Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-08-08
SALE OF THE co MPTROLLER's or

SALE OF THE COMPTROLLER's or
We received yesterday copy of the
Nashville Bulletin, Radical weekly publish
ed in this city, and edited untilwithiD the last
few weeks by j. P. Rsxford. q leading ne
grophilist, now deceased; de mortuis nal niSi
boRup. Common report has it, how truly
we cannot say, that the present editor and
successor of Rexford, is Judge j. o. Shack
elford, formerly of GAINESVILLE, in this State,
at one time as we have heard confses-
ting agent or commissioner of the Confed-
crate States; more recently, when it paid
better to be s'loyal,"s DISTINGUISHING Judge
of the Supreme Court. His ".brief author
| ity" terminated with the restoration of the
ballot to the white people of the State. The
Bulletin received by US has in it an edito-
rial article marked, of which the following
note from the Comptroller renders any fur
| ther notice from us unnecessary:
| To the Union and American:
CoMPTRoLLER's OFFICE, NASHVILLE,
TENN, Aug. Z, 1873, The Nashville But-
letin of this date has been handed to me,
and my attention called to an article In its
editorial columns and type under the fol-
lowing caption: SALE OF THE OFFICE OF
COMPTROLLER OF THE STATE. Some o.
its allegations desire to notice: First.
That the present Comptroller was some Of
the Public Printers" during the term OF
Office of ex-C Comptroller Hobbs. Second.
That the present Comptroller was "most
deeply interested 10 the result" of the suit
between the Public Printers and Comp.
troller Hobbs. Third. That the friends of
the present Comptroller shave inaugursted
q system with his approval of buying Office
in Tennessee Fourth. That ex. Comp
troller Hobbs sold out his position for S12,-
600 to the present Comptroller, or some of
his friends, for the purpose of procuring the
position for the present Comptroller.
To all Of which allegations and any innu-
endoes of the article referred to, connecting
me or any of my friends with any bargain
or sale of the mptrollership, have to
say: am not one of the public printers
nor was during Mr.. Hobbs term Of Office,
nor n any way interested with them. l
am not and was not one of the complair-
ants in the bill fled BY the public printers
against Mr. Hobbs. 1 never bought Mr..
Hobbs office nor authorized any one else
to buy it from him. never spoke nor
wrote to Mr.. Hobbs about his resigning, nor
authorized any one else to speak or write
to him upon the subject. never paid him
a cent directly or indirectly, nor con-
tracted, nor agreed to do so. 1 never su-
thorized any one else to pay, nor contract,
nor agree to pay him anything to secure
his resignation, nor for any other purpose.
1 never had a bargain with him of any sort,
and never authorized any one else to bar
gain with him for me or in my behalf l
owe him nothing and never did. l have
paid nothing to get the Office which now
hold, nor have promised to pay anything
to Mr.. Hobbs or to any one else.
While do not bold myself bound to de-
ny every charge that may be made by politi-
cal opponents, have thought proper to
make the foregoing full and as L believe
specific denial of all the allegations which
have come to my knowledge in any way,
duplicating me with bargain, intrigue, or
corruption to OBTAIN the Official position
which hold
In conclusion ask to add word for the
ear of the people from whose loins sprung.
l am not candidate for any Office within
their gift. have no aspirations for any
official honor they can bestow upon me.
MY observation led me to believe that l
could do the State some service in the Ca
pacity now I'LL. Without dispsrs9ement to
or reflection upon any, felt that here the
State was bleeding at every pore. l felt |
that be who could in such an emergency be |
ofmost service, was be who cherished least
ambition for future political promotion. |
have not been disappointed in my expects-
tons. The road to political preferment |
does not lie this way. A stern devotion |
to duty has brought me into |
daily conflict with State officials,
political friends and political opponents,
from every division and from nearly every
county in the State. Self advancement
would suggest that 1 should by latitudina-
rian construction so determ ne as to culti-
vste their favor. have preferred to decide
in accordance with what believed the law, |
and thus, perhaps, in many cases excited
their hostility. When accounts have come
to me Examined and approved" by su-
thority generally supposed to be supreme,
l have universally re-exsmined them by the
ght Of the law as read it, and have not
hesitsted to apply remorselessly the pruning
knife, if believed the law directed me so
to do.
Regretting the occasion which seems to
me to demand that 1 thus trouble your
readers, l am theirs and yours respectfully,
JNo. @. BURCH.
THE PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRACY.
In issuing the call for a Democratic State
Gonvnntinn tn Ia hald at Wilknsharra |