Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-07-27
OUR STATE JUDICTARY-THE COT
ERNOR7S LATEST APP0IEFMEETl-
A REBEL GUNsMTTH IN LUCK.

d governor BRoWNLow, that he hafi al
pointed \. A. PATTERSON one of thei Cir-
cult Judges ofTennessee, ard that he vTould
hold his first court at Winchester at given |
time. t.FF IEs
We should like exceedingly to approve Of
everything the Governor does oficialiy--es-
pecially in relation to the judiciary, v hich is
the ultimate resort Of the people for the as
sertion Of their rights and liberties. What
ever may be our opinions and differ Fences on
merely political subjects, the Temple Of
Justice should be kept not only free from
faint, but above suspicion. We kRow moth
ing personally Of Judge PATTERSON; but we
have an indistinct recollection that several
years ago, the present Governor Of Ten
nessee arraigned him as the basest Of
men. For weeks, there was little else in
BroiallaSs Wing, but PATTBEsoE, and the
matter, to say the least, wss anything but
complimentary. If we rec5llect Alright, one
MI PATTEBsos, a BROTHER Of the recently
appointed Judge, was specifically accused by
BRowNLow, in his paper of hor5e-stoaLiHg.
The present Judge instituted suit against
BRowNLow in behalf Of his brother, for
Islander, laying his damages at some large
sum, perhaps $4,000. Thereupon the Wing
opened upon both the brothers and denoune-
ed n. A. PATTERSON with equal severity
with his brother. BRowNLow then thought
thet the PATTERSON lately appointed Judge,
was no better than a horse-thief How the
case was finally decided we do not remem-
Der. 1t may be that all BRowNLOw said Of
him and his brother was false. We cannot
say as to this. But if BRowNLOw told the
truth in his abuse of him, he is not fit for
Judge, andifhe was slandered, then BRowN-
Low is the proper subject of an action for
damages
The singularity Of this thing is, that two
persons who have held such contrary rela-
tons, should now be on such genial terms
the one the chosen and trusted expositor
from the Bench, Of the political opinions
and prejudices of the other.
But Judge PATTERSON has a subsequent
record which somewhat complicates his
history and status as "loya" BRowNLow
man, and illustrates his fitness for the hon
orable place which he has been appointed
to fill.
This Judge n. A. p, we are told, was an
cold line democrat''-probably the best as
signable reason for BRowNLow's late antipa-
thy. In his early manhood he was rash
enough tostudy law for a short time, without
making much progress This fruitless enter
prise renderedhim desperate, he relinquished
the law to become the editor Of an insignif-
cant paper in the town of Kingston, Roane
county This did not smoothe his road in
life and he quilted the tripod in disgust,
but to the entire satisfaction of his readers.
He then became loafng vegetarian, an
occasional appearer at the bar as a third
rate County Court pettifogger, an injury TO
his clients and burden to himself
AT the inception of the war he imagined
Che tide setting in, that would lead him to
fortune. He opposed secession, and deliv-
cred series of inAammatory speeches
among the people Of Roane, inducing them
to take mp arms against ''King HARRIS" adj
wishing them to go out ofthe State, form regi-
ments, and come in the panoply Of war and
redeem the State, and he would follow and
aid them. This was all well; but it was too
slow process. For whole year the Fed
eraI paymasters were delayed, and n. A. P.
was reduced to extremities. He determined
to raise the wind by becoming a contractor
for the "rebels" He got up an imposing
petition to the "rebel' authorities at Knox
vile to establish military gun-shop at
Kingston, and he would superintend it. The
petition was granted and this was his first
success in life. 'King HARRIS order for
the delivery up Of sporting guns, and their
remodeling, was perfect wind-fall to n. A.
P. He cut off and bored out squirrel riBes'
reconstructed shot-guns and pistols, and be-
came a Confederate armourer Of the tfuess
and most approved type.
He did not change his vocation until the
advent Of Gen. BURNSIDE, when he became
f1riously "loyal," and, we have been told,
asserted that he was acting" gunsmith
only as a spy and informer for the Federals.
He, Of course, became intensely Radical and
obtained from our long-suiering and forgiv-
ing Governor the appointment of Circuit
Court Judge. 1t is thus that a characterless
hypocrite, deliberate turn-coat a bankrupt
miventurer, is advanced to the Bench, and
has committed to his hands the scales of JUS
tice, and the Interpretation of the laws and
liberties Of a free people!