The colored Tennessean., 1865-10-07

| should connscate the rebel ian.is pas The iCyl
| men Tor theirs. and turn the state over to tn
| freedmen Of the south. lie this scheme shoult
| not strike the National Government ii. plausible
| then let Mexico De cleaned out and turned owe
TO the emancipated slaves OF the South. The al
i vent of Maximilian into Me Nito was Il part o
the rebellion twas the effort of France to flanl
| the American government. Our work in crush
ing out the rebellion will not be completed unit
| we drive the French out OF Mexico, and give t.
| that unfortunate sister republic Il pefinaner,
| government Aware that this Is not the legiti
mate work ct the Legislature. | suggest that AZ
| tous question, IL made with absolute unanmitt
| would have its effect. ' l@8l fla it
| L do not advocate the removal of the iuloret
| race to country OF their own becalise nf an,
| prejudice / entertain. but | am their rricu.t
deeply impressed with the troubles see ahead
growing out OF the antagonism nt the rarCs But
II the colorcd man, after looking over the whol.
ground shall still ask to stay in the land al hi,
birth, to till the soil and labor in the Workshop
and to I'LL positions of usefulness under the bri yh
skis that smiled on his infancy say in all con
science, let him remain. "a -
FREEDMEN IN COURTS Or JUSTICE
l recommend that fon examine our entire code
50 iar as 1t IS shaped by the institution Of slavery
ana adapt 1t TO the requirements OF a free State
c9ll your attention especially to the prophets
ana necessity OF comforting upon the freedman
His sfdtas and his relation TO the white race are
entirely changed. He was property; he is now a
person. For the first time he has a right to enter
into contracts and to enforce them i'm the courts
to sue and be sued and to prosecute those who
may lnjure him in person or property These
rights will avail him but little if any eyiT-dis-
pose, posed white person may deprive him of them
with lmpunlty. As our law now stands IL freed
man may be deprived of his life in the presence
OF a hundred eolored witnesses, whose lips are
sealed i'll the courts. This state of orr law has
brought among us the Frced1nen's Bureau. ,, q
tribunal established by the Federal Government
IRON iron necessity, but foreign to our Constitution
which must he presided over by military men
without judicial experience without juries
Ihls institution will become permanent unless we
remove the necessity which called it into eX-
lStence.
am of opinion that much of our repugnance
70 What Is called NEGRO testimony''is the result
OF education and habit. 1t is required of the
white witness that he shall be disinterested and
shall have sufficient intelligence to understand
tne . obligation M Of an oath" Let the same be re-
CURED OF the negro. He is now subject to the
same penalties for perjury that the white mn An
Is, and as he is religiOusly inclined he will no
doubt take the proper view of the penalty in
the world to come. Again, it must be remember
Ell that our juries are the exclusive judges of the
weight OF evidence and they viii not fail to take
1hto consideration the degree of intelligence and
the character for honor and veracity OF the wit
nesses, whether white or black.
In short let us ask and demand for this long
oppressed race the protection and enjoyment Of
his liberty. And lei us shape our own Iegisla-
ton In this direction, and by our acts show to the
WoTld That there is virtue, patriotism and reli-
sing sun of prosperity drives away the darkness
OF the past 1T will be seen standing out upon the
foreground amid the wreck of civil war, fresher
ana brighter than ever before. AT a.
