Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-05-27
FINANCES OF TENNESSEE.

To the Editors of the Union and Dispatch.
In the Press and Times of the 18th,
there is a communication from MessFs.
A. J. Fletcher and S. w. Blackburn, and
another communication in the same paper
of the Goth, proceeding from the same
source, to which / wish to make a very
brief reply. CESS
The attempt to break, down a financial
policy by showing that it can be corruptly
executed, and by insinuating that it may
be, certainly cannot succeed with a Just and
impartial public. | have endeavored to
present my views to the public in as clear
a manner as possible, and all will bear me
witness that have SO without any appeal
to prejudice, and without any reflection
upon the motives of others.
Whenever the authors of the personal
attack on me can satisfy the public mind
that their course has been dictated by purer
motives, or by a more disinterested regard
for the interests of the State, than mine
have been | shall think it my duty to the
public TO reply to their insinuations, but
not until then.
/ have had certain views with regard to
the proper financial policy of our State.
These views have been communicated to a
large number of the purest and best men,
and the ablest financial men, of this and
other States. In this State they have been
fully presented to such men as Messrs. j.
Kirkman, JOS w. Allen, d. Weaver, N.
Hobson, +. H. East, Judge III, III. Har-
risOn, and several others, and they have
had the cordial endorsement of every one
10 whom they have been presented.
] tried to have them adopted by our Fl
nancial Board.
My views with regard to borrowing
money to pay our July interest by sale Of
| gold bonds, although as much opposed at
first by the minority of our board as any
other part of my views, were finally
adopted by them.
Finding in our meeting of the 18th that
my views with regard to purchasing State
bonds would, very much to my surprise, be
strenuously resisted, and resisted perhaps
by revolution, any action, | yielded them
for the sake of harmony, and introduced a
resolution prohibiting the purchase Of
| State bonds without the consent of four
members of the board. As the board has
| only FIVE members, under this resolution,
either Mr.. Blackburn, or Mr. Fletcher
| could prevent the purchase of any bonds
By staying in the board the purchase OIL
bonds was impossible by going out of the
board, they have rendered it possible. Is
this the proper way to guard the State
against what they considered as a great
wrong to III They say that the resolution
was put to the vote by the President, and
not passed. 1t was voted for by Mr.
Henry and myself, and no one voted
against il aud if it was not passed the
fault was with Mr.. Fletcher and Mr.. Black
burn. The majority regard the resolution
as passed, and rs now binding upon the
| board. .#sf lt.HlAA Lii Fl 4
would respectfully ask the public if q
msioriiy could, with any self-respect, 60
farther than We did to conciliate the mi
nority, and promote harmony Of action.
But whsiher the resolution referred to is q
resolution Of the board or not, the purchase
of the bonds is already efiectually defeated
by the action Of the minority. ff +
And now let the public watch and see
how much aid they will give by their
| writings and their actions towards paying
| the July interest. l s. WATSON. 4