The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-10-18
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
WILLIAM G. BROWNLOW AND
GEORGE II. CURTIS.
A REVIEW OF THE PARsON,


I special Correspondence OF the Norfolk Post.
t This man is one of those Insignificant
e beings who has pushed himself up to
: greatness by the force of his insufiera-
a BILE vulgarity and low breeding, facts
g that are not creditable to the good sense
I and refinement Of the people Of this
+, country. 1t is too often the case that
; the buffoon is made a hero, and black
) guardism secures popularity. We have
read recent discussion in the papers
between Brownlow, as Governor of
} Tennessee, and Mr.. Curtis, of New
York, which we think is quite as dis.
graceful to the Governor as it is credita-
bic to the lawyer. Some persons who
lose sight of the principles involved, as
well as the character of the parties are
disposed to side with the Governor.
Let us see who this man Brownlow is.
The editor of an insignificant partisan
paper in Knoxville, and the ignorant
believing eXhorter to small country
congregation, he forced himself into
notice by denouncing alike his political,
religious, and personal enemies during
the week in his vile journal, while on
the Sabbath he desecrated the pulpit of
the Lords Amounted by equally coarse
and vulgar TRADES against the same
class of people. He neither served his
country nor his God, but used both to
further his own ambitious purposes. 1t
is not speaking very much for the
good sense of the people of East
tennessee, when they can follow
the lead of man with such coarse
and brutal instincts as Brownlow
The Knoxville Why was always low
and disgusting newspaper, respecting no
manner OF decency, and ready at any
moment to violate alike the sanctity of
private feelings, of the hearth, or of the
altar. The language Brownlow has, al
ways used, whether in the press, the pull
pit, or on the stump, has been alike
heartless, coarse and uncouth, showing
himto be devoid of refinement, decency,
good-breeding, and, in fact, every quality
that distinguishes the gentleman from
the BLACKBOARD. During the war he has
displayed his coarse instincts by con-
tinuance of the gross and unfeeling re-
marks that he has so delighted in the use
of from his youth to the present time,
and still shows no disposition to repent
of, in his intercourse with those whosaw |
fit to oppose his natural but vulgar,
and fanatical ideas of right. He occa-
sionally condescends to attempt the use
of argument, but in doingso he exhausts
the vocabulary of billingsgate, for vile
epithets, low figures, and disgusting i'm.
ages. But his general way of using up
an antagonist is to denounce him plen-
tifully, in style illustrative of the con-
stipation of thought and diarrhea of
words, regardless of either truth OF JUS
tice, or plausibility. By the powerful
odor of words alone, he drives away all |
opponents, and remains master of the
field-for no refined gentleman can
afford to fight Brownlow--with his
own weapons. He gained some celebri-
ty, added to his notoriety, in the North
particularly, by having foresight enough
to continue faithful to the Union. Well,
the Union stood by him, and paid him
handsomely, too. 1T is no great matter
of credit to him if he did have the as
tuteness to foresee that the rebellion
would not succeed, and to put himself
safely under theprotection of the Ameri-
can flag. There were other men thou
sand times more honest, and certainly
much more decent, than thisvulgar and
brutal village parson, ribald editor, and
unworthy governor, who, casting their
fortunes with the majority of their State,
fought honestly for their honest, but
mistaken, convictions. and failed, who
are still gentlemen, and will always be
respected as such because they have not
lost their manhood. They did not change
theirnature, and, like Brownlow, turned
to hunting down their fellow-men, to
accomplish their ruin, or to exult over
their misfortunes. We grow sick with
writing about and thinking of this
reptile; and almost doubt the justice of
heaven when it permits its affairs thus to
be Knocked and desecrated, and the peo-
pie to be. tyrannized over and insulted
by being so vile and degraded. A
crazy fanatic, without feeling or reason,
or Judgment, and only distinguished by
his cruel and brutal instincts, to be per-
mitted to preach, or to teach, or to
govern a peoples! 1t is monstrous I
And, yet, heaven withholds its
avenging thunders! The correspond
ence of Brownlow with Mr.. George
Ticknor Curtis, of New York, is, on the
part of the former, so vulgar and so
wanting in sensibility and justice, as to
cause every American who reads it to I
blush, that such a man should be in
The possession of power and holding n
lignified position in the government of
he country. This and other things q
n fact, every act of his life-prove that
his tyrant, buffoon, mountebank and
,haratan, has no soul, but is governed
~ the cruel instincts ofthe tiger, to slay
because he has the power to destroy.
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