Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1865-01-25

souri, is.free" Loud applause.1 The men here to-
night an index to the State, and your amend
ment will sound the deahknell of slavery from one
end to the other. Why, many Of those slavehold-
ers are pretending to claim credit now for liberatng
their slaves, after they away. Myslaves walked
away, and did not think it worth while to say any
thing about it. Let come up and look each other
in the face like honest men, not like soOthsayers at
Rome, who said to smile in each others faces
when they met. Now, there are some Union men
who for putting off any action with a lingering
hope that something will turn up to slavery
They hope to gain by delay Just as the criminal
trial seeks to put off the day of trial. the slave
holder seeks to put off the day of emancipation
negro, and relieve him of the negro, and the negro
Of him. 1t will be great relief to him. and will
go far to put down the rebellion
Two things are needed to put it down. Get the
husbands, sons and brothers of our women out OF
the rebel army. That is one thing. The other is
slavery, which is the living principle of the rebel
lion.
Control and punish the negro then by the same
laws that you have to punish white criminals 1t
will not hurt the negro to be an apprentice. was
once an apprentice myself, and when sixteen could
pick more cotton than any negro L ever To
90 back-what wrong is there in primary meeting
of the people proposing amendments to the Const>
sutton Take any individual and lock him up in
one of these rooms, and then let him draw up two
or three amendments to the Constitution If tie
nients it would be consonant to the genius of the
government to Incorporate them with the Constit,-
ton. The point is, do the people ratify the amend
ments Now, if we call convention, which will
cause delay, will be expensive, and vexatious, will
that body refuse to submit its work to the people
| If any man favors this, he is seeking to do
! thing violatve of the interests of the people.
Here is an intelligent body highly respectable in
! talent and numbers, can it not draft amendments
and submit them to the people? You, as part of
the people, may mature your plans and submit them
| to the people.
There are various modes, but l am for the short
est and simplest plan which is the best A conven-
ton is also Objectionable on the score of economy,
! which is almost obsolete term. If there
| was people who wanted it put in practice we are
that people. To use an expression of the furnaces,
we working our furnace on its running stock
| If there be two ways of doing the thing, and
you can save hundred thousand by taking
the shortest take it. To candidates | would suggest
adopt these amendments, and then when you get the
| Constitution amended you run for the Eegisla-
| ture
See who of you do the most for the amend
ments, and such will stand the best chance to be
chosen to the Legislature Still if you prefer the
other and longer plan, l will yield. / am for the
end. If l cannot get my plan, [ will accept the
next best.
| But men, we know-even the best of us-are a
! little selfish Suppose you put seventy-fve one
hundred names on ticket for a convention. Fault
will be found with them, and if the ticket be sent
| home in this manner, the aspirations of many will
be cooled down, and you will have little work for
the ticket. Amend the Constitution, and you may
soon open the door for candidates for Congress and
| the Legislature.
On the question of the Courts, L would say moth
ing about that at present The rebellion did not
result from any defect in the Courts. They may
need reformation at a future time. STILL if you de-
termine to put that in, l will not be fractious but
will 60 for the great measure
In regard TO the elective franchise he would not
make that subject of constitutional amendment
II restrictions should prove necessary, the Legisa
ture should impose them. How long had it been
since five hundred men could meet in this Capitol
and avow themselves in favor of destroying slave
ry? Public sentiment was travelling fast, and would
keep pace fully with the necessities of the times in
regard torestrictiOns upon the franchise. In short
he would make amendments than were
necessary to the restoration of civil government.
l would, in fine, put nothing in the Constitution
except what is necessary to place the State its
legs. | would also declare the secession ordinance
and league void from the beginning for the reason
that many say they against secession but when
their State went out they went with her. Let us
take this argument out of their mouths by repeal
ing that ordinance of secession by law. | believe
myself that it utterly void from the beginning.
The most abOminable act of the rebellion the
League-the bargain and sale of the 7th of May,
which transferred one million of freemen, like
sheep in the shambles, to JEFF. Davis. want to
know where the rebel is who voted for that league
who now darcs TO come forward and vote against
them.
will wager my head bold bet-that if the
people will go to the polls and ratify these amend
ments, and then elect their Congressman and Sena-
tors, Congress will receive them as members and
you will stand once more as members of the great
family.
The day is not remote when the guerrillas and
marauders will be put down, and shall have
peace We must do this work ourselves, for the
Government cannot put platoon of sokiers at ev-
'ery mans house. But another regiment Of rebel
infantry will never stand again in Tennessee. Let
us 90 through this ordeal, and show the world that
democratic governments can stand. The great
principles of democracy are working, even in Rus
sia in the emancipation Of the serfs.
1t is easy TO talk fppantly of radicals and negro
lovers but if Abraham Lincoln, and jeff. Davis
were to unite they could force the negroes back
to slavery. They cannot control the causes at work
Even the Richmond leaders are putting tho slave
in the rebel army, and that results in his freedom
As well try to turn back the Mississippi or back up
the winds chain the Of the ocean, to re-
verse thi. great movement. Principles may be
checked temporarily but then they accumulate and
at last break loose with renewed force, and empires
are overturned.
l love the arts of peace. l .red to stay the she'd
ding of blood in the beginning. | tried to carry on
the controversy under the old flag, but in vain
Madmen ruled the hour, and whom the gods would
destroy they first make mad. War is not the ma
tural element of my mind. Yet still the military
arm is now Indispensable and both officers and sol
diers have my heartfelt thanks. Many Of them
have won honors. and who sit not very far
from me- who bear upon their persons honorable
scars received in defence Of their country On the
18th and 10Th Of December, when | went out to the
field, and the roar of artillery, and the rattle of
mu.ketry, and the shout and din Of battle came
rushing on my ear my heart thrilled with joy, and
the blood leaped in my vains. Yes when / saw old
George H Thomas riding along the line Of our ar
my, upon the hill, and saw cur brave men wheeling
sinto ranks, and heard the huzzas Of our, boys as
they drove the rebels before them, | thought the
Goddess of liberty took her Hottest flight and pro-
claimed her triumph in exutaton. 1t our
greatest battle, with the exception Of Stone River
George Thomas and his men should be cmulated
forever in the heart of every and woman in
the State, for he has banished the rebel army be-
yond its limits
Let US come now to work. Exercise the genius