Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1864-04-23
An Interesting Letter.

The following letter, though written
almost three years ago, has lost none Of It's
interest II was written by ISAAC BAYLEss,
of Union county, plain, honest, sensible
farmer, and member ofthe Baptist Church
TO that notorious rebel, j, t. GRAVES, n
Baptist minister and editor, who got up 4
part of regiment for the robel army, 10 be
armed with pixies, and Is now in the South
hiding from an indictment for treason.-
Graves is a northern man, and for his ultra
aboltionsm while school teacher in
Joshua r. Giddngs district, in Ohio, had
his school house burned to ashes, and to.
gethcr with his brother was driven ont Of
the country Mr.. BaylesS handles this trai,
tor with gloves Off
UNIoN CoUNrY, Tenn, June Goth, 1901.
J. r. Grarcs-DEAR SIR 1t is with sorrow
write TO you in order to inform you that Mt the clos,
of my year yoa will obgc me in discontnuins the
Tennessee BAPTIST, | cannot patroni4e paper
which takes grounds against my country, | had
hoped that your course would have been different
but acknowledge feared the result when | saw
that you was running into scctionalsm in nearly
every number, You seemed to array the North
against the South But for man Of your intclli-
gcnce to lend yourself to aid in breaking up the best
government in the world, and bring on civil war
the horrors of which can only told when the strife
is ended. Why sir, this dark deed would have been
moro suitable for demon than for man claiming
to be minister Of the meek and lowly Saviour
But l see that you are chaplain to the army that
explains it all. You have by your secession brought
war and ruin on this once peaceful and holy coun-
try, and if you shall survive this war; what nm sw-
/ ful destiny awaits you. Widows and orphans will
point to you and say to you, our peoples blood will
cry against youas their enemy Because you engaged
! in the strife 10 break up this glorious Union And
when see that You hid all the fault on Mr. Lin
coln and was willing to cover up the truth which is
SO obvious that the fault began with the South Car
olinnns and others was conceived in sin and brought
forth in nquity by the most corrupt party that ever
existed, then | am made to wonder in astonishmcnt
and say Of a truth, the great is fallen. 1t is true
Mr.. Lincoln has called out the militia to defend
/ himself but not until it was highly necessary. Sir
] YOU hll'N lldt u NNA llhNldllINA ~ HtE'Ntl
that before the fourth of July the Confederate flag
would wave on the capitol at Washington. In view
of all this he who would blame the President lorprc
pairing to defend tho government, would blame a man
for defending his house against band of robbers,
which the Southern Confcderacy has proven itself
/ to be. Here | might close but You have called on
the people Of Tennessee to rise up in against
H chain W. Of Ens IL
ling to join in this unholy war against our govern
mcnt, and against the constitution and laws az hand
ed down to us by our forclathcrs, hut would rather
die as frccmcn than t. submit to such usurpaton
and tyranny, The Southern Confclcmcy is bound
to 60 down. II sprng up like mushroom and
will IT'S surely fall as that there is a Just God who
governs and sways the universe. We might as
reasonably expect the Lord would bless the devil as
that he would prosper jeff Davis any of his fol-
lowers. Already there is written on the wall "Menc
Tckel' against the Southern ConicdoucN and he
who =. wise mus. see it, The South 80 A'-;I"a ""A
distracted, while the North is n unit. If this war
becomes general, then will you see that the policy
innugurated hy the South has broken up slavery.
Do not forget to stop my paper on the 27th of Dc
tobcr next. You can publish this if you choosc
ISAAC BAYLEss.
p.S.---July 9Th, lS6l.-Not having an opportu-
nifty Of mailing this the mails having ceased to run
on our road, thought | would add word more
! have received another number of your paper,
which looks pitful, being about half the usual size
containing nothing of Importance, and looks like
caving in This is the Legitimate fruits of secession.
! II your paper goes down you can console yourself
in knowing you have done it yourself. We was
about making up for library of Sabbath school
books from your house, but all is dead. Our people
are for the Union almost unanimously and was for
YOU until you cspouscd the doctrine Of secession
which we cannot swallow. We stood up in our as
ISOLATION and recommended your paper and books;
| but many who once thought you sound, now believe
otherwise But YOU say that you was for the Union
as long there was any hope, Sir it was MS think
a very cowardly act Of you to desert the Union at
Il time when she most needed aid. 1t may be
thought presumption in me to say that | will hold
to the last plank of the old ship of State though
all others prove false. would be unworthy of my
father if | would not rally under the stars and
stripes Of the Union, which he in the war of Sl2 and
| II served two campaigns to maintain, But there
is no probability that your Southern Confcdcracy
will last two years. | hope and trust it will be
thrashed out in less than year from this time for
l would rather die knowing my family was left un-
der the protection of the government of the United
States, than to live with th:m in submission to the
corrupt, so-calcd Southern Confederncy.
j. BArLEss.