Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-05-21

abstain from al allusion TO political and
exciting topics, the question being simply
one Of law. / had no knowledge of Judge
Frazier until went to hear the case of the
habeas ee.pus, argued before him. l never
saw Judge Frazier in any political gather
ings, nor did ever see him in the Legisla-
ture. ! sm not sure if any message was
sent Judge Fra Ter, informing him that
quorum was present l do not of myself
know that Iudge Frazier had any knowl-
edge of the intention or the purpose to
prevent a quorum Of the Legislature.
TEsEhloSg Of R. HoUGH.
l live in Memphis. l was living there
in July, 1866. cannot say that know
Of any effort having been made to break up
the Legislature. / received letter from
Washington looking that way. | have an
extract from the letter containing all that
relates to that subject. The rest of the
letter is Of private character. The writer
is the Hon. j. w. Leftwich, member of
Congress. | was clerk of internal revenue
in the old first district. The paper on
which it is written l suppose is official
paper.
Judge Brien We should like to know
hhdb bAStE 40 NiiN iOthNA NASthci ~ A4e''
anything to do with this trial. If not,
it is irrelevant and can have nothing to do
here.
Judge Gaut A private letter in 10 other
couHl, civil or criminal. in the civilized
world, presume, would be allowed to be
introduced without knowing what IL in IT,
] put it to the court whether private
letter having no reference to Judge Frazier,
immediate or remote, bat constituting
merely part of the private correspondence
between other parties, can be introduced
against this defendant?
Mr.. Maynard: We are trying to show
that there was a combined and concerted
effort to Illustrate and subvert the Legis-
lature. We purpose reading this letter to
show that one public character writes TO a
government official to use his influence to
accomplish this result, and to secure on the
part of a member of the Legislature this
abandonment of duty.
Judge Brien: If Mr.. Lefwich was on
trial here, charged with an ofense, then a
letter written by him would be pertinent;
but if Judge Frazier is on trial and the
letter has been written by Mr.. LeftWich TO
Mr.. Hough, TO a gentleman at Memphis,
what in the name of honor, or of common
sense, or Of Justice, can this letter have to
do with Judge Frazier? A proposition to
introduce such a letter as evidence in a
case on trial before a Justice of the peace
would have been spurned and Indignantly
rejected.
The counsel for the prosecution having
objected to the reading Of the letter as
evidence on the trial, the question as TO
whether it should he received as evidence
was put by the President, when it was de-
cided by a vote of thirteen against six that
the letter should be received. 1t was then
handed to the clerk, who read ii as follows
HoUsE OF REPRESENT ATTyFs WASHINGTON,
ID. c., June 9th, lS66.-MY DEAR HOUGH L
have not enjoyed the pleasure of hearing from
you, but am still through the industry Of our
friends, able to hear of you often.
Col. Cooper, the Presidents Private Secretary,
has Just told me that he had received some seri
Gus complaints against me for the interest taken
/ in your nomination. he could not give the
L authors, as the communication was strictly con-
/ hdential but expresses the belief that / know
4 what I'm doing. Senator Patterson still says,
| however. that am mistaken in my man, but
L tell him TO look after East Tennessee, and his
hands will be full | received yesterday from an
4 unknown source, an editorial from the Avd-
l idHche on the subject, which | think will
do you more good than harm. But this
i is not what l started to write about. |
4 want TO ask you to see our friend Richards. and
Il If he cannot be induced TO oppose the ratiiica-
Il tion of the constitutional amendment let him
Il take sick and stay at home, and he and you
Il shall ReBer regret n. The Northern people
ds not require of us any such ruinOus legislation
but recognize. as you and | do, that In giving
i the negro freedom and all the civil rights, that
/ we have done quite enough without giving him
a right to interfere in election, and this is
alt the amendment means. This is the most i'm
pOrtant issue ever presented, and if we ratify il
there is no telling what will be the next require
| ment. A refusal 10 ratify il may keep from
our seats for while. but that is nothing when
1 principle is at stake. Now HOugh, have given
| you an edsB part IN SO important an issue. and
/ you must do II.
Sometime ago Richards wrote me asking a
favor which it is impossible yet TO do. and so
wrote him and hope he properly understands it.
1 will Otprobably write to him on this ques-
tion but will rely exclusively on your manage
ment, as know he will be influenced by you in
/ any thing that is not in itself wrong.
| | may 80 70 Nashville if they have a quorum,
but hope they will not l would be pleased to
hear from you at length.
1 Yours, truly, JNO. W. LEFTWfCH
| Mr.. Hough's examination was resumed.
l have other communications but not re-
lating to the subject of the quorum.
Cross-examined by Judge Brien: | did
not communicate to anybody else this desire
of Mr.. Leftwich.
| TESTIMONY OF F. 3. RICHARDS.
| f. s. Richards, of Memphis, Tenn:
was elected as member of the Legislature
| at the election hold in March. Was here
at the extra session of 1866. | do not know
that any efforts we're made to prevent my
coming here.
| Cross-examined by Judge Brien: l die
not communicate the fact that the letter wa.
shown to me by Mr.. Hough to anybody
else. When good deal heated and excited
by remarks which fell from Mr.. Lellyett,
did state in the House that had been im,
properly approached. have received nc
communication from Judge Frazier.
The court then adjourned.