New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1866-03-06
THE TENNESSEE PROBLEM.
Testimony of Gen. Thomas and the Hon.
D. I. Patterson Before the Re-
construction Committee.
IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES.
Special Dispatch to The n. Y. Tribune.
WASHINGTON. Monday

The following Is tne evidence gwen by
Moior.Gen. Thomas before the Reconstruction Com.
mittee:
! Maor. Gru. Geo H. TAomos and Examined By
! M Grimes-Q Where you stationed at present.
and what arc the duties which You now have TO per-
/ form, A. ! am III command OF the Military Division
of Tennessee NY headquarters are al Nashville Tenn.
/ O. OF how many States is your division composed
A. The division IS composed of the States of Kentucky.
Tennessee Georgia Alabama and Mississippi.
Q. How MANY troops are now under your command
in Inc State of Tennessee A. l cannot stPtc PIE
cisey but think about 1000. principally required 10
take care Of pubhc property.
q Where are they stationed for the most part A.
Al Nashville. Chattanooga and Memphis
q So far as your knowledge and observation extend
what is condition of the popular sentiment IN the
state of Tennessee, 30 far as it relates to the Federal
Government and the rights Of the Mon people and of
the fr"edmeni a. j have studied tie condition OF
affairs in Tennessee pretty carefully and have had
practical demonstration Of the condition OF atairs
there having IN addition TO the information have de-
rived from personal observation such Information
as have received from other sources the Union set-
meni m Tennessee. of course has been sufficient TO
place the State in its present favorable condition TO
ward the Government and II protected, and encouf-
aged by the presence Of small military force VIII
gain the complete ascendancv IN the state In the course
of wear two do not think II would be saie al thls
time 20 remove the national troops from Tennessee or
20 withdraw martial law. or u restore the VIII oil
habeas corpus To Its fall extent
q. What Is the condition OF East tennessee as com
pared with Middle and West Tennessee \. East
Tennessee is perfectly safe because the Union element
I:odouinates there very largely Middle tennessee Is
disturbed by personal anlmOsltes ana hatreus much
more than IL Is hv the disOyalty OF persons toward the
Government Of the United States those personal AMI
mostes wOuld break out and o'crawe the c'I au nor
tiles hut for the presence there Of the troops OF the
United States In West Tennessee personal animoslties
exist even more strongly than they do IN Middle len
nessee aud there Is loss Loyalty IN West than IN Mldde
Tenncsse, nut the people OF tennessee desire 'ei!
uuch. Is thelf strongest desire 20 be back m the
GovernIroa I OF the United State. stu, whie they
wish to ,uoy the rights OF citizenship they are not
! e IL \ tsr.. MOI
/ Tennessee who have been III the Union army; they
are more uufrieuGly 90 Union men NATIVES OF the state
Of Tennessee OF The South, who have been IN the
| mon army than they are 90 men Of Northern birth
o. What is the condition OF the Union people IN West
| Teanesseef \. The Union Ieople OF West Tennessee
IN minority but public sentiment there Is grad
ulllv approaching n good lo!aI standard.
49, Do Won thiIk there is IN Improvement going on
GENERALS in the sentiment of tho State a. Yes sir
can probably better express my opinion 10 this way
It.nk the people Of Tennessee vl 60 on improving IN
their Union sentiment. provided tAcy ere prevented
from running 10 extremes against their pcfs ma enc
ME, III the Unon ranks; and The presence oil troop
there is necessary simply % prevent them from com
hitting excuses ard beng led astray IN their private
amino stiles.
q You believe then, that it would be dangerous
either 70 remove the national troops OF 10 restore TIE
wit OF hajeus cOfpus or 20 abolish martha! law IN
| tennessee 4. do. for The present.
q What is the condition O the freedmen IN Ienues
sec. 4 The condition Of the freedmen in Tennessee
Is very favorable al this tune avery great Improvement
has taken place ia their condition ana IL ihe aDairs OF
the FTeeduen Bureau can he administered 10 another
ycar IN the way they have been administered f0r
The last six months mutual confidence would be
restored between whites and blacks ana j am very
Jucb in hope ttat the freedmen could then o. left 10
thr protcc. Jon Of the civ authorities Of Tue state
o. Then the administration Of The Frccdmens Elrcaa
Ia met with your approval a. Yes. sir
q. Under Gen. f..kct \. Yes 81
Tennessee \. GO moi know OF any difficulty 10 their
finding employment ,
a. Aud M fair wagesf A Yes. sir: and there Is
! f,r linz
lie whites that each 20 comply with his part Of he
contract so that there Is difficulty and no dssatis
O la Gen. FisLc the charge Of tac freedmen in tie
whole u the State Of tennessee a. Yes BIZ aAd III
Kentucky IN addition. ...
proyemout IS going on n Tennessee ~ to loyalty A
Yes. sir. ,-.
