Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-02-04

of the Governors most extended an
elaborate messages, and papers, thu
making the Governor comparatively les
dependent upon Mr.. Fletcher's aid. This
probably, was offensive to Mr.. F., who
doubtless for purposes of his own, inten
ded to quarrel of the Governors aids
cue BY one, aad so render himself nee
eSsary to the Governor.
Then, moreover, Col. Thomas was !
military gentleman, and Mr.. FLETCHER
said to the Governor on one occasion thai
he was tired Of these shoulder-strapped
gentlemen. Again, Col. Thomas was .
carpet-bagger. Thedeep hostility to thai
class, which has since been so open and
relentless, was doubtless then ranking
notwithstanding Mr.. Fletcher, himself, a
an Indiana carpet Dagger, was kindly
treated there, and furnished with EN-,
ployment and The means of providing foI
himself and family. This allusion to Mr.
FPS dependence is not made now, nor dc
We suppose it was so made before, as a
disparagement to him. Honest poverty
is no disgrace to any man. In this case
it was one Of the accidents Of war. The
allusion is made here--as doubtless it
was before-Simply to show the charac-
teristic ingratitude Of Mr.. Fletcher. FL
nally, by qIarelng, successfully, with
three Of the Governors Secretaries, then
with carpet -baggers, then with the Gov
ernor, then with negro franchise, then
against rebel Acknowledgement, and so
with the Union Republican party OF
Tennessee, thus disowping his own bant-
ling-for it is said the paternity Of the
present franchise law is his-Mr. Fletcher
has placed himself by his own acts, out
| side the party he has heretofore acted
with, and in accord and sympathy with
| the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. "ex- Rebel"
party.
Truthfully, the Secretary says he has,
ever since turning over the blanks to
Col. Thomas) declined to perform exe>
cutive Duties" For good reason. He
has never had the opportunity. The
Governor has never aked him.
THE APPOINTMENT OF HICKEY.
AS to the Hickey case, the Rebel
brother-in law of Mr.. Fletcher, the Secre-
tary OF State has not given the facts as
they existed, in stating that the Cover
nor promised him the commission and
then revoked it after Mr.. Fletcher had
issued it. -
If Mr.. Fletcher is the lawyer he claims
to be, he knows that it is settled
principle of municipal law as well
as of logic, that the suppression
of truth Is equivalent to the utterance of
falsehood. The facts are these 1t was
well understood by Mr.. Fletcher that
the Governors established rule or prin-
ciple was to make no appointment to
office, except as applicants were backed
by recommends ions from the Senator o
Representative of their respective dis
triets. Mr.. Hickey applied to the Gov,
eTnOr to commission him as Attorney
General. He and his friends bored the
Governor with this. They were told
that If the necessary recommendations
could be had, he should be commission
ed. Instead Of recommending Mr..
Hickey, the Senator and Representative
protested against it. This Mr. Fletcher
knew. Hence he took advantage Of the
Governors absence at the North to CONS
mission Mr.. Hickey, not only without
the authority of Governor, but against
his wishes.
The charge that the Governor fingered
long at the North for fear OF the cholera at
Nashville" will be news to the people of
Cincinnati, some OF whom know that he
lay there sick, under the professional care
of DR.. Comeggys, an eminent and repu"
table physician. 1t will be news, also,
to the people Of East Tennessee, who will
| recOllect the Governors course in Knox
vile, when the cholera first visited this
city, and when he staid here all through,
nursing the SICK and buryiRg the dead.
Mr. Fletcher's statement that the Gov
ernor, on returning, approved OF his COM
missiOniDg Mr.. Hickey, the rebel bush
whacker, is utterly false, from beginning
to end. The Governor never spoke to
him on that subject after returning. 1t
was morally impossible that he could
have approved it, when all the accounts
that reached him from that district were
that Hickey was abusing and displeasing
the Radicals, and was showing himself an
uncured, unmitigated rebel.
ABOUT THAT MYSTERIOUS LETTER.
Mr.. Fletcher lodges the question Of
his letter to a Congressman, doubling
Grants fitness for the Presidency, and
proposing to get up an anti-carpet- bag
party. He neither affirms nor denies
| but squiyocates. 1t is charged by Radis
calls in Nashville, that Mr.. Fletcher
wrote letter to Gen. Stokes, proposing
to rally in favor of native TenHesseans
for Office, and also doubling Grants fit
ness for Office This was long before the
election. If Mr. Fletcher denies this, it
will be seen whether the charge can be
sustained by the evidence. Now, let
Mr.. Fletcher deny, ii he dare!
THE CLEVELAND SPEECH.
Mr.. Fletcher, in manner, denies hav>
ing said at public gathering in Bradley
county, that he thought more Of his sOws
and pigs than Of Grants election. He
begS out of this by the pitiful plea that
his mind had been much occupied OF late
| with private affairs. Witnesses heard
him make his statements. Does he de-
sire to see the proof?
THE CONVERSATION WITH Mr., B1NELL
As to his conversation with Mr.. Bowel,
Mr.. F. equivocates. He attempts to cast
slur upon Mr.. Bowel by ridiculing him,
and admits he may have said something
to him. Mr.. Bowel is a gentleman Of
| unquestiOnable veracity and ability. He
was gallant Federal soldier. He is
| gentleman of education and character, and
he edits ably, the Jonesboro Flag. To
him Mr.. Fletcher said: 1--WE will soon
| have a white mans government in Ten
nessee | intend to canvass the State
from johnson to Shelby in defense of it's
own platform it will be successful the
real people will not much longer tolerate
the present rule; Northern bummers,
carpetsbag men and negroes can not run
this State" etc.
FLETCHER AND FRANCHISE.
Those who heard Mr.. Fletcher's speech
at the public meeting in Nashville, in
November, will see how utterly contrary
to that speech are the Secretary's letter
and these other expressions Of his. Be-
fore his recent reelection, Mr.. Fletcher
went to Mr.. Taylor, of Carter county, and
stated that he had been opposed to the
franchise law, but that now he was salts
fed it was right and should not be re-
pealed.
THE ALLEGED MISQUOTATION.
Mr. Fletcher says he was misquoted in
the editorial OF the 10Th of January, in
saying that "ths party is about to exs
plode for want of calibre." Here is the
exact language he used:
Thousands Of them would Join our
party to-day, but we see they cannot get
70 ma uikhnnk neriurv in taJin0 ON irTn