Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-06


thai You would have used such force as the
laws OF the State vested in you, and not by
force and violence.
Al mean if the officers of the banks
had refused an order to deliyertbe assets to
a receiver, | should have sent a file of
soldiers 10 execute the order, or see that it
was executed.
Q.-Was there any law al that time au-
thOrizing the Governor to take possession of
the banks and place them in the hands of
a receiver, and if they had refused were not
the courts open at the time, and would YOU
hot have resorted first to the courts?
A.-The country was involved in war. 1t
is possible that the courts were still open,
but If open, they were doing little or no
business. / regarded the cooperation Of
the Union and Planters Banks with the
Bank Of Tennessee in the matter referred
to as a military necessity. As a military
necessity | should have ordered their coop
Grafton, and as a military necessity should
have enforced the orders, and by military
means, and should have certainly not re-
sorted to the tardy action Of the courts.
Q.-Atwhat time were the troops first or
ganized in the State of Tennessee in 1861?
State as near as you can.
A.-There were some volunteer reoi-
ments in the State that had been in exist
ence for several years. In the latter part
of April or about the first of May, 1861,
Col. Peter Turney organized a regiment,
Gen. George Nancy organized regiment,
and Gen. W. ID. Bate organized regiment.
Immediately after the passage of the act Of
May o, 1861, the work of organization be-
| came general throughout the State.
Q.-After the vote of secession did not
the officers of the Union and Planters
Banks heartily cooperate with the State in
the Southern cause, and did you not in
May or June, 1861, appoint Dempsey
| Weaver as one of the delegates to the
| Bank Congress in the South?
Al do not remember any act or decla-
ration of either of the officers referred TO,
which impressed me with the idea of their
cooperation. / did not appoint Dempsey
| Weaver as a delegate to the Bank Con-
greSs, though l had great respect for his
| financial ability.
| Q.-Were you not in your actions, rela-
tive to said Union and Planters Banks,
controlled and governed by the provisions
Of the act passed 9Th of Nav, 1861 author
izing the Srming and equipping Of a volun-
| teer force for the Confederate cause {?
A.-The act referred TO authorized the
raising of an army and the issuance and
sale of the bonds of the State TO raise
funds necessary to raise and equip the
army. The act did not prescribe how or to
whom the bonds were 10 be sold, and find
| ing that the bonds would not be taken by
| individuals, the only alternative left me, as
/ then believed and still believe, was to
| get the Bank of Tennessee and the Union
/ and Planters Banks to furnish the funds
necessary and take the bonds. II they had
refused TO do so should have compelled
them.
Q-Under the provisions Of this act,
| you, as Governor, believed YOU had the
| right to control the said Union
and Planters Banks, and by tie authority
vested in you, IS Governor and Military
Commander, You had the interviews with
the banks referred TO in your original ex-
aminatiOnS?
| A-Under the constitution, this and
| other acts of the General Assembly, | be-
lieved that l was clothed with war powers.
The duty OF raising, equipping and sup
| porting an army devolved lupOn me, and
| in my character of Governor and Com
handkerchief of the army, l did not
doubt my power to use tie means neces-
sary to the maintenance of that army.
In consequence of the duty of raising an
army, authorized by the act referred to, the
necessity to raise money became absolute,
and that necessity prompted my interviews
with the banks, and further this depOnent
saith not. fSHASI G.. HARRIS.
SwOrn to and subscribed before me, at
Memphis. this 18th day of July, 1872.
= = GARRETT Commissioners