Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-08-11
An East Tennessee Union Man On
the Present State Government.
Col. JNO. BANTER vs.. Sec. FLETCHER.

From the Knoxville C0amerciaFs report
Of the speech Of Col. BAXTER, at the large
meeting Of conservative Unionists held at
Greenville, the home of Secretary FLETCHER,
we extract the following pithy paragraph /:
Col BAXTER handled the "Rump Legis-
lature" in a mastery manner, and charac-
terized its proceedings as efforts to deprive
the majority Of the people Of the States Of
their constitutional rights and liberties. He
advised the people TO discountenance the
present State Government, for it was, in its
present form, intolerably oppressive, while
the manner in which it was being admins
tered rendered it one Of the most odious
and despotic in existence. The many in
stances in which people had been deprived
Of their lives, liberty and property, without
due process Of law, demanded a change Of
affairs for the better, which he trusted would
speedily come He compared the present
State Government to a little gravel train"
which was on the eve Of being knocked out
Of the way unless it switched off on another
track.
lie told the people that there was a owns
men Of theirs by the name Of A. J. FLETcH-
ER, who had been going through the coun-
try making speeches denunciatOry Of TIE
Presidents policy, when the loyalty and pa
triotism Of the President compared with
FLETCHERs would sink the latter so deeply
into the depths Of utter destruction as TO
ever after preclude the possibility Of resur-
rection. Col. BANTER said that he would
not talk about FLE1sHER anywhere else ex-
ccpt at his (FLErcHER's) own home, for he
did not consider him worthy talking about.
but he thought the people should know
something about this man FLETCHER, who
now prOlessed to have done more for the
Union cause than any man in Tennessee.
President JOHNsON's opposition to secession
commenced when their movement was first
inaugurated. FLETcHER's opposition to Sc
cession commenced after the surrender Of
the rebel armies. Col. BAXTER stated when
the rebel armies had been favored with
some success in the early part Of the war,
he heard FLETCHER say, (if we mistake not
we think the Colonel said that FLETCHER
told him) that he had forwarded an applica-
ton % the Richmond authorities for permis-
sion to raise and organize a regiment for
the rebel service, and he Judged from the
manner in which FLETCHER signifed his
intention Of identifying himself with the
rebel cause, that he was desperately in earn
est.
Il seemed hat FLErCHERs application
for a Colone's commission in the rebel army
had been unsuccessful, and the next thing he
heard from him was 20 the effect that |
FLETCHER had slidden back INTO the Union, |
and taken refuge beyond the mountains from
the proximity Of band of rebels which in
Tested East Tennessee. Upon the Withdrawal |
of this rebel force, FLETCHER returned to
East Tennessee, and had remained there un-
I'll the invasion Of the State by LONGsTREET, !
when he again absconded and next turned |
up in Paducah, Kentucky. While there, it |
was rumored that FoRREsT was advancing |
upon Pahucah, and the firing Of a cannon |
Justly aroused the most alarming apprehen- |
sion on the part Of FLETCHER. Apparently |
ohlivious Of the fact that his family were |
with him and needed his protection, ELETCH- |
ER started for steamboat with all possible /
speed, got on board, and was only aroused to /
consciousness by his arrival at Evansville, |
when suddenly impressed with his rashness |
In tearing himself away from his family, he /
turned to some one and exclaimed: Where /
am ? This was Col. BANTER's statement. |
what man in Tennessee or elsewhere will |
question it? This was the man who pre- |
sented such an UHcroeptiOHaJte record and |
who took il it upon himself TO assail the |
President in such unwarrantable and under |
handed terms.