Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1864-11-09
Governor JOhnsOn's Speech.

Governor johnson said that II was evident
mighty revolution was abroad, and that II WIS
breaking up and casting down the hoary abomini-
ton which had for so many years held our grot
State and It's citizens both white and black In orul
and calling thralldom, Tonight every breeze rang
with the glad cry of freedom to all mankind. WITT
out respect TO race or complexion, lprocamatiols
had been made from many quarters during the pr
gress of this great social revolution. And to-nigh,
In the presence of this vast threng of labores
whose strong arms had contributed SO much 10 tie
wealth of this State, through many years of UNPAID
toll he stood upon the steps of her Capitol and pp
claimed freedom 10 all men in Tennessee Tie
tas-masters fetcrs and the scourge of the oyerser
lie broken beneath the feet of the ransomed slavs
forever,
| have often said to myself rs ! looked on tbs
enthraled race Is there no Moses who will rise aud
lead these people TO freedom A voice, "YM
shall be our Moses, Goyernor"l Yes, If no othr
doliverer will come to you, will be your Nose,
and help to secure and perpetuatc your freedom,
Hcnceforth all men should have n fair start aDl
an equal chance in the great race Of life. This ari
tocracy yes, this corrupt and damnable slave ars-
tocracy Of Nashville tNunt the friends Of free labor
with negro equality, Negro equality, indeed Why
walk along High street. among the paryenu negro
aristocracy Of Nashville whose sons are now skulk-
ing in guerrilla bands close to our city, robbng and
numbering and you can see ms many mulatto as
white children, bearing IN unmistakoabo rcscm-
blancc to some Of Nashvlles boosted aristocracy.
There is negro equality for you with witness.
! invoke the colored people to be orderly and
law-abiding, but at the same time let them assert
their rights and if traitors and ruflians attack them
while in the discharge of their duties, let them de-
fcnd themselves, as all men have a right to do.
III am no agrarian | respect the rights OF proper
ty acquired by honest labor But / say, neyerthe-
less, that if the great farm of Mark Cocllrl who
yided into small farms and sold to fifteen or twenty
honest farmers, society would be improved, Nash
vile mechanics and tradesmen would be enriched
the State would have more good citizens, and our
city would have n much better market than now
has.
am no agraran, but if the princely plantation
of William G. Harding, who boosted that le had
disburscd over S50000OO for the rebel Confeleracy
were parcclled out among fifty loyal, Industrious
farmers, il would be blessing to our noble Com
monwcalth speak tonight as a citizen If Ten
ncssec. | am here on my own soil, and NEAR to re-
main here and fight this great battle of freedom
through to the end. Loyal men, from this day for
ward are to be the controllers of Tcnncssees grand
and sublime destiny, and rebels must be dumb We
will not listen to their counsels. Nashville is no
longer the place for them to hold their meetings..
Let them gather their reasonable conclaves else
where; among their friends in the Confederacy.-
They shall not hold their conspiracies in Nashville
Governor johnson was enthusiastically cheerd
in the course of his remarks, and the vast assembly
dispCrsed in GOOD order