Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-02-14
RROWNLOwA AND THE LOSS OF Tar .
SCHOOL FUND.-


In his message of Dec. 10, 1868,
to the Legislature, Gov. Brownlow
says: T
{" Last week, for the first time in
my life; learned that the Treasur-
er of tho State had loaned this
SCHOOL fund to one of the Mem
phis banks, without consultation
with any of the State officials at the
capital, and even without their
knowledge"
Z. S. Parham, who was the lobby |
agent of Rutter, wrote a letter to
the latter on the 9Th of November,
1866, in which he says:
had specially a long conversation
with Arnell last night, who told me that
you were yesterday, at the Governors
room, the subject of conversation between
Stanford, the Governor and himself 1
am sure that Arnell is your friend. lie
says that you are all right with the State
authorities, and connot be touched by
anybody; that it is especially understood
that YOU are to be in every way protected,
| assited and benefited; that you are
| known to be efficient, liberal, consistent,
| and true; and that if you want anything
| done up here, you have only TO say SO;
! that YOU have done well, and are reliable;
and that you will certainly be promptly
| notified ofthe least Indication ofan attack
| to be made upon you.
Furthermore, several Of your friends
saw that the State must next year, (prob-
ably next summer have large negOtia-
tions, aud must have man OF credit and
skill to assist her, and they say when the
subject was discussed among the Gov
ernor, Comptroller, Treasurer, and others,
you were, by common consent, indicated
as the man. This l got from Arnel. l
ted him YOU ought to be put forward,
| and we'll paid and that you were fore
I most in assisting the Union causel and
| Union men, and in liberality, means and
| enterprise, and could always be counted
| upon. lie said that he knew this, and
that they wanted to reward you, and put
| it in your power to make money largely
| and told me to tell you that, on account
4 of what you had done, and for the sake
| of the party, it was determined here that
| your interest should be carefully
guarded.
/ These extracts indicate that the
| Governor had knowledge Of this
"school fund matter fully a month
before he sent his message to the
| Legislature calling the attention Of
| that body to this affair Parham
states that Arnell told him that
| Stanford, the Governor and him
self" had had conversation about
Rutter, and that the latter was call
| right with the State authorizes
| and could not be touched by any
body" 1t was just about the time
this conversation took place sat
the Governors room,' that it be-
| gan to be whispered about that all
was not right with the Tennessee
National Bank of Memphis, anE
, that the school fund" was in dan
f | ger of being lost. What else coul(
this convention have been about
What necessity was there then that
Rutter should be protected" /
. | that necessity did not grow out o
! the school fund" transaction
e | Can any man imagine any
y thing else which could cal
: | forth the expression that he was t.
: | be protected? Against what was h
q | to be protected? He was TO be ''no
. | tilted of the least indication Of al
a attack to bemade upon him" WI.
fl was he in danger Of being attacked
: Was it because the " school fund
e | was about TO come up missing
This must have been the topic G
p | conversation between Stanford, tn
q | Governor, and Arnell. What els
| could it have been At this con
! ference it was agreed that Rate
= should be protected, assisted ant
t | benefited" for the sake of th
| party" Yet month later the Gov
t | ernor processes to have just mad
e the discovery that the Treasure
e had loaned the " school fund t
Rutter without consultation wit
Y | any of the State officials. Here j
- an ugly piece of history that doe
S | not dovetail together well.