Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-08-22

KeDly of the Lessees TO the Article o

and signed "CitiZen," IN winch quite ;
number of statements are made which
, are incorrect. We were not aware tina
the public had become at all nervous OF
the subject, and we had scrupulously
avoided saying or doing anything about
the matters alluded to by "Citizen" I'M
til the arbitrators had made their de-
cision; nor would we now if we felt that
the public knew who "Citizen" IS and
what is his relation to the case. The
statements made by Citizen are entirely
one sided and &c parte. Citizen pros
fesses to know all about our private
business with the State, and makes state.
ments in regard to same; and also about
the matters now under arbitration that
very few persons know. Those persons
are the arbitrators- attorneys
for the lessees and attorneys
FOR the State. We know that
"Citizen" is neither of the arbitrator,
for we have seen them and know that
they do not sanction the article. We ais
so know that 'Citizen" is not the couns
sci of the lessees; but we do not know
that "Citizen' is not the States counsel,
and as citizens generally have an object
in writing, it is presumable that this one
is not an exception to the rule; it is
therefore we write. If "Citizen" was
anxious to have the public know the pos
sition of counsel before the arbitrator,
he should have published his speech;
and if he was anxious for the public to
know the facts in the case, it would have
been we'll for him to have waited the
| decision of the arbitrator, and then he
could have published the entire record
and not have made a one-sided statement
to cultivate public opinion in the case.
"Citizen" begins by saying the lessees
owe the State SCI 1888 p fer labor of
the cenvicts, which we deny until
it is so decided by the arbitrator. 1t is
not true that sol, 3lS SO of that amount
was due January, 1868. At that date
the State was indebted to the lessees;
but when we settled with the Directors
in April 1868, and again in July, 1868,
that amount was left unsettled, as it was
in the hands of the Legislature,
whose committees had reported on two
different occasions should be abated, that
being the amount charged for convict Ia
Dor from the 22d Of June, 1867, the time
of the fire, until the LIST of January,
1868, at which time we had got ready to
do business again. Citizen" states that
we have paid some $4,000 only for Ia
Dor since 1866, when we have paid about
| $4,000.
"Citizen' says the Legislature ordered
that we be sued, but does not tell you
that we asked to have it done; nor does
he tell you that the Attorney General OF
State went before the Committee OF the
Legislature and advised them to withdraw
the suit and compromise the matter with
the lesSees; that he had examined the
case, and that the facts were all against
the State, and it was this fact that brought
about the passage Of the resolution
alluded to by Citizen to withdraw the
suit and to arbitrate, as it could be settled
so much sooner in that way. This reso-
luton, as also the bill to buy US out, was
brought about by the appointment OF
joint special committee who were ms
structed to confer with the lessees In
order to effect compromise; the bill
alluded to and resolution were the reN
suit Of that conference. "Citizen states
also that our claim for damages is S446,S
000 which is by far in excess of any
thing we ever thought Of claiming. We
do claim $4,000 for loss by fire which
does not cover anything but what
was actually burned. We lost the busi~
ness Of the entile year IN addition to
this. We also claim damages for the
general penitentiary delivery made in
| 1865. This was only few months after
we had rebuilt and replaced our ma
| chinery, which we had done at very
great outlay Of money, and for a second
time, as will be remembered. And hav-
ing spent nearly two years in teaching
trades to convicts in order to make them
useful, and then to have 400 of them
turned out at one stroke, and among
them all the best mechanics, was perhaps
no cause of complaint or damages in the
ewes of Citizen" but We will not discuss
the matter. These form the principal
items for which damages are claimed, and
we were willing for any twelve men OF
the county of Davidson to hear the proof
and say whether we were damaged, and
| if so how much But the State,
by the advice of her Attorney General,
proposed not to have the matter settled
in this way and we accepted their
proposition to leave it to arbitrators, who
have been appointed as stated by "Citi-
: zen,u and when their decision is made
we expect to abide by it.
Citizen" does not tell the public under
what circumstances we claim damages
) by the fire. The contract with the State
7 saws "The Directors or Warden shal
furnish guard for each workshop day
and night" etc. "Citizsn" does not tell
you that the proof shows that no sucf
\ thing was done, and that, on the contra'
9 ~, no guard whatever was placed in thu
shops or prison yard at night; nor doe
L he tell you that when the lessees wer
. refused a guard by the Directors AMI
: Warden and hired one themselves, tina
;, he was not allowed to go inside the yard
the Warden giving as reason that ut wa
= against the rules" Nor does he tell yo
= what character of men were employed q
= guards. The principal recommendation
6 was to have been in the army and loya
:, no matter how worthless or dissipateC
try him, and we feel safe in sayln
that no other men have ever been curse
:. with such q set as many Of them wert
- "Citizenn does not tell you that it is ais
&c true that committee was formed by ii
a. Legislature with w. j. Smith (now men
Der of Congress from Memphis) for i
m chairman, who made his investigation
10 the prison and reported that "three-thir'
m or nearly" all of the convicts thel
q in confinement ought to be pardone
ct and recommended by name nearly FOL
,et hundred, without any regard to crime
ng length of sentence. The principal reas'
re for pardon was they had been tried
re Rebel iuries aud sent wrongfully. 10
Brownlow feeling himself instructed |
B. the action of the Legislature, began
US pardoning, and set the entire four hun
IRE red at liberty, and we feel certain tn
Ike there never was such a wholesale pard
on of thieves and sinners since the dea
he of our Savior. The citizens
,ur remember it, no doubt. J
ide it is contended by "Citizen" that t
led is no infringement upon our contract,
ere which we should claim or receive da
ull age. Every blacksmith turned out, ne
ed. " all the bsgging hands, all the b
ar foundry hands and all the best in eve
md shop. By this management of matt
SIS, YOU could soon make a pauper OF
de" liberal Peabody, were he lessee.
our 1t is also true that the Legislat
Nv finally bought US out, not for the ben
ISL of the Safe but for the benefit of the
selves, as it is true that the bill had
aHo nessed its second reading when anot
no bill was introduced proposing
IT, give it to one of the members
name. but there were too many