Co1rgess Of Representatives from Tennessee would
tend 10 encourage loyal people erd -trouGhen lheT
fer liugs % LOYALTY =. Ncr much. ~ WOMB hOl
only encourage the loyal peopi" 10 tAert theh'
selves but it would encourage the Rebels 10 lt-
turn 70 LOYALTY. because they would see that tbeir
chance, and hopes were passing away ron
Them. # YOU viii permit NE 20 give additional iens"hs
yrby think tho delegation iiou Ic.nr-sce should he
admitted viii DO think tic delegation IRON
Tennessee should be adnitcd To- The reason that that
state Of her own accord. has complied WIN etcfA IN
structior OF tho President ana Ia done gu tlh ~ wa
believed 10 would he necessary for her % 90 10 OGer 10
gain admission. Oh that they have don" 81 theif own
accord I'm Tennessee they have rcludintcd the iene
Son.tititi,a1. Amendment upon that subiec, they
have passed a Franchise law prohibiting from voting
eve-v nan uho Las been engaged III TIE kepclhon;
and ! believe they have now found bill gi'lg We
pr~rn the right testify ~ the courts auu ul tne
members elected 30 Congress can take me test "hth
both Senators ard Repre- eiietYe ana u these hepie
..utatyes siau d. admitted INTO Congress, ~ VIII De
preced mt for 1 the SmibeFn >taiesi they can see
ID, once tic reasons Why The tennessee memhtFs are
admitted, and mat they expect th sn, G,m
Bp W GrjHcs-S'nie whether. after the admission o.
lhe Tennessee dele- alton, You thiDk II Noln De rare
i,r martial ipw 20 be then abrosh'ed III icnuessoe
/ A ] Would not abrugate u Just yet 80 .
y. WOlid YOU recommend ihe abolition OF lhe iIeeu
/ mems Bureau in that star" \. Not yet
a. Even fthe Ten1cssoe delegation shond be nd
mifted a. No. sir; ! would admit the dc'rSatloh
s., IN encourage the people OF lenncsse" 10 return
20 thrr LOYALTY and also As a example iof ihe o,hef
S,o.s bcasc Won have il ia your power Ia shp" th'
-air'r and clearly WHY they admitted ~ once ana
he i.s' are not thai j. because none OF me otnsI
III rs have complied with the same conditions th"' INC
/ ueople OF Tennessee have complied With.
% HIVE Won an, reason 10 believe that the heulI'
ii entertain homes of another outbreak. that any
oLle MORTON Of tLcm Dor \. have Tereltc1
connuuicat Ons from various rrr-oh- ~ me ool iH'
there wa understanding nnoAg lno I,ep.a' . nu'
Derhaus organizations formed or FORMING oI we P'
noe OF ginning a. many advantages Tor themselves ar
POSSIBLE; and have heard u also intimaeu lna, ms
men were SeTy anxious ana would 90 MI III 1hcI
10 involve the nited States IN foreign war 20 tlt Il
fsvora HE oDDortnltv should offer they might turn
against the United states; do not think they WIZ eter
srtiu offelltf an outbreak their own account D'
cause thcy all edmit that ihey had lEr llhi IL '
49, Uciei'inr and got thoroughly wOrstcd; there ~ no
doubt but what there - universal disposition hmoht
the Rebel. in the South TO cmba!ra's me Go'ciheht
in its administration they can so as 10 gam NJ many
/ advantages for Themselves an possible. ,,
o La what would their advantages consist ia break
inS mn tho Government A. They wish ~ he rrcog
niled as citizens Of the Cni,ed otos WI" INV S'''
! rights they had before tho wal
o. How can they do that by involving us III war
with England or France, IN Whlch ,hey Hol.u ne ~