Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-04-17
THE SCHOOL FUND AGAIN.

Gncl is one of the best fellows in the world,
but the "scales have never yet fallen from
his eyes" and things seem different to him
from what they really are. He, in at
tempting to state facts, misses the mark
very widely sometimes, but we attribute
this to an erroneous head rather than
bad heart. He has worked himself into
frenzy over our exposition of how Tennes-
see Democracy stole and squandered the
Tennessee school fund during the late
Democratic rebellion. He gives figures to
refute what we say, which figures prove
only one thing, and that is, that
the editor of the Sentinel has not
the remotest idea of what he is
writing about. For instance, he says
that the Legislature attempted to author
ize an appropriation but that no dppro-
pTi0tiOn was made. Well, If this be so it
was no fault of the Legislature. We gave
the language of the law passed, and it says
very distinctly that the sum of four hum
dred and fifty thousand dollars per annum
of the school fund was to he used for two
years, for the relief of the INDECENT fami-
lies of soldiers in the service of the State
of Tennessee or the Confederate States.
We would like to know what further act
this Democratic-rebel Legislature could
have done ia the way of rendering this an
appropriation, or rather misappropria-
ton.
But, says our good friend "the school
fund of Tennessee, S625, 600, all the actual
cash on deposit, was carried out of the
State by the officers controlling il, to pre-
serve it from the GRASP, of avaricious and
INSCRIPTIONS commanding officers of the
Federal army" Well, that is remarkable,
but these "unscrupulous Federal officers
kept following it up and finally got il any
way-and what may seem strange to our
friend, they didn't steal it, either.
But does our good friend know.Gf he
don't it is nevertheless true) that the
school fund before the war amounted to
SO, soc, 900? If there was only S625, 900 on
deposit, when the rebel State authorities
made up their minds that further South
was ahealthier CLINE than Tennessee, what
had become of the balance of the $780,
600? "Aye, there's the rub" Had they
stolen nearly two millions before starting T?
and if they had, is there any good reason
to suppose that they lost their inclination
to steal after they had passed beyond the
limits of the State? Oh no, brother
Reeves, it is not at all probable, after steal
ing and squandering two millions of the
children's money, that they would call
upon the Confederate army to guard and
protect this remnant of only little over
half a million.
But the real fact in the case is, that they
squandered the 7ohole Of 1.-THE entire
s., 100000. Every dollar of il was paid out
in the interest of treason and rebellion.
When the custodians OF the fund returned
to the State at the close of the unhappy
civil war, brought about by Democratic
ambition and rapacity, it was found to con-
sist of Confederate bonds, payable six
months after treaty of peace between the
United States and the Confederate States.
This treaty has never been ratified yet, and
when it is, these Confederate bonds will
undoubtedly become available as school
fund.
The S625, 600 of which our good friend
speaks, was something over $500, 900 in
coin captured from the itinerant concern
claiming to be the State government of
Tennessee. 1t was captured in Georgia,
and was part of the assets of the Bank of
Tennessee. 1t was returned to Governor
Brownlow. The Legislature of 1865, with
a commendable zeal to start new school
fund instead of that stolen by the rebel au-
thorities attempted to apply this coin to
this purpose. 1t was disposed of for United
States bonds, which bonds were, by q
Democratic Treasurer, deposited with the
| Tennessee National Bank of Memphis.
Under mismanagement and some corrup-
ton, which we have never denied, about
500, 900 of this amount was lost Then it
appears, that while, under the mismanage-
ment of Republicans, $500, 900 was lost, not
of the original school fund, but of the
| assets of the Bank of Tennessee, under
| reDel ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS auu corruption,
$500, 900, the original school fund, or thir-
teen times as much was lost. If we admit
all that the Democrats charge upon Re-
publican Legislature, the fact would be
that Democratic Legislature working to
| destroy our national government, stole
thirteen times as much as the Republicans
in much shorter time. If we admit that
there were thieves who claimed to be Re.
publicans, we are bound to admit that the
Democratic thieves were more proficient
in their occupation, doing their work with
dispatch and on much larger scale.
! Our good friend of the Sentinel asks
with an air of triumph, what has become
of the S625, 900 returned to the Republican
State government after the war? We an.
swer, that, by the authority of an act of 6
Legislature with a majority of Republic
cans, it was placed by a Democratic State
Treasurer in worthless National Bank a
| Memphis, and about $500, 900 of it lost
Now, will he, with equal candor, tell III
what disposition was made of the 50, 600,
600, the original school fund of Tennessee
| Will he tell of what that fund consisted
when it was diverted from its intended
purpose, and by what authority it wa
done?
HON. H. r. GIBSON.