Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-05-10

not readily understood by an honest man
of just and liberal views Such one can
not enter into the feeling that prompts such
conduct. II is painful for me to go into
this disagreeable and forbidding field; be-
sides, il is personally dangerous to attempt
1t. 1t can do me, as an individual, no
good, and it is certain to concentrate upon
me the malignity Of every branch
of the State government, the per-
sonal and individual malice of
the wicked instruments assailed,
subject me to defamation, misrepreseuta-
ton, and unmerited reproach, temporarily
impair my business, and otherwise do me
serious and irreparable injury. Notwith-
standing, il is public necessity, a plain,
imperative dictate of patriotism, which
must be performed by some one; and as it
is as much my duty as that of any one else,
have resolved to undertake 10 make the
exposure, and will do it, let the conse-
queuces be to me personally what they
may.
In the first place, the Governor, who was
always Justly regarded as a stubborn, i'm
practicable man, when approached directly
with sensible reasons, addressed to his
judgment and sense of right, has of late
been rendered more so by the enervating
effects of an utter disorganization of his
nervous system. He is to-day literally
trembling upon the verge of the grave, and
his intellect, like his physical man, greatly
eneryated and rendered more excitable by
disease. In this condition he is easily con-
trolled in the hands of practical and skill
til nianipulators like those who have sur
rounded him since his Inauguration as Gov
ernor.
They have but to touch his bump of
malice to appeal to his known hatred, to
hatter his vanity, which increases in pro-
portion TO his mental decay, to feed his
newly awakened ambition, and contribute
to his growing avarice to successfully turn
him in any channel which their personal
schemes of speculation or ambition may
point out and make desirable to them. In
a word, gentlemen, it is not too strong a
term to say that he has fallen among
thieves" So far as the Governor is con-
cerned, make the announcement more in
pity than in anger but | make it under an
honest and thorough conviction of its
truth.
THE ASSETS OF THE BANK OF TENNESSEE
AND THE SCHOOL FUND.
Soon after his installation as Governor,
the assets of the Bank of Tennessee were
captured and delivered into his possession.
The books Of the bank, as | am told, and
which | believe has not been contradicted,
as we'll as the officers who had the assets in
charge, concur in stating, that among the
assets of said bank, there was over six
hundred thousand dollars in coin. But it
was handed over to a committee, composed
Of his military family, to be counted,
who reported, and accounted to the
State for only $446,719 20. The
count, as well as the report, may have
missing coin may have been lost in some
other way, and by other persons than the
committee. But there is one manifest and
indisputable fact-the specie belonging to
the bank has been lost; and two of the
gentlemen entrusted with its count, who
went into tho public service two years ago,
poor, and who have had no visible means
of making money, who have had no income
except their salaries, are now reputed to
be well off. The fact in relation to one of
them is well known TO many of you to
be true. When the amount of coin was
thus ascertained and reported, theLegisla-
ture ordered the same sold and invested in
United States seven thirty notes. This
duty was entrusted to young gentleman
of the Governors staff, who mado a trip to
New York for this purpose He sold the
specie, and the Governor reports that he
realized in "seyen thirties" $6l8,250, and
80 far as | have been able to ascertain,
10 oil hn inf
which the public has been favored
in regard TO this very important business
transaction. 1t has been frequently spg-
gested that very considerable profits have
been realized in this transaction, vet all
explanation il withheld.
If this financial young gentleman had
but published full report, showing the
day on which he sold, to whom, and for
what price, a comparison with the New
York market on that day would either re-
move all doubt or convict him of the i'm
puted fraud, and the public anxiety on this |
point would be relieved. But every effort |
to obtain information in this regard has |
been unavailing; everything is as silent as |
the tomb. But again: These $618, $50 of |
seven-thirty notes was, by special act or |
resolution, taken from the custody provided |
by the general law and placed in the special !
custody Of the Treasurer. They were to be |
held as q special deposit, as a permanent |
and for long time the public |
rested securely IN the belief that they were |
SO held. But, by and by, it transpired that |
this SACRED fund" for the education of the
poor children of the State" was missing. |
An investigation was indispensable, and an
wss had, upon which it |
turned out that the Treasurer, for a bonus |
paid to himself, had loaned the same to |
little bank in Memphis, founded, as un.
ierstand, upon fifteen thousand dollars of |
actual capital, and under the control of
strangers who had but recently come into
he State. AT this startling development
he Governor, with his retinue of retainers |
became ostensibly exercised, and "dealt |
iamRation all around" upon the miserable
,ulprits" who had dared to invade this
sacred fund" In haste a Legislature 1
was sent off to Memphis, COM
to recover this fund, who entered
ntc an arrangement by which they repre-
ented thstthey had secured about $350,000,
entered into a contract with the bank by
which they gave further time for the pay
nent of the residue, thereby, it Is thought,
pleasing the securities of the public trea-
urer upon his official bond, and releasing
he securities of the bank upon the bond
which it had given in the penalty of $780,
100, for the safe keeping and prompt pay
nent Of the public deposits. And the
'esidue, amounting, with interest included, |
o over 100000, has never been, and |
10 one expects that il ever will be re-
overed Now it is further believed,
,ut upon this subject the public can get no
satisfactory information, that the amount
covered, and which, in disregard of law,
8 said to have been deposited in bank in
Jew York, has been, in a great measure,
bsorbed. How this is / am not prepared
o say, but of one thing all may rest assured,
t has been already, or viii hereafter be
quandered and lost to the people of the
tate. Under what pretext, and by whom
nd how divided, / am not able to predict
nth certainty, but the fund will be lost to
OIL, and to me.
THE ATHENS BRANCH.
This brings me TO matter nearer home,
nd with which / am more familiar, as |
N professionally retained in suit now
ending in the Chancery Court at Athens,
INVOLVING the very questions of which /
hall now speak. Thomas A. Cleage, a.
asher of the Branch Bank at Athens,
ED 500, 900 in Sterling Exchange which
ras not captured with the other assets Of
ne bank. This Sterling Exchange, Mr.