Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-12-10


teeS.o
To the Editors Of The Union and American:
When received yonr paper of Sstur-
day morning last / was surprised and
abashed to find that my well-meant inter-
rogatories, which you were kind enough
to print in the UNION AND American
the day before, had not only received the
attention of the Legislature, but, also,
unaccountably to me, involved the free
dom of the press. have never before
heard of a man being called to account
by any sane person for asking civil
question-such as, the way to a certain
point, or, how do you dol The indi-
vidual who propounded this new feature,
social and legislative, am informed, is
the senior Representative from your own
county, and to you and to the Banner,
(whO seems to have a just appre-
citation of his genius,) and to his
other constituents | leave him,
The issue now Is, What do we, the
people, justly owel and how can
it be promptly paid9 To answer this
question, which involves our honor as
the Legislature should ascertain certain
facts. That honorable body seems to
have realized this necessity, when they
appointed committees of investigation.
When these committees were appointed,
the people hoped that the depths of their
situation would be fathomed, and they
would be informed by the prompt reports
of these several committees The true con-
dition of public affairs. We have waited
patiently, but no answering voice relieves
sharp expectancy with its grateful or I'M
grateful sound. Perhaps if the people
had access to the reports of the Comp
trOller and Treasurer, they could get a
glimpse of the wilderness of debt in
which they are in danger of being lost.
There is an all-pervading impression
that the four years of Radical rule in our
State have been a continued course of
plumber as well as of popular prescription
and injustice. Previous Legislatures since
the war have not commanded the confidence
nor inspired the respect of the people.
Our taxes have been increased to an ex-
tent not less Onerous than marvellous. Yet
we are having the burden of debt daily
augmenting its weight upon us, and the
change of Representatives seems not to
promise relief. For the two years ending
with the 30th of last September, the peO-
pie paid into the Treasury nearly six mil
lions of dollars. This was paid out, and
left still outstanding unpaid warrants upon
the Treasury for nearly $500, 900 more
with large balance of accruing interest
unpaid. For these two years the current
expenses of the State were two and half
millions of dollars. Yet a large proper
ton of the July interest remains unpaid !;
that for January, now upon us, is not
likely to be paid and when an investigN
ton is demanded, the appeal Of the tax
payer is treated with contempt, and the
people are virtually told it is none of their
business-they are to pay the taxes, and
ii is the prerOgativG of the General Assem-
bly, to state the amount required
That money has been openly stolen
from the public treasury under Radical
misrule, there is not the shadow of a
doubt. The school fund is a notable, but
by 40 means solitary example. The
honest people of Tennessee want to know
WHO stole it, and they want the felons
brought to just punishment.
That there has been fragrant misapprO-
priatiOns of State bonds issued in aid Of
railroads, admits of no denial. There
have been peculations and fTauds-mild
names for theft-upon the State in the re-
Ception and application of its means to
building these highways of commerce.
make no charge specific, for the reason
that I am ignorant as to who has thus
swindlcd the State But in-support of the
general charge | adducc the fact that but
one road in the State has been completed
by means of the States aid. The incOm-
plete roads receiving aid, are, so far as the
public know, in worse condition than
when the aid was voted and the bonds
issued. The questions that the people want
answered are What roads have received
aid To what extent? How many miles
have been built with the peoples money ?
How much more, at the same rate, will be
required If any of il has been misappro-
priated or embezzled, who-that is to say,
what particular persons, by name--have
perpetrated the act? Is such robbery
felony and punishable by the usual penal
ties for such crimes? If not, why2 And
is it within the range of human pOssibili-
ties that the agents of the people can pro-
tect them against perpetual robbery, night
and day. If government, sO-Called,
utterly fails of its purpOsc-if it fails to
protect its citizens Gin this country, its
subjects what is their remedy? Is rob
bery-that, in magnitude and frequency of
] =
fruitful imagination of the author Of the
Forty Thieves, and make him ashamed
of the poverty of his fiction--tO be
legalized in Tennessee, and made
perpetual Who else than the public
| Representatives are to come between
the people and the spoilers Is the
fable to be realized that it is more com
Portable to tolerate a surfeited swarm OF
flies, than to brush them away and receive
larger and a hungrier swarm? Why
the necessity of a change of Representa-
tives2 If we are not to be benefited,
why not adopt the theory that ''whatevel
is, is right, " and expire in the faith ? We
should certainly appear better in the eyes
of our children as martyrs to error, than
as hypocritical friends to truth, and as
| skulking towards in the face of its de.
mands. If we are to toll through life to fill
the purses of those ''who labor not, neither
toll nor spin, but who are clothed il
| fine linen and fare sumptuously every
| day. in Gods name, tell us so, and as
| sign us our places; and ''when you say, Go,
we will 90, aud when you say, Come, We
| will come But do not tell us that WE
are free peOple-that you are our agents
or servants-that this is a republic-tha
we live in an age of even partial enlighten
ment, when you adopt wrong by conceal
ing its Outrages and endorse Villainy by
refusing to challenge it, when it stalks, il
midday with its glittering trappings Of
| guilt, in the face of the world.
If the theft of public money is not now
a crime, it is competent for the Legisls
ture to make it one-and the people
whose money is stolen would not objec
that the penalty should be the extreme
one of death. Our case is becoming des
perate, and without prompt remedies i
will soon be hopeless. Our bonds are
hawked in the markets at less than one
half their value In all probability they
will go to quarter. Yet the people will
be required to pay dollar for that which
they only received quarter. For repu
diation, be it remembered, is though
that has not yet received form and body
and strength among the people. TC
avoid that contingency can only b.
achieved by satisfying the people tina
they are only required to pay Just debts
and for value received. But | fear tina
trespass on your space, which know t
be valuable
Far be it from me to become an in
structor to the General Assembly, or t
seek to be. My capacity is humble, anC
should decline such service, if, for NJ
other reason, for the all-suficient ont
that Legislature elected as this one was
that could not see its duty in the matter
that l have referred to, would be incap
able of instruction-and should be toler
ated only as a monumental sign to thos'