Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1866-06-13
To the Public.

10 the PUBIC.
In March last, delivered speech in Knoxv lille,
before the UNION GERMAN LEAGUE, written out
before hand, and systematically arranged. On the
18th of April it appeared in the WIG it
spoken. In if this paragraph occurs
The Presidents veto of this measure may have
been intended Il rebuke TO some extreme men of
the North and as it contained some Objectionable
features, his veto may have been honest and con-
scientious, and afording no grounds for split be-
tween the President and Congress- but for some pri-
yate facts which have come to my knowledge. /
state them with perfect freedom, and pledge myself
for their correctness. The bill was taken to the
President by Major Generals Howard and Fisk, and
read section by section, before it introduced by
Congress Gen. Howard was, for the most part,
author of it. Gen. Fisk objected to some of its faa-
lures, but the President met him in argument, and
defended those very points. In word, he approved
the bill and promised it his signature. He after
ward got into q quarrel with Messrs. Sumner and
Stevens, extreme men of the North, and he turned
about 10 affiliate with the extreme men of the South
who are even more dangerously radical than the
Radicals of the North He should have stated his
objections then and prevented this collision between
him and his friends. So much for the veto of this
bill"
Upon my return TO Nashville from East Tennes-
see found the following letter in the papers
Nv AR DEPARTMENT, BUREAU OF REFUGEES
FREEDMEN AND ABANDONED LANDS,
washington, April 18th, 1866.
DEAR GEHERAL-YOu letter, enclosing Cover
nor Brownlows speech, at Knoxville, March "a, is
received. An error seems TO prevail with regard TO
the Freedmens Bureau Bill.
MANY papers have said that l read the bill TO
the President. Now the Governor asserts that you
and read it TO him section by section. He (the
Governor) has been msinformed.
II sent my report to the President, recommend
ing substantially many things embraced in Senator
Trumbulls bill. did converse with the President
with regard to these recommendations but never
read or discussed the said bill with him before its
passage.
Your denial of having said TO Governor Brown
low that you and read the bill TO the President is
implied in your letter; certainly, such Joint
reading as that reported ever occurred.
ut is due TO the President and to truth to correct
these statements that currently reported.
Respectfully yours,
ISgnedl 30. o. HOWARD,
"Major General Commissioner
"Brevet Major General, c. B. Fisk Assistant
Commissioner for Tennessee and Kentucky
Gen. Fisk said in conversation with me, on his
return from Washington, that the President i'm
pressed both himself and Gen. Howard with the be-
lief that he was the friend of the BILL and that they
were since surprised at the veto. have conversed
told him The President would veto the BILL and he
replied that he thought not founding his faith upon
what the President had said to him, Howard and
others, in their separate visits to him. Others to
whom Gen. Fisk stated the case, both oficers cer-
gymen and citizens, got the impression that the two
Generals were together when the President "coH-
cerscd' about the bill and when it was read. The
facts are as Generals Howard and Fisk state, that
no 'joint reading occurred, between the Presi-
dent and the tco Generals was the bill read by
either OF them section by section, but the proof
shows, it WAS read to the President by Senator
Trumbull-not section by section" but straight
along through. 1 say this much in justice to Gen.
Fisk, whom l know and esteem rs true soldier,
and Christian gentleman. This fact Gen. How
ard knew but has omitted to state in his letter I'M
Intentionally presume.
Gen. Howard draws distinction between con-
r,rsiqg and discussing with the President l am
willing to accept his language, and to admit that
what he calls coHrersilg l called discussing. | am
willing TO concede that what / called Gen. How
ards bill, l should have called his 'report the
recommendations on which Senator Trumbull
founded the bill upon, when he drew it up at the
instance Of Gen. Howard But cannot retract the
assertion that "Gen. Howard was, for the most part
the author of the BILL and consequently deemed
its passage important to the cause he had SO much
at heart. have never seen Gen. Howard, but
have very high appreciation of his moral charac-
ter and military services-Dlch higher tim he tcU
md the President has
But the country calls for light this dark subject
and am prepared to add other evidence. One of
the editors of the Chicago Tribune, Senator Trum-
bulls State organ, writes from Washington under
date of April 9Th, and says, with violence of en-
rhasis
The letter Of Gen. Howard, recently published in
the Republican of this city, contradcting the
ton Of Gov. Brownlov, that the Bureau Bill was
submitted TO the President by Gen. Howard and
Gen. Fisk, who together read il to him, section by
section does not effect the only important issue as
the Republican would have its readers believe and
hasty reading might seem 10 indicate.
The General prudently confines himself TO the
specific allegation, and says that he and General
Fisk did not 20 together and adds that thew did not
either of them present, 10 the President the bill il,
due form. He observes incidentally, that he had in
deed disctlSsedHe subject matter Of the bill ,rih the
President Ia SererGL free Conversations If it could
have been done without seeming TO go out of his
way, he would gladly have added that Senator
IrtoNbpu took the bill from out Of his hands, and
aecordaIlce ioih understanding 6etCeea them, SUD-
utted It 10 the President who after careful read
ing, raised no objection
It's OF no Importance to the public who carried the
bill TO the White House and of still less Importance
whether General Howard took it in his otrR hand
or agreed with Mr.. Trumbull that the one should
take for both but it is of present and will be of
historic Importance that the President found no
treason IN measure before had received the sane
ton of both Houses of Congress. which Immediate
ly thereafter he discovered to be unspeakably mis-
chievous in every section.
Mr. Trumbull has already announced TO the
country from his place in the Senate that the bin
icas submitted and was not objected TO- This has
not been denied at the White House, and never
will be.
Now, if it be not true that Gen. Howard and Sen
atOr Trumbull, instead of Gen. Fisk took the bill
TO the President and read it, "I is due to the Pres-
dent and 70 truth In correct these statements that