Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1867-05-22
Card from Gen. Thomas.
NASHVILLE. NAV 18th, l.


Editor R,sozrille Whig;
In the report of Col. John Baxters speech, de-
llvored at Cleveland on the 9Th inst, which was
published in the Union ard Dispatch of the loth
find the following paragraph, viz
THE ASSETS OF TIE BANK OF TENNESSEE AND
THE SCHOOL FUND.
Soon after his installation as Governor the assets
of the Bank of Tennessee were captured ana dehV-
cred into his possession The books OF the Oank' as
/ am told, and which believe has not been contra
dicted as well as the officers who had the assets IN
charge, in stating, that among the assets OF
said bank, there six hundred thousand dol
lars in coin. But it wss handed over to commit
tee, composed OF bis military family to be counted,
who reported, and accounted to the State for only
SAG, 7l9 20. The count, we'll as the report may
have been entirely correct This $4,000 of mis-
sing coin may have been lost in some other way,
and by other persons than the committee But
there is one manifest and ndisputable fact-the
specie belonging to the bank has been lost and two
Of the gentlemen entrusted with its count who went
into the public service two years ago poor, and who
have had no visible Eaeans of making money who
have had no income except their salaries, now
reputed to be well off, The fact in relation to one
of them is well known to many of you to be true.
propose briefly, and with becoming courtesy, to
notice few untruths into which the Colonels par
tisan malignity has betrayed him. There isnot one
word of truth in the charge that the coin above re-
ferred to was handed over to a aCommittee COM
posed of his the Governor's) military family" The
Committee was composed of three persons, selected
by the Governor Secretary of State, and Comptrol-
Ter, respectively, and only one of the number had
any connection with the Governors staff, and he
was selected by the Secretary Of State The count
ing was done under the personal supervision of the
State officials represented by the Committee and
despite all the clamors of pack of rebel hounds
who have been laying on the Governors track for
the past two years. it remained for the superior dis
elimination of the Immaculate Chairman of the
rebel Central Committee to scent out the faint of
dishonesty in this transaction. Strange that, with
our published proceedings before the world for two
years, no one should have discovered this mares
nest before.
Again the Colonel says
When the amount of coin was thus asesrtained
and reported the Legislature ordered the same sold
and invested in United States seven thirty notes.
This duty was entrusted to young gentleman of
the Governors staff, who made trip to New York
for this purpose He sold the specie, and the Gov
reports that he realized in seven thirties
S0ls 2bO and so far as have been able to ascertain
this is all the information with which the public
has been favored in regard to this very important
business transaction. 1t has been frequently sug-
gested that very considerable profits have been re-
allied In the transaction, yet all explanation is with
held.
If this financial young gentleman had bat pub
llshed full report, showing the day on which he
sold, to whom, and for what price. comparison
with the New York market or that day would
either remove 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 in
formation in this regard has been unavsiling every
thing is as silent as the grave
Here he draws exclusively upon his fertile imag-
iuaon and his statement is entirely at oggerheads
with facts. 1t is not true that member of the
Governors staff sold the coin in New York but, on
the other hand the negotiations were carried on be-
tween the Governor and Messrs j. Cooke & Co.,
and the sale effected without the Intervention of
any middle man. Had these Wall street gentle
men been sFprised that we had such a Jupiter
Tonans of financer in East Tennessee, then no
doubt they would have submitted their offers for
this coin for lis approval before finally disposing
of it.
With regard to the sneakng inuendoes and cow
ardly imputatons of fraud and dishonesty on the
part of the Committee, perhaps 1 can best respond
by a little story" In September, 1868, our army
entered Knoxville amidst the acclamations of the
people. To the amazement of the rebels Mr. John
Baxter offcated the orator of the OCCASION well
coming US in a speech The General upon whose
staff was serving, occupied, headquarters, the
house of one Landon G. Haynes Senator in the
Confederate Congress, so-cslled On examining the
library of this gentleman, the amszement of the
rebels at the gushing speech of Mr.. Baxter pro- |
Al 40, hoFo FILL
found long letter from the distinguished orator
written not long before, expressing his unfaterng
devotion to the Southern cause, and elo1uently re-
senting some imputations upon his loyalty to jeff
Davis, which he appeared to think had been made |
by some wicked G) persons, and he offered as q |
browning test-the experimentum crucis-to 90 |
through the lines and buy up the Northern press |
with half million of dollars to be furnished for
that purpose by the rebel government, complaining
that the Southern heart was not being properlv |
fred by the exertions of the Richmond govern |
ment presume it will be news to Col. Baxter |
but the question was seriously mooted whether |
short residence at Camp Chase an opportunity TO
nhale the salubrious breezes of Lake Erie would |
not be conducive the health of this woud-he spv
and suborner of the press, but it finally deter
mined to wait and see whether he would stand nv /
the speech of welcome, or the eloquent letter to /
+" My Dear Haynes" see from it that nfraud9 and |
+" dishonesty are subjects upon which tho Chairman
of the Central Committee, of all men, should pre-
serve studious silence.
In reply TO the delicate insinuation that two Of
the gentlemen entrusted with the count, who wen,
into the public service two years since poor, are
now reputed to be we'll off" &c. DR.. Hawkins and
Gen. Hunt can speak for themselves. L cannot be
either of the individuals referred to, as went into
the publicservice some six years since-about the
time that this q Daniel come to judgment" was try
ing to get into the public service st Richmond I
ana not aware that have ever taken him into nv
that he is authorized to speak of nv
private affairs. One thing is susceptible of proof
not one dollar have 1 ever made as banker to the
Southern Confederacy, nor in shaving vouchers at
Shyloek rates, given by U. S. Quartermasters to
poor Union people, nor by extortionate fees in get
ting rebels out of prison, or failing TO keep Union
men from the gallows Can the immaculate Chair
man say as much
do not propose TO participate in Mr. Baxter,s
quarrel with Gov. Brownlow; she Governor is fulIv
qualified to protect himself from all such assauIts
but when he chooses to go outside and drag In mr.
sion Of the truth, have cited, to make political
capital, deem it proper to make this personal ex-
pianation Very respectfully,
H. Fl. THOMAS,
Chairman of Com. who examined assets Of Bank
Of Tennessee