Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-01-26
RADICAL RULE In TENNESSEE
The BrOWnlOW-FIeteheP War.
Reply OF Secretary Fletcher TO
the Knoxville WhIg.
Important State Secrets Dr.
VHlged.
To The Editor of the Kuovi,ls VIII,

| take IL Tor granted that when an editor
assails the personal character of a citizen,
and prOpounds to him a number ofques-
tons demanding answers, that such edi>
tor thereby throws open his columns, in
wiling the party assailed to answer. Ac-
cepting this implied invitation, respect
fully ask the use Of your paper to reply
to your article of the 10Th inst.
| AS nothing was further from my pur-
pose in writing my letter for the Press
and Times than the provoking of a per-
sonal quarrel, l shall not be betrayed, in
this article, to the use of such bitter epi,
thets as you have so freely dealt out.
| Truth does not need such auxiIiaries.
The people of Tennessee are not delighted
with such terms as coward" liar. -
TRAITOR" wretch" treason to man>
kind,' etc, which pervade your entire
article. Nor is the dish made any more
sayOry when served up by one whose
profession should lead him to initiate
the Child of Bethlehem.
/ Shall not attempt to reply to all
your charges, nor to answer all your
questions. This would tax your courtesy
and the patience of the reader too highly.
Such as L answer must serve as samples
Of the rest. The people of this unfor-
tunate State would rather have its pub.
lie officers and editors discuss other mats
tiers than their personal quarrels. You
have so interviewer the course Of Gov
BrownlOw and myself that it is i'm
possible for me to defend myself with
out speaking great deal of him; vet,
as l do not regard him as the author of
the article to which / am replying, do
not design anything | may say as per-
sonal to him.
You represent me as saying that "th e
party is about to explode for the want of
callber." You misquOte my language.
The meaning of my language is that the
policy ofthe State government sis about
to explode for the want of caliber.'
Seeing my language was liable to be
misunderstood as it appeared in the Press
and Times, | had it corrected in the
Banner so as to read "This narrow
policy IS about to explode" etc. Much
OF your bitter sarcasm, and many of your
choice epithets hang upon this misquota-
ton.
shall meet your charge of ingrati-
| tude by simple statement OF facts,
nearly all of which are known to huns
dreds. You say was poor and an exS
lie, and in substance that Gov. Brown,
low had given me wealth and honor. As
l conscientiously believe that have done
more for the Governor than he has done
Tor me, you must excuse me If state all
the facts. 1t is hard to be poor, and still
harder to have it cast up to one in the
public prints. Yet, honest poverty is not
always disreputable. If it had been,
neither you nor |, uor the Governor,
would have stood very high during most
of our lives.
The war found me practicing lawyer,
with practice equal to any in my circuit.
l owned a comfortable dwelling in
Greeneville, good law library, good
little farm in Carter county, with some
| eight or ten thousand dollars in notes,
accounts, etc. In 1868 / escaped, on foot,
through the mountains to Kentucky, and
after many dangers and sufferings sue
ceeded in getting my family through the
lines. At Evansville | succeeded in
finding honest but laborious employment,
first as deputy in the City Clerks office,
| and next as clerk in the Provost Mar
shal's office. Part of the time | was en-
gagged on the stump for Merton and Lin
coin.
In April, 1865, was closing up such
business as "pOor exile" would have,
| (there are many who will not relish your
smear at the poor exile), when received
dispatch from r. r. Butler rendering
me the Judgeship of the circuit now re-
side in. | declined it promptly, believ-
| ing | could do better at the bar. Next |
received dispatch from Gov. Brownlow,
| requesting me to hasten to Nashville. |
replied that | would be ready to return
| to Tennessee in a week or so. To this |
received dispatch to come at once, and
two days after took a boat to Louisville,
and thence by rail 10 Nashville. The
money | travelled on was my last months
| pay as clerk in the office of Capt. Alvan
Johnson, Provost Marshal. At Nash
Vile / reported to the Governor, and he
told me that he had sent for me for the
purpose of trying to have me elected Sec
rotary of State. Immediately told him
that the salary was wholly inadequate :;
that had large family to support, had
arrived at time of life when | must
try to lay up something for old age,
and that he must excuse me. The
Governor was so much disappointed, and
requested me to consider a while of the
matter. / agreed to do so, and the next
twenty -four hours were passed in dis
cussing the subject. The Governors
language to me was | need your serVs
ices | know your capacity l am not
familiar with the laws of the State; |
am getting along in years, and, as you
see, quite infrm will make the Legis-
lature increase your salary" This Ian
guage is deeply impressed on my mem
DRY, because it was the turning point in
my case. l agreed to accept the Office,
but told the Governor privately that |
would not hold it longer than one year.
He replied By that time we will be
out of the woods, and you can go back
to your practice" became candidate,
and was supported by some members be-
cause the Governor wanted me elected,
and opposed by others for the samereason;
but both my competitors withdrew, and
| was elected. was poor, but held as
much property IN my own name as his
Excellency. When the Governor was
informed at his room of my election he
laid down, saying, Now think can
get along"
for the honor of being selected and sent
for to come from Indiana am mainly in
dsbted to my lamented friend Col. Sam.
Rodgers, then the Speaker of the Senate.
That gentleman, an experienced lawyer
himself, saw the absolute necessity of
having some one connected with the
State government with some legal ex>
perience. He had known the Governor
for many years, and then roomed with
him. He had served with me in the
State Senate in 1856, and practice
law many years with me, aud he was I'M
firing in urging the Governor to send for
me. The venerable Col. HeiskeH ais
earnestly joined Col. Rodgers in his
advice to the Governor. On the very day
l was installed took upon myself the
burdens of both offices. In the disor-
ganized condition Of the State, with mar
tial law prevailing, having to act in con-
cert with Gen. Thomas, without courts OF
! county officers, the labors and RESPONSE
bilities far exceeded any thing | had en-
countered before. / was often employed
fifteen hours out of the twenty four
The Governors health grew worse, and
month after my election he went tc
Knoxville. Before leaving, he ordered
his entire staff to report to me for orders
and gave me full power over any and ev.
! cry duty of his Office. Soon after he left