Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1868-07-03

which speaks for itself, to w.t.
HDQ'Hs DEBT. CUMBERLAND,
NASHVILLE, September y, 1867.
I have the honor 10 invite your attention
to the following extract nom your CORES
pondence. ~ veportcd in the inoTning pa
pcrsS "And General George III. Thomas
having notified me OFFICIALLY, in writing,
that he would use the military power or the
United STATES In sustaining the Governor OF
the state ~ forcibly preventing penccablO
election" &c. -
Referring to my communication, you viii
find that lid not so inform you. / did say
that al proper Interpretation of General
t7raut's telcgraphc orders Is to sustain the
state Authorities in the execution of their
orders" ..n
will further say that. the troops under
my command will not be used to prevent
n peaceable election. ON the contrary, they
Will'be used to preserve peace. And, with
that view, the troops are here to preserve
order, peace, and quiet ut the polls.
Your obcdlcnt servant, o. "
Major General Commanding.
Hon. w. MATT. BRowN, Mayor of Nashville.
MAYORS OFFICE. TWELVE O'CLOCK,
NASHVILLE, september -, 1867.
STA: At the hour of ten O'Clock a. NJ. of
this day received your communication of
this morning. In which you quote these
words from iny communication to the pub
lie in to-day's paper: And General G.. III.
Themes having notified me ofhcially In
writing thut he would use the military
I
The Governor of the state in forcibly pre-.
venting penceable election" &c, and add
referring to my communication you will
find that did not 80 inform YOU"
With Difference, cannot concede the cor
rectneSs OF this last assertion. The Cover
nor OF the state had issued a proclamation,
in which he had distinctly announced that
lie would use the militia placed under his
control by the last legislature TO execute the
franchise law In the pending municipal
election, and to prevent the holding of the
all int hN "a a
board of Aldermen.
subsequently, by an order directed to
General Joseph A. Cooper commanding
the state Guards, the Governor directs him
tn bring Immediately to Nashville all the
troops Infantry and cavalry, "you can conf
mand,' to ''enforce the franchise laws."-
Immediately upon receipt OF TINS order
General Cooper by published proclamation,
warns all parties to desist from any at
tempt to hold any siestion In violation Of
official capacity, In order to prevent civil
strife between the eitizens of tho State and
the militia, applied to the President OF tho
United States, distinctly stating that 1T was
not the wish Of the authorities of the city
of Nashville to prevent the Judges appoint-
ed by the com missioner of registration from
holding an election under The charter as
heretofore; all questions arising TO be sub
United to the legal decision of the courts.
You. General, were thereupon sent here
with Instructions such rs we all Thought
would enable us pcaccably 10 exercise our
rights .Al s.
Afterwam upon some private kilograms
from yourself To General Grant, with the
contents OF which we were not made ac-
quainted, another dispatch was received
from General Grant which w,,s not quite SO
clear in its terms, ThercupOn | addressed
you Il communication, ms mayor, copying
this last telegram, suggesting the difficulty
of constituting 1t, ana asking youto Inform
me explicitly whether you deem 1t your
duty under the ordcrrCccivcd by yOu to up
hold General Cooper and his militia in their
Threatened attempt To prevent the peaceful
holding of the election heretofore ordered
by the corporate authorities of Nashville"
Your answer was In these words: "ln reply
IL your inquiry. whether you % deem 1t
YOUR any, duty under the order you (h have
received to uphold General Cooper and his
militia in the threatened attempt to pre-
vent the peaceful holding of the election
heretofore ordered by the corporate author
titles of Nashville. have to say that the
proper Interpretation of General Grants
Geographic order Is to 81 stain the state au.
thOritiGs In the execution of their orders"
Now, these order were not merely to hold
an election under the franchise law, but to
prevent any other election; and the object
of our communications expressed In the
cIearcSt aud most unmistakable terms, was
10 know whether You upheld hem in their
threatened attempt to prevent the peaceful
holding OF the election ordered by the cor
that your orders are ito sustain the State
authorities in the execution of their or
dGls. We submit to your better Judgment
whether your words admit of any other in
depreciation than the one put upon them
and If we cannot rely upon Your better
iudumcnt we submit the same To the cam
did Judgment OF the public. Instead of UNI
dartaking to keep the peace, we understood
YOU as deciding that yuurorlcrS LEFT you nc
discretion,
We cannot think, General, that You have
rcsortcd To the Language used for Tho
purpose OF misleading. We must suppose
Thai You meant what your words plainly
import. But. General, II Is not yet too la {,
10 fcctify the error II it he one. You may
still permit rs 10 hold our election to-day
lateis II Il, or permit us To hold the election
itt n future day.
The code of Tennessee provides, section
thirteen hundred and SeNcnty-cightt thn
forfeited or discontinued by n failure tO hOlI
the election AT the proper time, but tn,
same may be held nj any time thereafter
by giving i've days notice in the mode pre-
scribCd. II you, General, desire to see cQuu
justice done, you have nothing Ia do bu
u notify US that You will see that we ar
permitted To hold such Un election, withou
interference from tAo state militia, ana w
viii ut once take steps tor holding n. w
ask you distinctly whether YOU Will protcc
MS In the cNcrcisoof thiSrivht. Tito election
tso-c1lled which is now hring held Is clear
ly tllcg0l Uud void IN the Judgment of tn
corporate authorities ANA the best lawyer
In Nashville
We donot intend to rccoInizoits validity
All we ask ~ YOU, "a We have miSintcr
prCtcd your meaning II that you now per
nut Us To- hold nm election according 10 law
We think we have the right To ask TO hi
request u prompt and unyquiyoCnl answer
With great pert, your upCitput servant
W, MATE BROWN, Mayor
Mai Gen, GO, II. THOMAS, Commanding
U'pG'Es DEPARTMENT CUMBERLAND,
NASHVILLE, september p, 1861.
StR; In reply 10 your communication ,
] have to state that | dld not inform NO
officially In writing ~ Stiiudhy you in YOU
rou muuicat ion io the public, published 4
the papers THIS morning, that / would rs
lhc military power at the United state
in sustaining the Governor Of the state 4
forclhly preventing a prnevuble olc"tior
svV.; hut dil state In that communicates
that the prOper Interpretation Of Grucri
Grants tcle gmphc orders Is TO sustain tn
state authorities IN the execution of thv'
Ur,lrrs,
Your ohnlient servant,
800. GEORGE II, THOMAS, Y. :. A.,
Major General Cummndinl
Hon, W, MATT liHuwN, Mayor, Nc,
II l. only necessary Ia add that TN
military of the United States haclie
Brownlow's militia, and with bayt
liets, In violation of all law, forced II
election under the registration law
preventive the running of n ticket q
The people even, aud by Che bayou'
forced Il now mayor on the people q
Nashville who had hardly lived thcI
long enough to'he counted "A citi2cl
and by the military militia of Cove
nor lBrOMnlow took fOrcihlc posscsSiO
of the office, ciccting the mayor, ;
will bc seen, 10y order of Brigadi,
Gcucral y. \. Cooper, October >, lsd
herewith appended,
Mr.. Speaker, might very saiCl
rr ycasc here, having Cstahlishc'
IN my judgement, every proposition
made. prefer however 10 hrin
my proof down Ia April ~, lAiS, bt
"a few weeks AFRO. The next witness,
introduce, aud Tor convenience
group thciu, are the civht members