Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-03-27
Speaker Thomas of the Senate and
& Speaker Perkins of the House
' sRierViswed---The Result.
FIstcher Before the Reconstruction
commitiss---PennsyIvania Set
Tiers Protest Against Re-
construction.
The Memphis Correspondent of the
New York Tribune Truthfully
Reports the Situation aud
Opposes Reconstruction
The New York World Fsars RECON-
struetiOl is a FOregOne
Conclusion.
Speakers Thomas and Perkins Sug-
uest that the People be up and
Stirring in Opposition TO
kec0BStrHcti0Hs
SPEAKERS THOMAS AND PERKINS IN
TERVIFWED.

TERNIEWED.
From the Nashville Banner of Friday.l !
The Bonner Reporter met Speaker
Perkins in the corridor of the Max |
well House a few minutes after his |
arrival in Nashville, when the follow |
ing interview was had;
RssDOrfeF-The people here are deep
lvinterested in knowing what Speaker
Thomas and yourself accomplished IN
Washington. ] desire to ascertain
-voyr views and opinions concerning
reconstruction.
-lS,lsqEer Perkg5s-I would rather
not have my name appear before the
public. and confess some diIhdence IN
that respect.
6eporteg-But our citizens have
been looking for your arrival here that
thew might ascertain through you the
real situation of affairs in Washington.
SDeuker PerKiHS-Speaker Thomas
an d I arrived at Washington on last
SAT urdav night week ago. We dis
cove red that Maynard, Stokes and
Others had presented to the Recon-
strucfItan Committee q VOlumlnous
amount of testimony in regard to out
races ale. red TO have been committed
in this St9l e. What alarmed us most
was that it was generally reported
that the com. nlttee would take nnal
action on the following Tuesday ana
present bin to the House providing
for the recOnstru, 'tion OF tennessee.
we also learned tina. it was the inten-
ton of Maynard, st, lke5 ana OtheTs
favOring the recOnstl 0ctloh seneiIle,
to hurry the matter through before
opposition could be rails, 4d against II,
and before the ec pGTte te5tlihOIy
brought before the comm l1tee cOui9
he refuted by real facts, when cOuId
he easily obtained if time was AliO%eu'
We had determined TO averl sucn
calamity if there WIS any pOssIDIilty
of it, and I believe it was BY our
efforts that the plan was deIeaSeu. u
We knew that if the ma tier cOuia De
delayed sufficiently long 10 aIiQN
US to rebut the testim, my by
abundant proof, which we kHe"
could be finally brought, Scn-
gress would not interfere NVith
our State affairs. We had cOp-
wersations with good many OF the
most promiHent Congressman, and
solicited their influence in defeating
the reconstruction project. We told
them that this was nOta political ques-
ton with Tennessee; that we came
{ here as representatives. OF no party,
but OF the vital interests Of Tennessee
which this question very seriously
threatened to destroy. We We're
frea ted very cOurteOusly, and every
thing we had TO say was listened 10
vNitb respectful attention. We We're
moi summoned before the Committee,
although we had endeavored to be
summoned, that we might be heard
in behalf Of our State. We waited
until the last moment, and having no
hopes of obtaining summons, De
termined to present ourselves before
the Committee and demand hearing.
We went before the Committee, ana
Il was agreed that we should De heard,
Ssad time was set for that purpose.
.sUbe Committee sat from lO:3O O'Clock
"a, the morning until l. O'Clock noon,
- a pOstpOnement, which we Oe-
-, was found necessary, on ac-
.eo,,1i q the limited space OF time the
sSS|,,1n,itt,re had to devote TO the an
yestigatiOn. ., 80. .,,o ,a,.ro
comm stee from Tennessee there!
LII ,,,,ili PerkiHS-Ne did.
f5enorfer- I,,5 How did they conduct
themselves? T,bav prasnuted
Speaker Perkgs :. -, bs,,a donbt.
the memorial which YOU l-.e'V ,,rai,Ia sJ,sII ~
less seen printed, but 1saJafion al.
specifp any particular def = Tbejr
leged 10 have been cOmmitte, peyv
testimony was not c0nsidereu
strong.
Re5orier-Did YOU see Fletcher?
