Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-05-15

guide you in ascertaining the exact date ,
A. have memorandum, but not here
Q. What reply did you make to the
Governors application f? A. / submitted
his communication 10 the authorities at
Washington.
q. What was the reply received to
your application for instructions? A.
The instructions I received were Just by
telegraph, and afterwards q letter. They
were in substance that in matters of this
sort it was customary 10 leave the State au-
thorities truly ON their own resources for
enforcing the law without Federal aid.
q. Had Won not been instructed to aid
the Governor if he needed it? A. / had
been instructed to aid the Governor in or
ganizing the first Legislature
O. Governor Brownlow's application TO
YOU was to enable him to command the
attendance of refractory members? A.
Yes, so understand it. -
Q. How much aid did he ask for? A.
He asked for as much aid as / could com
mand, which | understood to mean nv
whole command if needed.
O. Can you fix the date Of the reply to
your letter? A. 1t was about three DAYS
after sent the application.
Q. Did the reply come from the Secre-
tary of State? A No, it came from Gen.
Grant.
Q. Do you know whether there was
general feeling on the part Of the people
10 break up the Legislature at the capitol
A. cannot say from my own knowledge,
because ! avoided the thing as much as
possible.
Q. Had YOU any other direct Informal
ton? A. l did not know from my own
information.
Q. Could You state from your own per-
sonal knowledge whether there was a gem
eral disposition to break up the Legislature
during its called session in 1866?
Judge Brien objected to the question.
Mr. Maynard If the gentleman will
allow me to ask him in what way you be-
lieve public purpose except by the ex-
ponents of public expression.
1t was decided by vote of thirteen to
six that the question might be put.
A. | can only state that il was my
opinion from conversations with different
people, and from the newspapers, that
there was such disposition.
Want of space compels us to give the
rest of Gen. Thomas evidence in the most
concise and epitomized form.
Gen. Thomas: The order received to
give aid and assistance to the Governor,
had reference to the election. That was in
the year 1866. think there was q general
design to break up the election.
Mr.. Ewing want you to understand
us as Directing to all this.
Examination of Gen. Thomas continued {:
1t is my duty to keep my eye on the conn
try, with a view to the preservation Of or
der. was not present at the trial OF the
habeds corpus case.
| knew there was such a trial pending,
but do not remember the exact time |
observed then the same symptoms of public
excitement that | did in the early part of
the session of the Legislature. can fur
nish copies of Governor Brownlow's COM
munication to me, and the reply to it.
Cross examined by Mr.. Ewing l do not
recollect threatssto break mp The govern
ment, in positive words. The tone of the
papers was threatening. | do not remem-
Der any expression in any particular paper.
remember the impression made upon my
mind was that the tone Of the papers was
excited. ! believe there was danger OF
trouble, but cannot speak positively. saw
no organizations for the purpose Of break
ing up the government only heard per-
sons say that parties would attempt to
break it up, and something Of the same
sort was insinuated by the newspapers. I
supposed the design was to break it up, not
by law hut by force. | cannot name any
prominent man that heard say this.
Newspapers and general conversation
was my main source conformation. These
expressions Of opinion were from persons
who had ever been favorable to the govern
ment or from such as had taken the oath
OF allegiance and expressed themselves
friendly. / saw no others, | do not think
l have ever been introduced to Judge Fra
1ier. The impression made upon my mind
was that the people were surprised that he
should have entertained the application for
the writ of habeds corpus. The reason of
this surprise was that they thought him a
friend of the Union. He was generally
regarded as a friend to the Union up to
this time believe.
On motion the court adjourned to nine
O'clock Wednesday morning.
CORRECTION
By some mishap the ayes and noes on
the application of the respondent to file a
protest against the decision of the court ex-
Guiding Senator Frazier, in yesterdays
proceedings, got transposed. The vote
should have been recorded as follows
Ayes-Messrs. Carrigan, johnson, Nc
Kinney, Mcfarland, Smith and Thomp-
son-G.
Noas-NIessra AIdridga Rosson Cate
Hall, Keith, McElwee, Nelson, Powell
Patterson, Senter, Spence, Robinson and
President Frierson-l3.