Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1862-04-04
speech Of T.arson BrownIo1v.

The Nashville papers publish the follow
ing speech Of PARsoS BRowNLow, deliver
ed in front ofthe ST. Cloud Hotel, Nashville
on the evening Of the 18th inst II ha
tho genuine old Brownlow ring. He hai
been Gagged by the rebels, not conquered -
BrownIow said:
GENTLEMEN:--I am in a sad plight tc
say much of interest---too thoroughly in
capacitated to do justice to you or myself
My throat has been disordered for the pas
three years, and l have been compelled tc
almost abandon public speaking. Las
December was thrust into an uncomforia.
bic and disagreeable jail-for what?-
TreasonI Treason to the bogus Confed.
eracy; and tho proofs Of that treason were
articles which appeared in tho Knoxville
Wing in May last, when the State of Ten
nessee was a member Of the impershabIe
Union. AT the experatiou of four weeks,
| became victim oftho typhoid fever, and
was removed 10 room in decent dwell.
ing, and guard of seven men kept me
company. ! subsequently became so week
that could not turn over in my bed, and
the guard was increased to twelve men, for
fear should suddenly recover and run
away to Kentucky: Becoming GONZALES
cent, in measure, was removed to my
former place of confinement. One day l
was visited by some Confederate officers,
who remarked, "BrowDlow, you should not
be here. Take the oath Of allegiance to
the Confederate Government, which will
not only entlle you to speedy release, but
insure your protection" "Sir! said "be-
fore l would take the oath to support such
hell-forsaken institution, would suffer
myself to rot, or to die with old ago."
Why, my friends, these demagogues act
ually boast that the Lord is upon their side
and declare that God Almighty is assisting
them in the furtherance of lheir nefariou:
project. In Knoxville and surrounding To-
calties, a short time since daily prayer meet.
ings were held, wherein the Almighty was
beseeched to raise Lincolns blockade, and
to hurl destruction against the Burnside
Expedition. Their prayers were partly
auswered-the blockade at Roanoke Island
was most efectually raised; reciprocal of
their sacrilege divinely rendered.
Gentlemen, am no Abolitionist; ap-
plaud no sectional doctrines; 1 am a South
ern man, and all my relatives and interests
are thoroughly identified with the South
and Southern institutions. l was born in
the Old Dominion, my parents were born
in Virginia, and they and their antecedents
were all Shareholders. Let me assure You
that the South has suffered no Infringement
upon her institutions; the slavery question
was actually no pretext for this unholy, un-
righteous conflict. Twelve Senators from
the Cotton States, who had sworn to pre-
serve inviolate the Constitution framed by
our forefathers, plotted treason at night-a
tit ime for such crime-and telegraphed
to their States dispatches advising them to
pass ordinances Of secession. Yes, gentle
men, twelve Senators swore allegiance in
the day time, and unswore it at night. A
short time since | was called upon by a lit
tie Jew, who, believe is the Secretary of
War of the bogus Confederacy. He threat
ened to hang me, and expected no more
mercy from him than was shown by his ILL
ustrious predecessors towards Jesus Christ
| entered into long correspondence with
this specimen of expiring humanity, but
from mercy or forgetfulness on their part,
was permitted to depart with all my docu-
ments in my little valise, which l hope to
publish at no distant day. Gentlemen,
when I started on my perilous journey,
was sore distressed in mind, and exceeding
ly so in body. But the moment my eyes
encountered the pickets the Federal army
my depression decreased and returning
health seemed suddenly to inyigorate my
physical constitution.
Gentlemen, Secession is played out-the
dog is dead-the child is born, and his name
is jeff. Davis, Jr.
My throat distresses me to such an extent
that must decline further remarks this
evening, but shall make myself heard on
the first convenient occasion, which will
probably be ere the termination Of the pres
ent week.