The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-27
Mr.. FACTS.
His Reply to the Criticisms OF the Hon.
John Allison.

eaiANtlANf Jul ANtNh AVf-hy ms
Just been called TO a letter tn your columns from Mr..
John Allison, IN which he takes M TO task for In
accuracics In my History Of Tennessee. The tone
OF tho letter, ana the added weight you have given
tho charge by publishing thcm In your columns,
induce me to violate a rule which have laid down
for my guidance IN such matters Heretofore ]
have read such criticisms Of my book as l have
seen, have rcapcd such proht from them as | could
and have not undertaken 10 point out the ignor'
ancc OF my critics, when I thought thom Ignorant
But Mr.. Allison assumes TO speak as ono having
authority and you have published his letter In
your columns. This | think j%ugliles n reply.
Ihave read Mr. Allison's letter much more care.
fully than he has read my book. Tho tone OF his
letter suggests n MAS OF inaccuracies on my pan.
Haywood IL the text, rhelan tho context" he
says Again: III strikes me nc has intcrpohiod
matters as iaels, winch are mere inioreieSn m %sS
have authority for version, but al this late day ]
prefer 10 accept Haywood rs authority. who lived
among and knew peponally many Of the people
who.e history he Wrote" Those aud other quota
lions from Mr. Allison's letter suggest The Idea In
his mind that I have written my book curfente
unlulno and that | have supplied the deficiencies OF
knowledge aud Investigation by the exercise OF my
Imagination. But beyond this tone NJ a man who
has made comprehensive and thorough study OF
10 dcfond tho memory OF ie early pioneers from
my insidious dctnctiOua aud nlisroprys situations
hccausc he has peculiar reas1ns iof ~ doing, ihrfe
N nothing oi fact however much of Inference IN
Mr. Ailisun's letter beyond that containci la the
chnuse that / have written 81 the lruWn settlement
as boins ,oomloscd ior thy mo.t pAt 2i Ie,'.s
IN part composed uf Tories, aud that I have made
the MatAuga people assist the Niglulans Ia lowing
this settlement 10 take the oath OF fidelity, whcroas
iiaywood lcavus them Without the assistance ut the
\ Maiauga pcople. Nj Allison ~torstalls a popular
q~uoiailon by sddlnE 1T cannot ~ mid that thCsc
changes arr immAicrih and harmless" In The
| cceaomy OF naiur. as well a. Ia Mt Alllson's
methods III criticism. ttcn \ 40 dinCrVucc Tn tho
magnitude II things. Mt Allison l. ,ndgnsnta a.
ny lnS,n mas ssu 1Sa SaS %ss ssoSsT1ssi ir lac Sss-, psTi
| of I0ncs whcn nayW,sd, Who Knows ~ much hot
tcr than l. ay u was ccmIsscd only ID Iaft In
this point % th- sstsiscttqu ~ - niccN halanNi
a Discrimination ~ NJ Alisou's lmust pAcsa In
eN,eausiioa. however a lev givialluS hN-
came ruaAiiy. not Knowing what vas IN
tendcd, and also that The cath w. aiminisicrcit y
all VI them" Agaia u 4 samrNhat nsnsfkahie
Mr. Ani.nn's information ! will stsic thailT kag
sry Vas another hisinrtan WIS wcni ahout tvtre
" hcliule and miscpnss9t ~ ln,,d,g'sl in1,s
the rputsuon OF 1.-THE csi1 stlcs y this ssio he
wrstc after ilaywusd's Ngk had lcug hSvn pub
lshcd. aud his studies tcek a vtaei unre nsn
meSt Rsm-g sy that many Tofss hsa ad .
Inc extrrmc tnlnticr and hoTri o. Nr,Gia ON
: VALID Al Rropns aud tha, M oeih 80 admtlis
trne1 60 them. mt 20 takc = scrtss W. 90 tAi,
chanr. tosnnot ~ uhst diiencpc thoc can :,
whether ths ioue sew In = mSruu - miuouu
az rn,vut s,no ne veN hrea . nts ~ eeih
nihef hofs the tou. WY IN : ms9suu IN
fart q tslisse they uer 60 Ne Nhir % ~hoS
ihs o.ih Without s.ilns SO f.nss % 49, iseE
ugt and bring such adignsN upcn bf yhoac -.
ucmcnt such disrlanc.e q. ncc hosc7C.
nv hardly worthy II NJ Alti-nas sftcuuul-
A. " the psrf played ~ ne Maislgs rcpAe IN
tkis transaction. I acl 1 due. On q elsa u iniCr
rnrus with him o. yich % his authority. lOrhEgs
he might have hsrn morC rulCni ioaants nc lad
be known that John Garter Wo chauunan ~ thc
MatauEa tummlttcc. Mr. Altson rNcs q hng
cncs Of lsieas dctacueus IN nlcHnee % n
nruwn's 10 tonc The Torres 10 ukc fhc oath lie
ay. FALLEN communicated hs suspicious n Gar
tcf. Garter communicated a. a. the Nirgiuisns and
they camc Without the knowlcirc OF participation
Of the Mataura people and administered the oath
without inuc OF oompuldnu to the whole settle
mcnt" Mr. Allison almost turns he kccn putnl
npon uaywooi al this cnsis ior he adds not 1
fact. ~ FAR a. I have ever brcn able % learn. &C
curcd either bciow or subsequent 20 this event IN
the settlement. "a justify this action on the part 81
the NiIginlaus or this suspicion" infer frun
this that Mr.. Allison has made a vide reaching In.
