Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-06-15
Letter from Colonel Baxter ).
Editors of the Chronicle &:

JnlnRS ABOUT KNOXVILLE, nave now reach |
ed the Johnson Lawrence correspondence !
of 1861. This correspondence did not af-
feet me, but it constituted an incident in
the local history of Knoxville, and will
serve, in some small degree to show the
character of some of the men with whom |
have been contending. At the time, (about
May, 1851, and just before communication
by mail was closed between East Tennes-
see and the "loyaln States, Il letter writ
ten 10y some one and purporting to have
been written by Andrew johnson and adj
dressed to Amos Lawrence, Boston, Mass,
was mailed at Reconsideration the
present liberal editor of the Wing, being
at the time United States Postmaster. In
the name of Mr. Johnson, this letter in
formed Mr.. Lawrence that large maiori
ty of the people of East Tennessee were
opposed to rebellion that, if supplied with
arms and munitions, they could be induced
to resist by force the effort then being made
to withdraw Tennessee from the Federal
Union, and concluded with an earnest APP
peal for money with which to supply the
people with arms for self-defense.
Mr. Lawrence believed the letter gen
zine, and being q man of large wealth and
warmly opposed TO the rebellion, responded
promptly by enclosing his check payable
. the order OF Andrew johnson, for one
thousand dollars. His letter containing
his check was addressed to Andrew john
son ut Knoxville. But il did not reach
him. Il was intercepted in the Knoxville
Post Office, and, in violation of law and
the oath which POstmasters are required
by law to take, it was opened. Why this
spurious correspondence was begun, and
why Mr.. ChartOn-(the Rev. Mn Charl-
ton, the sanity editor of the Wing, who has
recently written 80 many editorials pro-
testing that he wasn't afraid,and could not
be bought up, i4voring justice and lorbear-
ance, and cUndesccndingly advising his
followers and retaincrs not to be too hard
on Union ConservatiVcs-not to require
Messis. Williams, Fleming and Crippen
to surrender ali their preconceived political
opinions as a condition precedent to their
admission into full fellowship into the re-
organized Conservative party of Knox
county knew that Lawrence's letter to
Mr.. Johnson was in answer to the spurious
one which had been previously sent to Mr..
Lawrence, am not prepared to say. But
so it was the letter was addressed to Mr..
johnson, and was intercepted in the Knox
! vile Post Office. 1t contained too, the
coveted prize-a thousand dollar check
but being payable to Mr.. Johnson's order,
| it could not be used without his endorse
ment. Thus an unforeseen and uneXpect-
| ed obstacle interviewed and thwarted the
object in which the whole plan originated
| Money they wanted and money they We're
determined to have. Their resources We're
equal To the emergency, and brilliant
thought, worthy of the brain in which it
originated, came to their relief; and acting
upon its suggestion, another letter in the
name of Mr.. Johnson was forged and
mailed to Mr.. Lawrence, saying that he
could not use the check without exposing
| himself To detection, and his plans to dis
coVery and defeat and urged upon him the
overwhelming necessity of having money,
and having it quick, in order to save East
| Tennessee and East Tennessee UniOnists Ia
the Federal cause, and requested remit
tances in Eastern currency. "a
In my Judgment, the first and prime
object OF this spurious communication,
was TO get money-to get it through a
false pretence-to steal it from Mr.. Law
renee. There was a motives and if il was
not the one stated 10y me, what was it?
In the loose morality which has made
such alarming Roadway in the past ten
years, it may be said the country was then
engaged in civil war; that the parties Ia
the foregoing nefarious scheme, were pub
lie enemies to Mr.. Lawrance, and as such,
had right to pluck him by forgery and
false j1retences if they could. | don't think
=, So There is no condition of things
which, in the estimation of honorable
men, could justify the attempt which wa
made and detailed above : 10 get money
from Mr. Lawrence. But when we con
: slider that the State of Tennessee was still
in the Union, and that Charlton was
sUOrH officer in the Federal Government
drawing his salary from the United State
Treasury, and, that as such officer, useC
his official position himself, or permitted
Others to use it, for the purpose of robbin9
( citizens. adheTing 10 the Government, o
which he was an officer, his conduct be
, came so atrocious as to shock the sense o
Justice and right of the most obtuse anC
/ degraded.
. But even this view of his action bear
= no comparison in black-hearted atrocity L
a what followed The last effort was fail
r. ure The Eastern currency which tn
second letter requested, was not forwarded
( by express Enraged at the disappoint
Y menl and nerved by diabolical purpos
L that defies description, the first lette
X which they had Intercepted from Law
renee. with the check which ii contained
: waswithout a word of explanation, sen
i forward to Governor Harris, TO be used il
d. firing the Southern hearts, and strength
ening the rebel ciLtisc Believing tina
o they had drawn from Mr.. Lawrence b.
n genuine letters from Mir Johnson, Coy
It Harris caused them to he published in TIA
o Nashville papers. The paper, containing
e the publication In due course Of mai
> came to Knoxville. This part of it NJ
II tracted general comment il stimulate
lc Southern vengeance; Col afterwards Gen.
Hindman, of Arkansas, was here with hi
Nl,..f ~ latnu