Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-01-14
sOaToN,s pEFALcaT,oN.
THE TENNESSEE TREASURER WHO GOT AVA
WITH 100000 AND MADE AN HONE
rEEopr ,rorrrrrrfoH


WITH 100000 AND MADE AN HONEST
EFFORT AT RESTITUTION.
Ansnt the defalcation of Treasurer Polk
the Vicksburg Herald recalls an interesting
incident of a similar character connected
with the Tennessee treasury. The Legisla
ture in 1857 or 1859 elected DR.. Burton, OIL
Madison county, comptroller. He was s
| young man OF very attractive personal ap
pesrauce, OF pleasing and popular address
highly connected and the husband of one O,
Tenne ssee's fsirest and most accomp ished
women. DIR. Burton entered upon the dis
charge of his duties in the full
flush Of young and promising
manhood; respected, honored and be.
loved. He was the last representative Of
the old Wing element in State where that
grand old party had its origin in its presi
dental ballot for Hugh L. White, and in its
anti-J acksonism. But the same shadow
which has dimmed the rising brightness o.
many fair character, even before it srose
above the horizon of a splendid future
/ promise, darkened FIRST and then put on
forever what might have hesn at noontide q
fs.ue End -inteiisctual glory not inferior tc
that OF any OF the great names which Ten.
nessee to-day delights to honor. It was said
that the siren voice and attractive person oil
star now shining glorious and resplendeni
in the constellation OF Thespis caused the
observation OF that fair name and the heart.
break in Madison county's most generous and
enlightened social circles.
DIR. Burton finding it impossible to make
his over-check of 100000 tally with the
credits due him in the treasurer's account,
took immediate passage for China. 10 1860
Isham G. Harris, now United States senator,
was governor of Tennessee. DIR. Barton
prospered in China, and was made general
medical director of the empire. His salary
must nave been remunerstive; because, after
he had been in the service OF the hereditary
descendant of the sun about year he had
accumulated sufficient means 10 enable him
to part with SIS, 900 in part payment of his
Tennessee default. The money was depos-
tied in the Bank of England 10 the credit
OF lshsm u. Harris, governor of Ten
nessee. In the meantime the State
OF Tennessee had united her fortunes
with her sister Southern States in their strug.
gle for Independence. Gov. Harris, after the
fall OF Fort Donelson and the consequent re-
treat OF Albert Sidney Johnston from Bow
ling Green and Nashville, removed the State
archives and the deposits of the State bank
10 the headquarters of Gen. Johnston, then
established at Corinth, Miss. After that
event the State government of Tennessee
h"u, HAc the memphis APPEAI, row ng,
rambling and adventurous existence Inn
mediately after Joseph E. Johnston erected
the white Tag In front OF his worn and
wearied, ragged, hungry ana uesponuent
veterans nesr Raleigh, N. c., Gov. Harris
ordered Mr.. Isaac F. Browne, now merchant
of Memphis, but formerly cashier OF a branch
of the Tennessee Bank, to proceed at once 10
Nashville with the State archives and the
specie-something over $500, 000-belonging
to the School Fund. and deliver everything to
the then Gov. Brownlow. Brownies party
and wagons were captured Just outside the
Federal lines near Nashville, but being a
personal acquaintance and a former friend
and supporter OF Andrew johnson, he sue
ceeded in getting released and therefore de-
livered his trust TO the existing authorities.
Gov. Harris, in the meantime, had gone
with Gen. Price and large colony of ex-
Coufederates 10 Mexico. The colonization
scheme, sfier the defeat and military execu-
ton OF Maximilian, was not successful, and
the whole party afterWard returned to their
homes in the United States.
After the war and restoration of peace,
Brownlow, being governor, discovered that
DR.. Burton's deposit was still in the Bank of
England subject to the draft of ex-Gov
Harris, then In Mexico. In the viperiau
malevolence and heartless malignancy of
Brovnlow's saturnine nature, he at once
made public announcement, through the
Knoxville Wing, of which he was editor,
that 1sham G. Harris had purposely allowed
the Burton deposit to remain untransferred
ia the Bank OF England for his private bene-
hit, and that the fleeing ex -governor had only
gone to Mexico to secure safe transit to Eo-
gland for the purpose of drawing the
money end applying it TO his personal
M he
the pages OF the Knoxville Wing, dissemi-
mating the virulent and uncalled-for SANDER,
before Brownlow, as governor of Tennessee,
received check from Isham G. Harris,
dated in Mexico two months before Brownlow
ever knew Of the Louisiana deposit, transfer
ring the account to "the governor OF Tennes-
see, or anyone in lawful authority" Brown
low was forever silenced as to the answering
integrity OF 1sham G. Harris, bis former
rival and political enemy and up to the death
OF that bitter, relentless man, he was
never afterward heard to speak an unkind
word of Gov. Harris. The money returned
to the State after the surrender constituted
the entire School Fund on deposit at the COM
Of the war. Not q dollar was
ever touched by Gov. Harris or the Con-
federacy during the four years of his care of
il. But the sacred trust" has bad an I'M
fortunate history. 1t was greatly diminished
by various steals during Brownlow's regime,
and the last 81, 900 was drawn out BY the pres
sent ASCENDING treasurer. Ex-Gov. Harris is
at present United States senator and candidate
Tor reelection. DR.. Burton unfortunately
died soon after making his first payment, or
The tarnishment of his family name would
have been in = measure rubbed out aud the
treasury of Tennessee left with $4,000 sddi-
ional funds from which Treasurer Polk
:ould have drawn, or allowed the banks and
bic personal friends to draw, without even
The tofaality Of the comptroller's counter.
,ignG