Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-02-21
THE FEARLESS INDEPENDENT PRESS SPEAK
OUT.

Following close upon the solemn adjudi-
cation of Judge Hall that the special legis-
lation procured by the libel and public
printing swindling ring of Tennessee
is unconstitutional and uoid-an opinion en-
dorsed by every disinterested lawyer at
the Knoxville Bar-comes the following
singing rebuke to Baxter's libellers from
the Tobacco Leaf, staunch influential
Democratic paper of Middle Tennessee. 1t
is evidently mistaken about the power of
the Legislature to pass the law COM
planned of, but waving this, read what it
says:
The Greeneville Sentinel, which is one of those
papers that tells the truth about friend or foe
thus speaks of the disgraceful legislation by
which the suits of John Baxter against the
Union and american and Banner, may be trans
ferred to Nashvile-a bill passed for their pri-
vate benefit:
Surely We have fallen upon evil times when
such special legislation, for the interest of one
individual 10 the disadvantage of another, is re-
sorted to- The act is disgrace TO our statute
books, and this we say after cool deliberation
And coming from a Legislature of our own
political faith makes it the more humiliating to
us"
Legally since it affects only the remedy, and
not the right, the Legislature could pass such
n
which could so shamelessly lend itself TO such
scheme, and legislate for two lobbying newspa-
pers. What must be thought of newspapers
which aspire TO be leaders of public opinion,
and yet resort to such shameless pervcrsion of
the legitimate end Of legislation; while assail-
ing corruption yet seek TO corrupt the very
fountain of law, and turn it 10 their own use =?
We have never admired Baxter, nor sympa-
thised with him in his suits, and yet if he should
gain his suit, it will no doubt wipe an exceed
ingly dark spot from the fair face Of Tennessee.
- A-e~.-s4
THE resolution of Senator Sumner to en-
quire intos the sale Of arms to French
agents during the war, is construed by
the Presidents enemies as a blow at him.
The facts of the case are as follows:
Under an act of Congress of July, 1865,
the Secretary of War sold the surplus
arms ON hand from the war and from the
mandatory at Springfield. He sold
arms to Turkey, Russia, Spain and Peru.
If any were sold to France, it was done
through private secret agents who inn
posed upon the Government. In his let
ter reporting these sales to Congress, the
War Minister says:
About a half hour before the time fixed for
opening the bids for the purchase Of Springfield
and Enfield muskets in October 1870, a dis
patch was received from a member of the house
OF y. Remington Sons, stating that they were
agents for the French Government and author
lied 10 purchase arms for IT, The opening of
bids was postponed and the sale suspended, and
the Secretary directed that no bids from L.
Remington & Sons for arms, &c, should be en-
tertained.
The Department may have been im-
posed upon by secret agents, but that
shows no evasion of the laws Of nentral-
ity. = 44tt = IA - ? u -IsT-'T
Baron Gerolt, the able Prussian Minister
at Washington, was firmly convinced of
the sympathies of the Administration and
SO repeatedly expressed himself. Intelli-
gent Germans everywhere know who
sympathized with them during the war.
and cheap political tricks to prove them
blind or fools will hardly succeed at this
late date