially consider any
| testimony you may wish TO present in your behalf
| You are accused of using your official power IL
the oppression of the freed people of Columbia and
in preventing their instruction in the art Of reading
ETC. While it is true that our past habits and life
long prejudices apt to betray US into acts OF thu
kind attributed to you, still the wrong is very grea
one. For it combines cruelty to the weak and de
pendent and ngratitude to those whose unrequitteC
toll we have enjoyed fer generations past. Whatev
or YOU and / may think of slavery its abolition
| the negro is innocent of both Whatever we ma,
think Of the merits of the late rebellion we mus
recognize its results. The relation of master anC
slave is at end. The legal obligation as well as thu
legal rights of the master longer exist. The negro
poor and illiterate from long enslavement socially
ignored and still denied the rights of citizenship,
cast upon our hands for social and political treat
ment our plain practical duty christians and cit
izens is not to Cypress him or treat him with con-
tempt but to instruct him in religion and civiiza
| ton, and by every means in our power to qualify
him for the exercise of these civil rights which are
probably in reserve for him. The protection of their
/ masters is withdrawn and they must be protected
in the future as we are, by the Government. And
if the civil tribunals refuse that protection we must
not complain if the military authorities come to the
rescue Such is supposed to be the object Of Gen.
eral Order No, ., of which you complain. And
sincerely hope you may be able to show that there
was no necessity for any interruption in your case
And yet see no sufficient grounds for interference
or intercession in your case. You are suspended
from Office, not deposed and will no doubt be fur
ther heard. The charge being made upon informa-
ton deemed sufficient by the Major General COM
handing it is eminently proper that you should in
the meantime refrain from the performance of off,
cial duties. 1 am, your obi servant
| W. G. BRowNLOW,
| Gov. of Tennessee.