Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-04-14
THAT TORBETT ISSUE AGAIN.
Little Scrap of History.

lnA1 lOhDEll lOOUE AUAlN'
Little Scrap of History.
The above-named interesting little
subject led us to wander through the
mystic grounds where the State records
are wont to be kept, and, in our jour
neying thereupOn, we Glanced to
stumble over a stunning little book
called Proceedings of the COnstitu-
tional Convention, 1870" Picking up
the tiny waif, our eyes, by the merest
accident in the world, of course,
fingered for brief season on page
PSI, which records in type of good En-
glish memorial from one II. II.
Jameson, humbly praying the honor
able Convention that Section 6 of the
Schedule adopted AS part of the Con-
stitulion of the State in February,
1865, "repugnant to the Constitution
of the United States be stricken from
the Constitution of the State,n in
order that the Torbett Issue may be
made good. Only this, and nothing
more.
This touching little appeal for SYM
pathy reached our stony heart and
melted it into softest tenderness, so
that strong desire to know whether the
! fervent prayer awaited anything with
! the petitioner, led us to search still
farther for facts in the case. When
did patient research over go unre-
warded? On page 223 we read the fol-
| lowing:
THE Committee on the Judicial De-
partment have directed me to report:
| That they have considered the matter
of the memorial of Robert H. jamie
son, aud that they recommend the
/ adnptipn nf tho fnIlONuipn olauCaa fn ha
incorporated in the Constitution.
(Signed) HEISRELL, Chairman.
"ARTIC LIE XI.
"But ordinances contained in any
| former Constitution or schedule there
to are hereby abrogated."
And not many days thereafter (for
how could these compassionate men
permit the waiting and praying BROTH
er Jameson to continue long in sus-
pense p We honorable Democratic
members of the august and venerable
convention voted aye on the passage of
the memorable Sections of Article XI.
And from that hour the sleek and
well-fed bondholders all over the
State had rejOicings among them
selves, inviting blessings choice and
sweet to linger about the learned body
that their dreams might be pleasant
and their days long in the land. For
well they knew that from and after the
passage of that section, not all the
courts, nor all the people, " nor all the
| kings horses, nor all the kings
men, nor any other creature, might
declare it Illegal any more.
The Democrats will not deny that
the work was altogether their own.
Theirs be the praise for it, and,
now and forever. And let all the peo-
pie say, Amen.-NashUiLie Bulletin.
What a Democratic Editor Says Of
TOrbett Issues.
Tie editor of the Houston Demo-
cratic Statesman, who was in Tennes-
see during the war, and who has been
intimate with the leading Democratic
politicians in this State for a great
many years, says:
A sort of Confederate issue of notes
of the bank of Tennessee went abroad
during the late war. Some of these
are held here, and the holder would
know their value. 1t should he moth
ing unless all Confederate scrip is to
be paid. During the war, one Craw-
ford, whose business it was to organize
negro regiments and sell them to Bos
ton and other godly towns that had
money and did not care to fight-it
was there, too, the rich mans war and
poor mans tight-came down to East
Tennessee and discovered a million or
two of these Tennessee bank notes,
properly signed, but never filled up.
He appropriated the packages, and,
abandoning the African slave trade,
went to Philadelphia, and in that city
and its vicinity now owns regal
home and yachts and spanking bays,
and goes on Blenders with Congress
men and lives like IordaCameron. But
the good people ur Tennessee must foot
the bills, We believe. Some court has
so declared.