Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-11-20
GEN. THOMAS ON TENNESSEE AT.
FAIRS PARTISAN MALIGNITY.

lrprised at the character Of Gen. :,
homas' report TO Gen. Grant regarding g
fairs in the Department Of the Cum A.,
erland. While in Nashville Gen.
'homas was regarded as a mild, concilia-
Dry man, and an exception to the men
f Southern birth who took an active
art on the Federal side during the war.
There was nothing bitter n his course,
lothing like prosecuting spirit was ex-
libited, and the people of Tennessee
Who had differed with him in the late
war felicitated themselves that they had
'ound in Gen. Thomas "a Virginia gen.
lleman Of the old school," who would
carry out in good faith the terms grant
ed to the Confederates when they sur.
rendered. But it seems that beneath
the fair exterior he presented to
this people there lurked very
different spirit, for since the removal Of
his headquarters from this city he has
shown himself the willing, plant tool of |
the prosecutors Of as brave and noble a
people as ever lived. This spirit was so
iully developed when he was sent here
somehing over year ago TO see that
we should have a FAIR election for. rr1y-
nicipal officers, as to sweep away the last
yeStige Of doubt as to his disposition and
pliable character in the hands Of the
Radicals. He refused in point blank
terms to allow fair election to be held,
and when the party at, whose request he
was sent here for that purpose desired to
test the legality of the so-called election,
he permitted an armed mob, called State
guards, in defiance Of law, to Gust the
old officers and install those chosen
at the election" held under his dicta-
ton. He could not plead ignorance as
justification for permitting this outrage,
for some Of the ableSt lawyers in Tenn
essee explained to him the law govern
ing the case so plainly that he could not
err except wilfully. He knew the
claimants had their remedy in the civil
law, if they could establish their claim
as just. 1t was under such circumstan-
ces that he permitted an armed mob to
invade the Mayors office and eject that
officer at the point Of the bayonet Here
was a most notable example Of respect
for the civil law which Gen. Thomas set
the people of Tennessee.
. Now let US see what Gen. Thomas
says Of the condition Of affairs in Tenn
cssee. We have not seen his
report to Gen. Grant regarding az
fairs in the Department Of the
Cumberland, and have to rely upon the
synopsis furnished the Cincinnati Ga
-ette by its Washington correspondent.
1t is there stated as from Gen. Thomas,
that 'the state Of society, regarding no
observance Of law, and the insecurity Of
life, has not at all improved, and in some
sections is worse - and that very great
difficulty exists throughout the depart
ment in obtaining justice for UnionIsts,
even in the United States Courts"
Unsupported assertion is very common
method Of stating a case against a people
with men like Gen. Thomas, who can
recognise nothing good or noble in those
with whom they differ politically. Let
us appeal to facts, so far as Tennessee Is
concerned. The entire Judiciary IS IL
the hands Of the Radicals, are IS per-
haps nineteen-twenticths of the civil
officers Of the State, and the law!
are so framed that Rebels can be rigid
" excluded from juries. This statement
shows how much ground there is 70
Gen. Thomas complaint touching tn
difficulty in obtaining justice for Union
lists. But we need not stop here. lie
any man who is curious as to the condi
ton Of affairs in Tennessee search tn
records Of cur courts and they will shO7
how exceedingly slender a basis Ger
Thomas has for this imputation upon tn
honor Of TenncSseeans whom he charac
terises as rcbellious. The whole ma
chinery Of the State is in the hands {
Brownlow and his party, and laws hav
been enacted expressly to enable then
to catch ard punish every Rebel VIII
may be guilty Of any oifense, whatever
and it may be safely assumed tina
officers selected either by Gov. Brown
low or his partisans, will lackno stimuli
toarrest and punish any man Of the oppo
site political faith who may violate any {
the laws Of the State. With all this powc
in the hands orthc Governor and his pag
tisans Gen. Thomas states distinct
that the state of society, regarding n
observance OF law, has not at all i'm
proved" Although not so intended, ca
this be regarded many other light than
severe reflection on the Brownlow admin
istration If any criminals have gon
unwhipt Of justice, and if any difficult
exists in this State in obtaining justic
for Unionists" the blame is chargeable
Brownlow and his partisans, and no bed
else, and no one knows this to be so be
ter than Gen. George II. Thomas. TIL
hold the roins Of power in every depar
partmcnt OF the government, down eve
to the county and municipal officers, an
yet Gen. Thomas has not the candor
state this fact. Gen. Thomas is said to !
quite severe on those Northern men
Nashville who made a statement in co,
tradictionofthowildly exaggerated rePor
touching the safety Of Northern men At
Unionists in this State. Of course he
since their statement is a direct contE
diction Of his They have become cis
zens Of State and are jealous Of the goo
name and character Of their neighbo
who have been maligned by Gen Thorn
for meanly partisan purposes. or cour
he would be quite severe" on men wi
have the nerve TO stand up for the Iigi
If he did not he would not illustrate t
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