What impression did he make on
Congressional minds?
lSOe0kqr PerkinS-I had no cOnYer-
satfon with Secretary Fletcher and
made very little inquiry concerning
PeDorter-What effect had the refu-
tation Of the story regarding the
hanging of an ex-Federal soldier on
an island in Stones river?
lCDeQker PerkiaS-It had a good
effect and was believed. The author
OF the story, however, subsequently
sent dispatch, reiterating his first
statement. / afterward read para
praph in the Banner giving reliable
and positive information on the sub
iect, which paragraph was cut out al
the suggestion OF Judge Beck, ano
Nod with the testimony.
PPDOrfer-DO you think there Is
an y doubt about this reconstruction
Solo me being finally defeated?
-. tker PerkiaS-I 6elieCe u 1Cat Gf
,4sfslte,.l Prospects are much brighter.
Tyr0,.ld , 'Ot encourage the betiet, hOtc
erer. that are are get entirely oia Q
sIuager. ne people hare q great ded
90 oceompJish. They should not 90 q
SIeeD ia fancied security. Ihe recon
sfr,icfion ddheFeilts are QOtAg eter.y
fbiBO ia Ehsir pOiCe5' ana tearing HOH'
ina Iagd0ue 1Chich 1rtH teild 70 accom-
l1iish their purposes. Ifte Pr"lctDot poT
Non Of the testimony on ne Fec0ltstroc
ti0U side seems 10 o. uaH ul 0Ches
'scrqD book, lchich Is .hLLed a0ith ptece
grhich Stokes alleges 10 hace cat 0'a
Tennessee newspapers. II IS t'e aug
The peODLe 10 refiae ne testimony p4t
Seafed 6g Stokes and others. ne
OBght 10 fOrl0dy'd testimony co''eef''.'s :
me condition Of ere'y county .! ~ y. ...i %
STATE. They ought 10 get ne c.D'1uo,'
II all the prOB1ineH QgtceFS tH ~, ~,
c1l.aty, and espectdtty from D'e eli ~. ~
-J ! 1ieers iChO dtreU among as. UH'
~ ~ - 3SS,,,,s at Washington IS facts,
~ - - GeJiere that the majority in 60'
gress desire the SecOaStrtcttCni, " 70 u
S,exsee. and If the people '0'le 'sI tSsG ., :.
DrODeF energy Ofttt ! ~ 49, GsI = =,
S1G reJlfttiag testimony, i0htct .. -
,o16denf tteg can do, his recoitStI-t'
s;o1 Droiect sciU soon go do'oll, mere.
rise 0gaiya. The reconStrlteti0aiS1s :. :.
en9eqScri,lg TO mir ~ Tennessee iet ~
Sbe Geor0id question, ia the hoPe, ~
~, aan run tte reconstruction doGt!
ttEr0,fgh on the ereitenlelH PrOdecea
he Georgia bill.
The B5mner reporter met SPEAK
,-bomas i'm his rOOm-No.. . City II
tolN-engaged in an interesting i,. e9aN'
eatior with four prominf nj gentle : =, -
\ ss',Sa - 'N,Saasb(,ille. who had come 70 aS''
tain his views on reeonstr1ue',I1Snn' ISn !,
,ras alroing upon them, =. .,.nss,;i LlsS -
s5rc;b1e mGlB,er, the great '.se'eSss'y .s ',,1,
acton stDOn The part q E'0 I'm, I'M
T3Sl could not be too dctire ~ ~ ~, =,
a. charges tDhich had been y'D,s -.
~ hs,,,,S hen. They should 90, 70, 20 e, =
o,,.,e. and lose no time. HtsH ., :
.s,.s - y soqs matter Of tye az III oss
2,ssses central committee Qf aeoTA
q s-fSj.s sIs,,,,,' meet here nightly a5la ~.
-. 1,'O,.s~ ~ ..,eors By aOhich a poSs'1ote
ss esssrctios ~ Of he STATE could @ 1..,;I q
reafsd. Taeg should ~ ~ ,te te''s"' 6@.
from ecsrg county ia the '.-'''. M
y - - f,..,J then fOrfrardg0 u. "