Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-09-28
OUR CITY TROUBLES.

the Mayor.
As we stated yesterday, Gen Thomas
had interviews on Thursday with the
authorities representing the State and
those of the city, at which no conclusion
was announced by Gen. Thomas He
then proposed TO Mayor Brown a joint
interview between the State and city
officials, at place to be designated by
him at P. NJ yesterday, This was cheer
fully agreed to by the Mayor But it
seems now that instead Of holding the
matter under adyisement until the inter-
view agreed upon, Gen Thomas had
already determined upon the course he
would pursue, and spent the afternoon of
Thursday in laying before Gen. Grant
his views of the matter, and seeking from
him authority to carry them out Instead,
therefore, of meeting with the city and
State officials yesterday afternoon, as was
definitely agreed upon, Gen. Thomas
made his appearance early yesterday
morning at the Mayors Office, and pre-
scented to Mayor Brown the following tele
gram which he had received the night
before, from Gen. Grant
WASHINGTON, Sept. 26, l867.-1o MAJ.
| Gen. Geo II. Thomas II will send you
further instructions tomorrow. Nothing
il clearer, however, than that the military
no 10 Of 10 of hn "
ecutiye of State in enforcing the laws of
the State You will not prevent the legal
State force from the execution of its orders.
(Signed) U. S. GRANT, General.
Whereupon the Mayor made the follow
ing reply:
MAYORS OFFICE, NASHVILLE, Sept. q,
l867-Maj0r Gen. Geo. II, Thomas, Com
manding-Sir have had the honor, this
moment, of receiving at your own hands,
in my Office, the following telegram from
Washington city.
Here follows a copy of the above tele-
gram from Gen. Grant TO Gen. Thomas.
do not know precisely what construc-
ton to place upon the above telegram.
j am certainly not conscious of ever
having contemplated a resistance to the
laws of the State of Tennessee, nor have |
desired to defeat the Executive Of the State
or his efforts to enforce the LdUs thereof
have only designed, if not prevented
by armed violence, to hold strictly legal
election in a perfectly peaceful manner
and in full accordance with the provisions
of the charter of this city.
You are directed by the telegram re-
ceived mot to prevent the legal State force |
tIo &c. 81 II,
be pleased if you will inform me explicitly |
whether You deem it your duty, under the |
order received by you, to uphold General |
Cooper and his militia in their threatened |
attempt to prevent the peaceful holding of |
the election heretofore ordered by the cor
porate authorities of Nashville. If 80, | |
have no choice left me but to yield to the |
authority of the government of the United |
States, with respectful but emphatic pro-
test, however, against the signal and de-
plorable mistake which must consider to
have been made in this case and with the /
expression of that profound regret which l /
cannot but feel on this grave occasion, in
view of the deplorable and ruinous conse-
quences now plainly in store for this de-
voted city, whose chartered interests | have |
so long endeavored to protect.
/ have the honor to ask an early response
to the above communication.
w. MATT Brown,
Mayor of Nashville.
After a short delay, General Thomas
made the following reply:
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT CUMBER-
LAND, NASHVILLE, q, Sept 1867-Hon. w.
Matt BrO0n, Mayor Of Nashville: In reply
to your inquiry, whether You Cd deem it
your (my) duty, under the orders you o. |
have received, TO uphold Gen. Cooper and
his militia in the threatened attempt to
prevent the peaceful holding of the cleo
ton heretofore ordered by the corporate
authorities of Nashville" / have to say
that the proper Interpretation of Gen.
Grants Geographic order is to sustain the
State authorities in the execution of their
orders. Ii is not left to me to decide the
question of the legality or ilIegality of the
election ordered by you.
Very respectfully, your obedient ser
want, Gro. II. THOMAS,
Maj. Gen. U. s. A, Com'dg.
Upon the receipt of Gen Thomas re-
ply avowing HIS purpose to see the elec~
ton held under the franchise law, the
Mayor telegraphed the same to the
President with a remonstrance against
it To this no answer was received up
to late hour last night
In the meantime Gen. Thomas issued
the following orders
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT CUNfBER.
LAND, NASHVILLE, Tenn, Sept. q, 1867.
BIT. Brig. Gen. Thomas Duncan, Com
handing District Nashville: Maj Gen.
Thomas directs me to say that you will
send out one of the cavalry companies now
under your command to report TO Bvt. |
Maj. Gen. s. w. Crawford, Lieutenant
Colonel I'd infantry, at o'clock on the !
morning of September 28th.
With the remaining troops under your |
you will be expected to protect
the polls at all precincts north of Church
street. You will cause a guard to be
placed near each precinct by O'Clock in {
the morning, with orders to preserve the
peace and sustain the Judges appointed in
accordance with the franchise law, and
under the proclamation of His Exeehlency '
Gov. W. G. Brownlow, under date of Sep ,
TENDER Is, 1867.
Very respectfully, your ob't sv't,
r. w. JOHNSON,
Bvt. Maj. Gen. u. 5. A, A. A. A. q.
Headquarters DEPARTMENT CONFER.
LAND, NASHVILLE, Sept. q, lS67.-Bu.
MAJOR Gen. s. w. Crawford, It. Col. 2nd
Gen. Thomas directs me to
say that Bvt. Brig. Gen. Duncan has been
TO direct a company of cavalry
to report to you in the morning, at 6 o'clock,
and with the troops under your command
you will be expected TO protect the polls at
all precincts north of Church street. You
viii cause a guard to be placed near each
precinct by o'clock in the morning, with
orders 10 preserve the peace and sustain the
Judges appointed in accordance with the .
franchise law, and under the proclamation
Of his Excellency Gov. w. q. Brownlow,
under date Of Sept. Is, 1867.
Respectfully, your obt serv't,
K. w. JOHNSON,
Byt. Maj. Gen. U. S. A, A. A. A. G.
After the issuance Of these orders,
Mayor Brown declined further canvass
for reelection in tho G,llovr;,-