Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-03-27

The gentlemen present assured him
that they would take measures to
carry out his suggestions to-day. They
are gentlemen of ability and indefat-
igable industry, and will do what they
say.
When they had gone we asked
Speaker Thomas what he thought
about the prospects of reconstruction.
Speaker YhOmQS-The majority OF
Republicans in Congress, / am very
certain, do not desire the reconstruc-
ton of Tennessee, and believe they
would be glad if the question were
settled now. But the people of Ten
nessee have to refute the charges made
against them by actual testimony that
these Congressman, Yindieating US,
NAV Vindicate themselves in voting
against it. Prominent COngressmen
have spoken to me in regard to the
saatter and prOfessed an inclination TO
vote against reconstruction, on the
gTo1nr ygS that Congress had no right to
SaconStrrc> 5soU, o State already in the
ITninn ifnGa9 7 don't believe this State viii
even lloI1. ba raco9stru, 1 ted, but at the same
time / believe it to b = the duty oI the me
people to work against l. wan s.i,o,ij an oIig
energy they possess, and A. - Gtafa1s 49,
such testimony as viii clear the 49, 20
escutcheon of the ISLANDERS sOughv ~
be placed upon it.
Reporter seems to be the lead
ers Of the reconstruction plot?
Speaker TEOmGs-StOkeS and May
nard. l think that Maynard is at the
head of it. ArnelI is rather weak in
it. Smith, OF Memphis, and Prosser
are for reconstruction as strong as their
capacity goes.
Reporter-I saw from the dispatches
that YOU and Butler had a little. alter
cation on your examination before the
Reconstruction Committee.
Speaker IhOBlGS-Butler endeavored
to make me mad, but l wouldn't get
mad, That was what he wanted.
Because he failed to rouse my temper
ne was chagrined and irritated. But
Ter behaved in very ungent!emanly
manner-sO much so, in fact, that
Judge Beck, one of the members of
the committee, got up and told Butler
that he had never seen witness
treated with as much discourtesy as
he (Butler) had used toward me; that
he Judge Beck) was not used to such
procedure; that when gentleman
came before the committee he should
be treated as a gentleman. The re-
marks of Judge Beck, who was eX-
tremely indignant at Buffers treat
ment of me, settled Butler, and he
(Butler) became more quiet. Judge
Beck remarked afterward that l held
nv temper better than any man he
ever saw. / told him that my temper
was rather high, but / had a high
mission to perform, and controlled It.
ReDorter-Whate effect did the refu-
tatiOn of the Stone river canard have
at Washington?
Speaker THOmGS-COming as it did,
from ex-Federal officers of high stand
ing, il had a most salutary effect. The
author of the Stone river story subse-
quently sent a dispatch to Washing
ton reiterating his first statement.
Rep0rter-WhO was the author OF
that canard?
Speaker THomas-A. A. Carter, oI
Nashville. / was asked if l knew
him, and whether l would believe
him on oath. i did not know him.
! have since learned that he is a lnan
OF very little character. He also for
yarded dispatch 10 Washington de-
.aouneisg the meeting held here Sat
u,ddav, as a "rebel meeting" and
that ITS proceedings were exceedingly
ReD0rker-Did YOU see Fletcher be
fore your departure from Washing
6oeoker IHOmas-I did. l had a
condensation with him. and was leo
to believe that he was rather dejeeted
about fhe reconstruction matter.
RepOrter-Is the delegation IRON
Nashville accomplishing any thing a
Washington?
S)e0ker YhOmas-General Thurs
ton. Colonel Cahill and Senator Henry
Cooper are likely TO accomplish q
GREAT deal. Senator Cooper was wei
received, and Immediately after ms
l arrival became prominent on account
of the contest which he had with An
drew Johnson.
/ FLETCHER BEFORE THE REC0NSTRUC
TION COMMITTEE.
Secretary Of State Fletcher, Of Ten
I nessee, appeared before the Recon
lstruction Committee to-day and made
an address in favor of COngressiona
intervention in that State. He dlt
not conclude, and will appear agail
on Saturday. SO far rs his statemen
was made it really tended to show
whether Mr.. Fletcher intended it o
not. that the bulk Of the alleged out
rageS committed in that State Wer
nearly a yeag old, and that OF late
affairs We're in a more peaceaDle con
dition. Perhaps the rest OF MS ad
dress viii, however, make a dlHeren
T showing. he said some OF the Unlol
soldiers who had settled in the Stat
: had become Democrats or rebels, AM
4 he expressed it, il was vel know
ts eseSa who suddenly changed thel
Vhat spa became apostates, Wer
points; E;4,o, i7 their prosecutions. IN
lllOLI 1,I-or o.' ssid :, ,Nis ia the most lnnocei
po,,ner 5n joolSing Glen, Butler squafSl
=, ;,,',i a. fice All the Committee, now
ever l saw this uninten5onai sarcssst
ON their chairman, and then Wtis va IA
n LAUGH among them. Butler S''l ~
seem to see it.
PROTEsT AGAINST RECoNsrRUCIlo
ny PENNSYLVANIA SETTLERS l.
SUMNER. -
The following protest against COi
, 0rpssiOnal interference III Ienhe'sse
sffairs has been addressed to the pre-
. ant member of Congress from the
former district, by Pennsylvania
now settled in Sumner county;
GALLAr1N, SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn,
March p, 1870.
Hon. Geo. V. Lawrence, Washington, d.
De0r Sir, As former citizens
Pennsylvania, and as friends OF pea'
: and order, we address you this lette
T We who sign this letter are now, an
I have been for three years, some OF
D residents in this (Sumner) county, an
= i'm view of the threatened acts lOr n
= constructing" Tennessee, we IeeI IL
+ dutv we owe to ourselves, to the pc
= DIe of Tennessee, and TO our friends
: Pennsylvania who think OF comlf
= bera 10 enter our most earnest prOte
? AGAINST military OF Congressional 4
s terference with the domestic analrS
7. Tennessee, where peace, law anu =
y der are supreme, ana Whefe
? rights of all men, whether SOuIhel
y or Northern, white or black, are pr
g tected by the civil law. we kne
.e this, because we have lived ne
Is among the people during the tin
q when s'disfranchisement' was in IL
: force-during the great excitement
n the canvass between Governor sent
i and his opponent (Stokes), and y
q have been here since the franchi
r. law has been virtually repealed by t!
ie s'certificates" issued TO every viii
n man who was peaceful and la
M abiding citizen.
c. The aoutrages" reported as havl
to baen committed in Tennessee dun
re he mast three years have never
IA isted except in the brain OF hlIeIl
al ,eUsnaper ,9sv correspondents and prof