Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-01-24
y DEFENSE OF THE LATE GOV
BROWNLOW.

In his stump-speech to the
repudiationists of Tennessee, mis-,
called a message to the Legislature
Gov. Marks sees fit to inject an I'M
founded attack upon the late Gov
ernor Brownlow, who at the time of
his death was our associate editor
and proprietor of the CHRONICLE.
The following is the paragraph re
ferred to:
1t appears that the Governor, who
was clothed with the power TO decide
when the law was complied with, de-
egated his power to issue bonds, and
that many OF them were signed aud
Issued by one Ct his suboTilnates in
she city Of New York.
While living, Gov. Brownlow
needed no defense from us. But
now that he is in his grave our re-
spect for his memory will not per
nit US to remain silent while i'm
Putations are cast upon his
integrity as a man or public
official. Here, where he was
so we'll known, and where
his honesty was proyerbial, no de-
tense is necessary. Men of all par
ties will join US in saying that not
even a shadow of suspicion ever
rested upon his personal integrity.
Probably no man in the whole coun-
try ever engaged in more stormy
controversies than he. But IN all
the bitter contests Of his eyentful
life, no antagonist who had any
reputation for truth or yeracity ever
dared 10 impeach his character for
personal integrity. Il has been re-
served to Gov. Marks, after Gov.
Brownlow Las been in his grave for
nearly two years, TO make this
attack. The statement is false,
and If the Governor did not,
he ought TO have known it.
We are informed that not single
bond was signed and issued as he
says.
On account of PARALYSIS, which
disabled him from writing for sew
eral years before his death, Gov.
Brownlow had a Secretary, II. II.
Thomas, who signed his name to all
bonds and other papers, just as Gov.
William Allen, Of Ohio, did for the
same reason, and just as other
Governors have done. On one
occasion his Secretary went to New
York to receive bonds from the
National Bank Note Company, who
had the contract for engraving the
bonds Not wishing to return to
Nashville Immediately and the bonds
being needed, he signed two hun
dred of them with the Governors
name, without the Great Seal of the
State, and sent them to Nashville
by express, to the Secretary of
States Office, where they were coun-
tersigned and sealed, passed to the
Comptroller, who signed the cou-
POns, and then issued them to the
Railroad Company entitled to them.
This is all the foundation there is
for this story of the Governors. In
the month of February, 1872,
replying to remarks of Mr.. Beck,
of kentucky, then in the House of
Representatives, Gov. Brownlow
challenged the fullest investigation
of his conduct as a man and a pub
lie official. He did not shrink from
such investigation, even at the hands
of partisan Democratic Legisla>
ture. On the contrary, he cOurted
it. In the speech referred to, he
uttered these words:
Butthere Is one thing l permit 10
man To assall without a response, and
that Is my honesty. L know the fall.
oility OF human judgment and can
therefore view win unconcern all diff
ferences of opinion; but if l have any
knowledge OF my own acts and
must Garry that knowledge to
the bar OF final judgment, where He
who judges will know whether speak
truth or not, L never soiled my soul