Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-03-09
THE TESTIMONY.

devoted large share Of our space
to the publication of the majority
and minority reports Of the COM
mittee to investigate the State
debt, and the dispositions taken be-
fore that committee, to which pub
licity has been given. We have
done this because it is matter
which deeply concerns our readers
and the public generally, and be-
cause in the discussion Of one of
the grayeest questions the people
of Tennessee were ever called upon
to consider, we think it best that
icall sides should be heard. And in
this connection we desire to repeat
what we have said before, that the
testimony published has been taken
from the Nashville Banner. We
have published everything in the
shape of testimony that appeared
in that paper. It has been charged
that some Of it has been garbled.
If this be true, the Banner, from
which we copied, is responsible for
it, and as soon as we can do so we
will publish whatever Of Importance
that has been omitted in the Ban
,ae,''s publications.
It must be borne in mind, howey-
er, that the proceedings Of the COM
mittee, before which this testimony
was taken, were of star chamber
nature. Most of the testimony is
&c parte in its character. Its meet
ings were ED secretly, with closed
doors, and parties implicated were
allowed no opportunity to defend
themselves or explain. 1t appears
that in some instances evidence i'm
plicating persons in corruption and
crime was carefully and studiously
concealed from those whose reputa-
tions were at stake, and in others
that the integrity of the dead was
assailed without granting any op-
portunity to their living friends to
be heard in their behalf. The evil
dence is perfectly clear that this
committee was solicitous only to OBJ
tain a pretext upon which to base
predetermined conclusion, and 50
far as the real question which they
pretended to investigate is concern
ed, their report is subversion Of
all that is fair and honest, and not
worth the paper upon which it is
written
But while the testimony which we
have printed is irrelevant to the
question at issue, and does not sus-
tain the position taken by the ma
iority of the committee, and while
much of it has been inspired by
malice and does great injustice to
the living and the dead and while
the majority Of the committee have
doubtless been inspired by hate and
prejudice which can find place /
only in small minds. These are
revelations which must bring pain,
regret and shame to the breast Of all !
good men, regardless Of party affili-
ations. We knew that one of the
inevitable results of the late war
was to demoralize society, develop
the worst passions of the human
bi east and breed all kinds Of loathe~
some immortality. Such things al
WAYS follow civil war. That there
has been carnival of corruption,
and peculation in Tennes-
zee for several years, we have never
doubted. This committee has not
brought out the e-hundredth part
Of it, and there is ? suspicion in the
minds of many people, that they
lid not desire to elicit information
where they could avoid it, that
would affec5 their political friends.
But be this as it may, "'tis an i'll
Wind that blows no good
While this committee was conceived
n prejudice, brought forth in ignor
.nce, nourished by malice, inspired
" hatred, intoxicated with self
esteem, and arrived at a predeter-
mined conclusion, still there is
in the result which may
prove beneficial to the public. It is
rue no new facts have been
brought to light. Nothing materi-
fbot