Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1865-02-22

'N'hlN"f ~ ~ IOlf o. l0Np
Rtr, ", a. Brooaiows
DEAR DoroR-l have long had ii IN mind tc
write you. bulhitbulo for ruoparteuhr reason have
ndlcd, Having now leisure hour, will doyots il
to you.
] rejoice to see that there is Mt longth prospect
for the restoration Of civil government in our State
and sincerely hcpc that the effort, now making to
that end. by the loyal people Of Tennessee, may
provo entirely successful | hayo not been able
anywhere to find detailed account of the proceed
u.- of the Nashville Convention of last month
which ! much rcgrcl-but with the action of that
patriotic body, SO far rs | have seen, | am greatly
pleased. Asa citizen of Tennessee, / heartily en-.
dore tho nomination. SO unanimously made, for
Governor and would love to see it unanimously
ratified by the people.
The amendment to the Constitution of the State,
recommended by the Convention, upon the subject
OF slavery meets 10Y entire appreciation, and pray
God, our people may chcorfully adopth
-Four years ago ! believed that slavery ought to
bc preserved and SO did nearly every man in Ton
ncsscc. With you and all other loyal men Of tho
South, tried honestly and earnestly to save it, by
Wv '''s "''""" u! "'''" II V""u nave puc s"N Nou
-ond That was by maintaining the Consultation and
the Union, then saw in peace preserved the per-
pctuity Of slavery and row Ithnk | perceive in
the preservation of slavery the pcrpctuaon Of war.
Insofar then rs peace is preferable to civil war, is
the destruction of slavery desirable. Before this re-
bcIlion slavery and civil wnr were not synonymous,
but now they are-bad men have made them So
Slavery Is the lever with which treason cndcayorcd
TO oplurn cur Government. Slavery is the wedge
Wllh which traitors designed to divide our nation
Let the people break the lever into atoms, and an
nhlIate the wedge forever This institution was
claimed To he the great source of wealth and pros
pery to the great States Of the South but the fact
IS now read Of all men, that ii has been made the oc
'"S'oh oil 'ne destruction OF more wealth than per
maps 'h' entire real and personal property of the
N"''" WIS worth negroes included, not to mention
'"' Uhu'i'iap'e Sulerlng' with which 1t has cursed
'n' hNloh ana lxeHVerS OF precious lratcrna blood
WIN "il'h u mas W'tered thousand batte-hcds
we nave urea development OF the resources OF the
SCUM suIncehtIy under the slavery sy-tom, mduow
we have fair opportunity to try it upon the free
labor plan. a comparison Of the growth of Ten
nc~seo, for fifty years, with that of the great young
States of the Northwest for twenty-five years will
AFFORD striking illustration of the results of the two
! systems. Tho advance of Tennessee compared to
theirs h1s been as one to three or four. We have
many natural advantages over these States, yet they
nave lett us far behind in thcgrand march of mental
ana physical developments and in the great race
Tor political power The incubus OF slavery has al
ways hcd, IN ITS heavy grasp, the energies Of our
population ana the very idea OF Its existence IN our
ot'' mas D'en as eleent IN repcIling from our bor-
dtrs the intelligent enterprise, industry and capital
OF noh-sIaveho'dng States, as if it had been fam
ing sword in every gate Of entrance. With civil
! government, peace aud the Union restored, and
| slavery voluntarily abolished IN our State, day
dawn7 upon Tennessee, in my opinion, brighter and
more grandly and glorously auspicous than she has
ever yet looked upon or scarcely imagined True
Slooooo,ooo of capital now invested in negroes, is
annihilatcd at once and forever; and if there were
nothing to compensate that loss, it would seem to be
serious injury to the pccuniOry interests Of our
! people. But who shall estimate the enhanced value
of all other interests in the State within ten years
after she becomes, constutionaly free State. In
! stead of loss, tho Sl00,0OOO00 now in slaves
seemingly sunk with the abrogation of the system
will prove the most remunerative Investment of
capital her people have ever made Our genial eli
mate, our generous soil our unbounded mexplored
uniathomcd mines of silver copper, lead, zinc, coal
salt and iron, our untapped oceans of oil, our unr-
vailed quarrics of marble our unlimited water pow
er our picturesque and variegated scenery-thcsc
rcsi.tlcss attractions will draw from the tecminr
North and East intelligent enterprse skilled labor.
and abundant capital. These elements of a now life
will quickly penetrate every section Of the State.
and at once as bv electricity. rovivifv every atom
of our organism, political social industrial pbys-
cal and intellectual and Tennessee nurred and MI
rifod by the fiery ordeal Of war will cmerco from
the bontism Of blood rclcomed and disontbrolod
rercnera,cd and free will resume her rIoco in tho
sistcrhood of North American United sto,os, and
| = 80,