Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-09-24
RECORD OF THE RADICAL CAN
DIDATE FOR GOVERNOR.

On the 10th OF April, 1861, the Senate
adopted a resolution authorizing the Gov
ernor to make contracts to "subsist the
military forces of the State9 sias well as
arms and other munitions as may be i'm
portsnt to equip the military forces of the
State, and the Legislature pledged itself
''tO follow up such purchases or engage
ments with bill or act, making the ne
cessary appropriations of money to meet
or liquidate the same" This resolution
was adopted by the House of Represen-
tatives the same day, but pending its con-
sideration, MI Wisener offered an amend
ment providing that the military should
be used only E'for the defe1ssna of the
State. This amendment was rejected,
and then Mr.. Wisener voted against the
adoption of the resolution, but immedi-
stely thereafter he and five others pre-
scented protest, which reads as follows:
''We protest against the resolution and
vote thereon which has just passed, be-
cause we are unwilling to give unlimited
power to the GoYernori to arm and equip
troops, without authority of law, to 90
wherever he may send them, We are
willing to vote any amount Of men and
money to defend the State against hostile
invasion or aggression.p fSee House
Journal page IS.
To appreciate the meaning and force of
this protest, it should be borne in mind
that eleven days prior thereto President
Lincoln had called out seventy five thou
sand troops to assert the national authori-
ty, and that was the, only Etshostile inVa-
sion or aggression" that was anticipated,
and no one in Tennessee, not even Mr.
Wisener, dreamed of raising troops for
any other purpose than to resist the
army so called out by Mr. Lincoln, should
it be sent in this direotion3 slfuay
On the same day, House resolutions APP
proving the course of Gov. Harris in re-
fusing to furnish troops to meet the call
of President Lincoln, and asserting that
'the people of Tennessee will resist. with
all their power and TO tbe last extremity,
any attempt on the part of the Govern
ment at Washington to invade or subju-
gate the Southern States, was adopted
Mr.. Wisener and four others voted against
the resolutions, but had their reasons for
so doing spresd upon the Journal as fol
lows: -. .-. f.
'NWe protest against the passage of
the resolutions of the committee.
No. -, not because we believe, or be-
cause we think the people of Tennessee
believe the action of the Executive of
Tennessee, in refusing to respond to the
call of Mr.. Lincoln to furnish troops,
etc was, under the circumstances. wrong;
bu' because we believe the second resolu-
ton places Tennessee in the attitude of
desiring to transfer the scene of war.
should war come between the sections, to
the soil of Tennessee. We aYOw our
selves, and we believe the people of Ten
nessee are willing and able to resist to the
last extremity, any attempt on the part of
the North to invade and suhjug4te tn
State Of Tenn IS &C." [See House Jour
nal, mage %
Did auy secessIOaist in Tenn.sse ever
use stronger lsnguage than thisY and
could he Endorsement Of Gov. Harris
refusal be fuller ".& d.
On the Both of April, Mr. Wisencr Of
fe-ed the following resolution:
[" Resolved. That the Committee on
Military Affairs be instructed to prepare
and repoTta bill to raise, arm and equip
twenty thousand volunteers, to be used in
defense of the State against hos
tile invasion or aggression, Sc
curing to the volunteers the cleo
ton of their general, field and compa-
ny officers, and making suitable provision
for the families of such volunteers as
MAJ be in needy circumstances during the
absence of such volunteers" See House
Journal, page=34 ] ,r us-.ua- 81. &
Tbs resolution was laid upon the table
on the. I'd OF May, Mr. WisenGr voting
against laying upon the table. See House
Journal, page ~. What 'shoshle inva-
sion or aggression" was anticipated then
but by the Fede Government, and for
what purpose but 10 resist Federal troops
did Mr.. Wisener want these twenty thou
sand volunteers called out
A military league was entered into be-
tween the State of Tennessee and the Con-
federate States, Which was ratified by the
Legislature on the 9TH of May, a bill to
submit to a vote of the people Declara-
ton OF independence, having been passed |
on the 9th. The Legislature then ad,
journed on the 9th. After the ratifca-