x .. BANK OF TENNESSEE [ti-iiJ
In my former message, called your attention
to the Bank OF the state as allied to its finances
ana represented them as being IN a demoralized
condition, demanding promptaction and prompt
ieglslatlon This is the most important subject
have to bring before you and the State owes il 10
hersef to look carefully into the condition of the
BANK OF tennessee, having its parent bank in
NaShyille, and a number of affiliated branches in
different parts of the State. 'a4 III ElEG
careful examination of the assets captured
In Georgia has been made by a committee of com
petent men, and report OF the result is herewith
submitted. 1t will be seen that the great body of
the assets was found in the shape OF Confederate
notes ana bonds. These, not worth the paper on
which they are printed, were not considered
worth the labor of counting, but W ill mount to
six or eight millions of dollars. Only the sum of
Ihe assets being $3.50 346 "a less than was shown
Dy the last report of the Bank, in 1861 This
amount was doubtless embezzled during the war,
or sunk in cotton speculations by the faithless
ofheers OF the institution The foregoing sum of
S446,719 10 in coin has been sold under a resOlu
on OF your honorable body for $685. 250, in 1905
80 Is. . - ~ in'oi es' VI s4'
1t will be seen that this great BANKING inst;tn
ION Is but mere wreck, and that its ruins only |
ire In possession of the State Still there arc
arge Sums due to the Bank and its yariouS /
branches IN notes discounted before the rebellion
yhlch many OF the debtors are anxious to nav
mere are also owned by the Bank and its branch
1. large amounts in real estate banking bomses
weillngs and farms in dilapidated condition
iu every stay depreciating in value L ad- |
fse that these debts be collected and. this-rrnn
rtv be disposed of at once for cash or approved |
ecnrlues, number of suits are pending
Saihst the Isank, and some have lately been |
lstltnted against those having control of the as |
cts by depOsitors whose deposits were wholly or |
] part confederate currency. In other or similar |
aSes the Executive has been sued alone on the |
round that the assets captured in Georgia were |
iaceo i IN ms hands. ladvse prompt and positive |
nee, and defeat the attempted collection of frand
lent and reasonable claims, as many of them are |
noWn to be. | advise that the Bank and its |
ancnes mes pe at once placed in process of liquida-
eatei bank attorneys can be appointed for each |
ranch in each banking district, and the rights of
i parties may soon be settled
COMMON SCHOOLS
advise that out of the proceeds of what is left
the Bank, the Common School Fund shall be- |
I 1ar as possible, replaced. This large fund |
aanated mainly from the General Government | :
u !, was held BY the State in sacred trust The
claration of this trust may be found in the act :
Congress which created it, and is for the in
ruction Ct children forever" And by the Con- :
,utlon [stn !, u IS declared to be "a PERMANENT
preparation, y nor the interest devoted to any :
nen, ner use than the support and eneouragementof
an the appropriation of this fund to treasonable
rposes was not committed during the late per- I
| '
lnlon, that the State by virtue of her soye- t.
gnty, mas priority over all other creditors of | v
Bank. The State, as Trustee, represents the e
hool Fund as against the Bank: and that the | Il
hool Fund by virtue of the peculiar constit,l1 | L
nal trust with which it was clothed. has priori- b
eyer i other creditors OF the State. Certainly q
1und mas priority over the common depositors q
the Bank l therefore advise You to Law vour d
nas upon every dollar you can constitutionalIy Sc
re, to replace this fund Let the State keen | L
faith With the destitute and long neglected | bt
matter VII M |
then settle with other creditors as best She G.
ince the adjournment of your honorable body IL
ch embarrassment has been caused for the | er
nt or some person legally authorized to repre- al
lhe Bank In Important transactions Suits | as
ldlng IN Nashville were about to come to | ~
u, and an important, and, as believe, an un- st
suit was commenced at Knoxville Tn the til
mer M C case employed FL. H. Harrison, Esq, az
attorneys for the bank. ask the Legislature | IN
pproye my action in this respect. tn
ne assets OF the branch bank at Athens were on
captured, and no coin belong ginq to that | hi
nch was found. But the cashier Thos. A. | pc
age reported to me at the Capitol, and repre- tn
ted himself as having at his command about OF
600 In gold and sterling exchange. He prom ~
to produce the money in a few days. failed
10 So, and made his escape into Illinois. oo
ne taxing steps for his arrest, Thomas H. tn tn,
/, proposed to pay $50 600 OF this defacation o
to use his efforts to secure the remainder co 60,
ewing the interests of the State would be cr, r
ouUoSA tSo W aSSCPtIilk NlIIOWHy'S |
oosition, did so, received his check for $50 % th
recelpted hlm for that amount paid on tw t,at
ge,s liability When this check is paid, as oss ow
i'll be in a few days, ask you to approve as as
p 'lI'a' ~ -''f1t,- f- f1'S an an
E FINANCES. ''+ -'-' | If
re financial condition of the State demands era
early and prompt attention of the General ari
'mbly, While have every confidence in the OPT
ty OF the great State of Tennessee to meet pal
liabilities, and of the disposition of the people slr
i've them met action on your nart-nropnt for
intelligent action-is called for The condi- the
OF our finances will appear from the reports yot
e Comptroller and Treasurer which give the | anC
is; The State debt now due and to be pro- are
fer E at o. once as reported by the Comptroller era
213,719, ,66. This amount of money must be | ran
d and the credit of the State sustained. How |
termine. Y
-rxx RAILROADS -.svr. Ma
ComptrOllers repurt will fI1rther disclose can
n that there is now due on the Railroad poir
S loaned to the different Railroad C0mnanieS / per-
State, So 1859 5O9 This is the interest now sing
np1 Sa1 hxr tha 2tata 4