Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-05-19

Legislature. L had no conversation Win
these refractory members, nor did | hear
their conversation with others. They
were just going about and consulting some
times together and sometimes with
others. There were good many out
siders in the lobby and sometimes
in the gallery. / do not know what was
the political status of these parties. was
in the House at the time of the release of
Martin, but when Williams was taken out
was in the city. When the hdbeaS corpus
case was going On. i was in the court
little while. II was while Judge Harrison
was making his speech. did not know
many people in Nashville. / could discover
that the people were opposed to the action
of the Legislature. The feeling was very
strong. | did not receive any communica-
tion from Williams about that time, but
some of the refractory members did. l
have handed them letters with the Wash
ington post~mark on. They were in Mr.
Cooper's hand writing. Mr.. Cooper was
then occupying the position of Private
Secretary to the President If there were
any telegraphic dispatches | did not know
of it. do not know whether there were
any caucuses being held in which the re-
fractory members were participants.
To Senator Spence: One or two letters
were addressed to Mr.. Dunnaway, and the
others I do not recollect. Mr.. DunnaWay
was one of the refractory members.
To Judge Patterson The refractory
members did not remain in their places
during the day; they did not stay in their
seats like other members. They we're in
the habit Of leaving their seats IL there
seemed to be a probability of a quorum
There was great difficulty in finding them
| used to be hunting for them but | never
could catch up with them. They contin--
ually changed their place of boarding.
These changes were made within seven or
eight days. Their object, L have no doubt,
was to defeat a quorum.
Cross-examined by Mr.. Ewing. Mr.
Dunnaway was a resident of Bedford coun.
ty, so was Mr.. Cooper do not recollect
whether Mr.. Dunnaway was in the city
after the 9th of July. He stayed, | know,
but very short time a day or two perhaps.
know the letter was addressed to Mr..
Dunnaway. | do not know on what day
Mr.. Dunnaway offered his resignation. |
cannot say whether Mr. Dunnaway actual
ly got the letter.
TESTIMONY OF SECRETARY FLETCHER.
Mr.. A., ]. Fletcher, Secretary of State,
was sworn and examined by Judge Patter-
son.
/ am Secretary of State. occupied that
Office in July, 1866. My actuA observa-
tion was not so full as that of the members
of the House of Representatives. The
difficulties that occurred were fully antici-
pated before the day of assembling There
was a constant difficulty in getting quo
rum; sometimes there would be very near
a quorum, lacking only members absent,
but in the city. Some members, when
present, refused to answer to their names
when called This continued till the
morning Of the 18th of July; at that time,
very Unexpectedly to all, two members
who had been absent in consequence of ill
health, came into my Office Capt. Heydt
had then two members in custody. He
came to me with some excitement and said
/ that with these two members he would
have quorum. | was not often in the
/ hall of the House. A few members would
frequently pick up their hats and cloaks
| and leave in the February session and also
| during the extra session of July. l cannot
4 separate these acts in my own mind; what
/ | saw in the one session / cannot always
/ separate from what saw in the other. ]
! saw men in the House of Representative
holding conversation with refractory mem
bers. Ny office is the resort of so many
! persons and am always courteous TO all,
80 that it gives me 4 good opportunity Of
learning the state of public feeling The
stale of feeling in July 1866. | should not
characterize as excitement There was a
] -
quorum, and in the other party and intense
anxiety to prevent it. The party opposed
to be ratification of the amendment
was not friendly to the present State
/ government. My intercourse with citizens
Of Nashville is not extensive, but | am
persuaded that large majority of the
people were not favorable TO the State
government and its officers. The tone of
the public papers was far more defiant
through the summer of 1866, than it ever
had been before or since. A change for
the better was observable after the elections
of November, 1866. have no knowledge
of the matters connected with the issuance
of the writ of habeus corpus.
This witness was not s-examined by
the counsel for the defense.
TESTIMONY OF CHAs. E. DIGGoNs.
Charles f. Diggons was sworn and ex-
amined by Judge Patterson:
am Clerk of the Criminal Court OF
Davidson county. The papers handed to
me were filed in my Office in July, sc,
either by Judge Frazier or his counsel
Judge Frazier did not require me to make
any record of these papers.
! Cross-examined by Judge Gaut
| knew Judge Frazier for the first
time just before the August term
of the Criminal Court in 1865. / was clerk
of the Criminal Court in 1865. Judge Fra.
zier had the reputation of being a Union
man. 1t is a matter of frequent occurrence
in his criminal trials Of interest, for large
numbers of persons to crowd around anC
inside the bar, so much so that on sucI
occasions | have scarcely been able to ge
witnesses up to be sworn | heard at tn,
trial of hdbeds corpus only a part of Judg,
lIarrison's and of Mr.. Trimble's speech.
was present at TIE trial of Byron, and alsC
at the one for a rape case. There wert
more persons present on the rape case thar
on that for the trial of the hdbeas corpus
never heard Judge Frazier talk politics
His residence was on what is known as tn,
Chicken road, five or six miles from Nash
Vile. never had any conversation Will
him about those parties that tried to pre-
vent the making up of quorum. / saw
nothing in his manner when the In be-
corpus case was tried, different from shi
ordinary manner.
To Judge Patterson: / do not nov
whether Judge Frazier was disposed t.
sympathize with the majority or the minor
ity of the legislature | do not knoV
whether in July, 1866, he was regarded
either as a Radical or a Conservative |
is customary for persons to collect in YER
large crowds within the bar on the occasion
Of very exciting trials.
The court then adjourned.
+ ------s---
The DIFFERENCE-One of the shrewd
est of our old oolored citizens, who know
on which side his bread is buttered, an
has hearty contempt for the little pre-
tenders and the ragamuffins that seek Z
control him, observed the other day 9Th
difference between a Conservative gentle
, man and Radical sneak is this, the Con
! servative meets me and says good morn
ing and asks me how I'm getting on, au
finally gives me a dollar for old aequair
tance sake, and promises me dollar if II
/ call around the Radical meets mo smile