Year: 1871




Union City, Tenn, held at Temperance


Hall on the evening of the 26th ult., to


consider certain questions touching the


mercantile interest of that city. Mr.. G.


N. Hatch OF the firm of G. N. Hatch &


Bro, was called to the chair, and Mr.. c.


C. Wilkins appointed Secretary.


The object of the meeting was ex


planned BY the chairman as follows:


We are Just entering period in our


mercantile existence, that in our opinion


is pregnant with disaster for many of our
class throughout the land, and in view


of the recent failures that have occurred


here in our midst, the financial condition
of the country, and, consequently the


readiness with which our friends in the


East would naturally credit any report


regardless of source going up from among
us, that might effect their interest here


say in view of these facts it behooves
us as wise men to adopt such measures
as may iusesre US against the DANA SiBg
effects of sues %anton and unjust state
ments as it has been the pleasure of one
of our townsmen to make concerning US.
Usual indulgence upon the part OF our
creditors, is what we have a right to ex
pect until there shall be some evidence
of our incapacity TO meet our. engage
ments. Those with whom we have been
dealing know how we have paid hereto
fore, and they are directly interested in
what the future may bring forth, conse
quently it is their privilege to CLEAN
from any sonrce, facts touching our sol
yency, but while such is the case it is
due to US that they withhold their pro
nuDciamento until they ascertain such
source to bereliable We all doubtless re
alize the importance of sustaining our rep
utation for pIomptness aud fair dealing,
for We know that good credit is equal
and he that would deprive you of it by
slanderous and totally false representa-
ton, would do you an injury that he
would not willingly repair, but to come
directly to the matter in hand, | and
many of you, gentlemen, are aware of the
fact (thanks to some of our friends) that
we the merchants of Union City, as a
whole, have been misrepresented, aud
some of Us have been grossly SANDER
ed, and pya man to whom it has been
our pleasure to recognize as high toned
and honorable gentleman, being one
prominent iB business here. You all know
doubtless to whom l refer, one j A
Braeken We have ample aud reliable
evidence of the fact that Mr.. B has
stated to gentlemen from Cincinnati that
the merchants of Union City are not
y orthy Of credit, that they could not if
required to do So pay fifty cents on the
dollar of their Indebtedness. and in this
he has made no exception, that l am
aware of.


He mentions the name of one of our
old, we'll aud favorably known citizens,
was formerly merchant in our town,
as being the first to swindle his creditors,
having purchased goods on time in the
East, | believe in Cincinnati, sold them,
pockcsS1the meney and then induced his
to~take@ go cents the dollar
as pay for their claims, giving as his au
thority for this statement Mr., A. NJ. Z.
Simmons This We all know, as do the
merchants with whom he dealt, to be
false, aud | believe that Mr.. B. knew it
to be false ;at any rate he. had every op
portuniy TO know it. He has made 9th
er statements touching the reputation of
gentlemen here, some of which are known
to be false, and the balance are believed
to be equally false. Now, gentlemen, it is
evident to my mind that there is &c
sign in all of this, for am not prepa ed
to believe that any man with common
sense would stake his reputation for in
tegrity upon the pleasures to be derived
from being esteemed, man learned in
the affairs of his neighbors. No, gentle
meu. there is desideratum. and | be
lieye that desideratum to be this, that
MIR. B. hopes if he may be able to de
stroJ the credit of those of us, who are
engaged in business here, that he will
amass fortune, that be will for a season
enjoy a monopoly by which he will be
able to compensate himself for the sacrifice |
of honor and integrity. | will be char
table enough, however, to say that had
ne been possessed of wisdom, eommen
'urate with the avarice in his nature, We
would have been spared an exposition in
shich no man can take pleasure.


Resolutions embodying substance of
Ibove remarks were then adopted and
ordered to be published.