ycstigailon uron this point and has examined
gmtilaia him aud the state upon the existence Of
| this data for I searched for i've ycar for everything
81 this Kind and ! know Of nothing beyond that
given Ia my "Lsi Of Authoriuca' page 40 OF my
A. Tor Nj. .Arilson,s logical deductions they are
declard by him sufficient a. satisfy the impartial
nadcf." / shall not hastily lmpcach my Impair
tlauty hy differing from hlm. Ny way % solfdc-
irnsc. however. shall mao bold ~ say that Carter
wus chairman Of the Mathura Association that
tfrhnps iuf this una1n FALLEN communicated his
suspicious to him. That perhaps for this reason he
communicated fulicns Information ~ the Nir
gi lans, Tor u a. not reasonable even Tor the I'm.
pauiai Urdcr TO suppose BE- aid ~ lnrugnltn, that
ptrh ,ps tic NlWlnlans were influenced b. IN In
formation FROM the head man oi the Matauga
people nni made thu feld, OF II Nj. Allison prcicu
he visit tu nmwn's ! did not suppose that Carter
kcut nj information from TIE Matiuga ,eople. |
did suppose be acted ns spokesman ot tie Mutnuga
.-.N. - 4 ala Hua.aa LHHN NANH uWHlTN NNa
concurrence, this nC1uicsccncc, this satisfaction or
The uar oi the wauuga people Justified me ia say
INK that the ifuNn settlement was compelled by
ihe watnuga i~nile and a baud 81 Nirginlaus innI
Woifs 1inl a. TAKE The oath.
No much e., the facts In Mr. Alli.on's letter
mastery of The subject he trat. whose iibuaf
trums with rich aud uuutlllsci material, whus
critical and scholarly sens, Il offended by radin
The history 81 y ugrlnd aud "a people written by
%sluVrniy, a ~ lndlccd aud an inhccuutc pei
timber such attacks ne this one eau only appeal I
tho "rcctitudc u his Intentions ! consumed th
larger pau III five ycnu IN writing my book
r. worked 10 cut Nth lnlpf aud with such icchl
parts a. no tuw accorded me CnicaNut 81 ie ~
tnmte aud impartial I was oiled with enthusiast
aud %fcYcredt ndmlntiun iur those who laid N
foundation ~ our State fhariiy thought ! shout
, live % src The DAY when an OUTRAGED Tcnnossa
4 would say ~ my history There ae recullr
" rcasons WHY you aud should feel an anxious IL
y oaui sctVns"
it thr context" lie 4 mistaken. Tie d irnomnt
ihr nni cirmcnt of the subtcct VI which be spoal
with ~ much nsumnCo. N De was not ignumi
be- would have aaid Ramsey j. the text ihmsr
= ~runialus everything ~ value that T. "a be found
Haywood. u Nj Allison had read Ramsey D
u would not have spoken 81 'oconnsioin's tlcoc
Ut trnty uf ncnlersOn April, MA" Mr. Alliso
nudH hp comparing mo With Hay wool that ! hhN
Y omitted many aud important inCtH, which h
thinks Irnursacins would h. pfuud 81 aud ~,
aHrht d. have stated In rnunrcuon With thuer q
ruricd. Ne Allison u~vufluuts the Tact thnt lln
a wood devoted 30 purs ~ a history Of rcnnCs'
4 which uluaci with loo Las io q history Whio
A rlUHW with 1871 Not having Mr. Alllanms Plan
" work ont ! fcll back upnn my uwn. Ito
l]etccutci thi, ] must leave 20 other to docit
II ! have omitted many and imruunnt facts
why did. Mr Allison stop with uno vunl and or
CLAUSE ~ one sentence Ia n%spVcilul defiance
ID, bic we'll established authority I fWctpluEly drf
p that ! have omitted uiie iart which u lupurtani
B. give the Wow Of fcnucsacva Development while
have attempted.
Int not ouly have omitted, ! have also intern
lated mntiUu, iuiurntvs aud tusplciOuA in
| Nilsson bad only mad Nnmary, hc would not has
lo hafanlcd bic well cnfncd reputation a. n historic
student by Wisasseftiun. Nearly everything abu
the oafy history uf last Iruuuaspa IL inuud
tam-fY nudthc balance D. the authoHuc I cl
Asaiaut Mr. Allson docs not kuoW toe dincfcn
between ORIGINAL Investigation and historical tW.
mont tuiUr him to iuHf go of my huuk. whrri
he say The cntrc nlrcnuo ~ nl historical TN
M mrni ~ the period following that Cuyrrud by 10
wool hamay. and Putnam. clct etc" ! hayu
~ pWnlattd not ono firt, not one Mr. Aills1ns 10
of history l. 90 think 10 uut lusi and lir tn the
people that such l~niurrncs should ~ duWu fui
. and Uluttmttlout rlnrUd ou thc facts - viii
To mort ttNVullc a. thclt fame and good name
80 This may DO 10 ~ luWtult but not In n history.
I, hHyC culcaYufcd iu state tho facts aud draw t
~ aud natural cuucutluuN I Crtuinly wuu
la. never utuck thp accuracy OF q ftHfrm.
or made by a writer aud then prqyc The curc