Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-04-25
MISSISSIPPI RIVER RAILROAD.
Mitchell Makes the AmsHds Memorable 10
MF, IshB 0ysFtoa, IT..
Lacey Observation-Disclosures Hair nor Hide
Left Of Him.
How Mitchell was driven from Tue BlFs0t.
cry eg the Road.
The Norton Family and their Six Dollar
Purchase Of the RaIlrsad-"Trath
and lHstlGe viii Prevail"

EDITORS APPEAL: Having one day
more in Memphis than I expected when
1 signed yesterdays card, it affords me
pleasure to make an explanation IS fol-
lows:
A few days after the Four Dollar Board
Of Directors passed their now famous re-
solutions repudisting my contract with
the Mississippi River Railroad Company
made in 1855, I received a letter from Col.
John T. Douglas, Of Upton county, ex-
pressing the hope that neither Capt. A. T.
Lacey president of the road) nor DR..
Hsnning, director for Lsuderdals coun-
ty) had anything to do with this folly.
I took the letter to Mr.. Lacey and read
1t TO him. He remarked promptly that
Colonel Douglass did him no more than
justice in the matter; that neither he nor
DR.. Henning had voted for the resolu-
tlOns; that he lacey did not symps-
thiss with them, and DR.. Hsnning felt
very badly about the matter and did not
vote when the question was taken on
their passage" I inquired of Captain
Lacey why he had not i~ntsrposed and
asked for a committee to be appointed to
confer with me, as,he knew very well that
I was prepared to make almost any
sacrifice Of my private interests to have
the road built. To this, Captain Lacey
answered that "the resolutions were
sprung upon him unexpectedly; that he
saw ,Messrs. Norton, MeriWether, White
and Overton, directors, ~csucusing to
gsther before the resolutions were pre-
sented, and that these gentlemen did not
consult with him Lacey and that he
knew the resolutions were 'cut and dried
and it was needless for him and DR.. Hen
ing to oppose them"
Relying on this statement, I did, in nv
second published letter especially single
out Messrs. Norton, MeriWsther, White
and OvertOn, and hold them up as the
fOur-dOIlsr Board that had committed both
a wrong and a folly; and 1 saved, as far
as I could, Messrs. Lacey and Henning
from censure.
1t now becomes my duty to say that
these fOur gentlemen especially censured
by me, do not admit, but explicitly deny
the correctness Of Captain Lscey's state
ment as to what occurred in the Board.
Mr.. Overton asserts that one of the gen.
tlemsn screened by Captain Lacey, is the
identical q who urged him (OvertOn) TO
cote for the Te8OLuti0BS! And further,
lbs he (OvsrtOn) suggested that a COM
mittee be appointed Gust what 1 Wantsd(,
to see me aud secure, il possible, an ami
cable adjustment OF my claim.
Mr.. OvertOn's course, l am satisfied,
was every way proper such as became
him as q business man and a gentleman;
but It had nc backing in that Board. Il
affords me pleasure to say publicly that I
regret having done Mr.. Overtou 3 wrong
At the same time, Mr.. Overton and his
friends will admit that I was excusable in
accepting IS true the version I received,
and upOn which I based my letter. The
matter may be susceptible of explanation;
but I shall not undertake TO explain it.
That duty rests on smother.
While making this Gmende to Mr.. Over
ton, I will allUde to another matter. It
been thought by some of my personal
whom I very highly respect that 1
was unjust in speaking with an apparent
of bitterness, in my first letter, OF
opposition and abuse" that had fol
lowed me throughout my years Of labor to
organize and build the Mississippi River
railroad, and in giving that as q reason for
abandoning all further effort to serve in
any capacity my native State. These
say your charge is that Of ingrat-
on the part Of your fellOW-citlzsns,
Tor whose welfare you claim that you have,
a war q in peace, so willingly labOred."
1 will state my case: From August,
1865, to June, ~lS70-nearly four years.
President of the Mississippi River
During all that time, owing to
political condition of the State, the
organization Of the Board Of Directors /
completely within my control. Yet
n al that time I never had q Republican
Board; never had an individual Republi-
in the Board never, to my knowledge, /
lad al engineer, or other officer or en-
of the road, who was a Republican. /
This class was not Intentionally excluded,
I simply had no politics about the
enterprise, and 1t happened as l state.
And these employees OF the road never
suffered tor their pay. They and their
antilles never wanted for bread, as they
often done since I left the road; for
f the company had no money to pay their
claims, 1 always, from my own
means or credit, got enough TO relieve
heir necessities. But when the State and
Ounty governments we're changed, and
committee of the Shelby County Court
vas appointed to vote in the election of
new Board, last June, I found
my fate was sealed. Against
be advice of Mr.. GrsenIsw and Of every
Conservative in the Board land they were
IL sol the committee Of Shelby county
ssOlved, that 1 should, under no circum-
serve in the Board. No objection
7as made, so far as 1 have eve learned,
ave that my politics didn't suit the COM
littee, and I was displaced.
Now, If a Northern paper, unfriendly to
ne South, should assert that no man
-ould be allowed to hold Office as railroad
resident or Director in Memphis, no
INV AlAEHEA AlAbAAA4 anu Useful i
9 had proved himself in that position,
he was of Democratic politics, 1
ave NJ doubt every newspaper and nearly
very citizen Of Memphis, would say il
as q libel, and feel indignant at the ut
rance Of it. And yet, this is exactly
happened in my case last June, and
D protest was ever heard.
"But my friends who censure me say:
public generally did not know you
ere thus forced from the Board on political
'ounds, and could not be expected to ut
7 their condemnation" There is some 4
ing in this, and 1 am glad to concede it; q
pecislly in view Of the fact that =
nee the exposure I have made, !
the recent scsndalOus attack y
/ my rights, and the infinitely worse at /,
mpt to betray the entire Mississippi =
.ver road to the Norton family for the 2
cher psItry sum of six dollars, 1 have =
assurances Of sympathy and re-
that show this community to be
Of right and justice; and I doubt Z
Dir awillingness to see my years of faith \
services ignored, and the railroad, the :
1rk of my hands, swallowed up by the a
arks that are gathering around 1t. I
1st consent now to trust my Southern
ends in the hearty, manly Y~eri6cation h
my case of the noble old Clay motto: y
ruth is Omnipotent, and public justice
A. s. MITCHELL,