The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1862-04-10

paiu VlSlt to the CINCINNATI Chamber
Of Commerce, and by invitation address.
ed that bcdy-as follows:
am sorry, gentlemen and fellow cit-
zens, that am not in condition to
make you even a short speech. | have
been accustomed for thirty i've years to
making public speeches, and have only
failed in the art during the past three
years, while suffering from bronchial
affection Of the throat. am getting
better, however, and although for two
years past could hardly speak above a
whisper, | can now make myself heard
at the distance of few feet, particularly
when am talking about Disunion for
| never get on that subject that God, in
his Providence, does not increase the
volume of my voice.
In addition to my other sufferines, I
have been incarcerated in a damp, gloomy
| Jail, shut out from the fresh ali and free
exercise, for three months. This has been
| hard on me, who was always accustomed
to jump higher, fall latter, and squall
louder than any other man in Tennessee,
[cheers, always saying what plessed,
going where pleased, and coming when
l pleased. For three months have been
kept in close confinement. and the only
favor allowed me was that my little son
should bring me my meals three times a
day The food that WIS ..iyrn my fellow
prisoners by the officers in Charge of the
Jail was the foulcst of'al from the hotel
No true Nirginian would give such food
to his dog. My food wa~ prepared by
my wife, and was brought 10 me by my
little son IN lttle basket.
The officers in charge used to take this
basket. lift off the napkin, examine be
tween the plates and watch all my move,
ments to see that some little bit of paper
containing information irom my friends
was not cor cealed in the basket, and
when | had finished my meal. the same
examination was made to sec that | did
not communicate with them The only
information | obtained was from my little
son, who would whisper to lie that a
fight had occurred here or an engage
ment there, but no details whatever were
given me, for they charged that in the
absence of Gov. johnson and Horace
Maynard, | was at the bottom Of the con-
spiracy and the leading spirit in the op-
position to the Southern Confederacy.
[, however, entered into learned di-
plcmatic correspondence with a little
miserable Jew. named Judah p. Bcnja-
min, the 50 called Secretary of War of
the bogus Confedcracy. In that cores
pondencc | have the vanity to believe
/ that [ got the better of him. This cor
+ resppndonce has never been printed
although, now that am at the North,
shall take the opportunity to lay it before
the public.
In that correspondence he stipulated
to let me out He said was bad man.
and dangerous man to the Southern
Confederacy and, said he, 81 have d.
rected MAJ jor General Geo. B. Crittenden
to sca you through the lines to the
people you serve "A-reed,' said |
'ft out your escort, and | will accom-
pany it. propose to do for the South
/ crn Confedcracy what the devil never
did-quit the country" TChcers i
About the time | was ready to start, an
/ inferior officer came in with warrant
for my arrest. Holding in my pocket
the passport of the Secretary of War of
the bogus Government of the Southern
/ Contc!cracy, and the order for my re-
moval signed by Crittcllen, declined
! to notice the warrant. This officer, n
little upstart named James G.. Ramsey,
seized upon ne, and swearing to his own
warrant, the ?c,jurcl villain, that | had
committed treason against the State of
Tennessee in writing certain editorial
which was published in the Knoxville
Wing, and which, mark you, was print
ed May 24th, one month before the Or
dinance of secession was passed and Ten
nessec had passed into the Southern
Confederacy. and yet this WAS treason to
the State. was taken out of the hands
of the military authorities, denied trial
and thrust into Jail en- the affidavit of
this miserable, debauched little puke
After being in Jail three weeks, | was
attacked with typhoid fever, and for
twelve weeks | was very low. | was re-
moved to another room, and becoming
worse, they called in an additional ply
sician. Although | was so low that |
had to be turned over in my bed, and
could not move of my own will, the guards
were doubled and extra precautions were
taken to prevent any escape. The ex-
cuse they gave for all this was that was
only pretending to be sick In this they
showed their ignorance Of the Union men
Of Tennessee. | intended to see them
out if all were trumps, and never to run
from them. intended carrying out the
arrangements made with Benjamin.
The Brigadier General commanding
at Knoxville came in to see me one day
The prisoners all rallied around to hear
what was said He said: " Brownlow,
you ought not to be here 81 think so,
too," said |. Now,' says he, ''comc
along with me and we will make it all
right: We will 90 up to Judge Hum
phrey at the Cour: House, and you can
take the oath of allegiance to the South
ern Confcderacy." | turned round to
him, at this insulting proposition. "Sir,
said I, "beforc | will take the oath of
allegiance to the Southern Confederacy
to obtain my freedom, | will rot in Jail
with disease, or die of old age. Nay,
more-I deny that you have Govern
ment; l deny that you are authorized to
administer the oath Of allegiance to your
cotton mob Government, which no power
on earth will recognize. Before | will
do so, will see the entire Southern Con-
fcderacy in hell and you and | on tho top
of it, GGreat cheering. "Sir,' said
he Uthat is Id plain talk "l es