Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-07-25

Tax AxD Now.-The following letter
written BY Emerson Etheridge, in 1851,
presents a remarkable contrast with the
letters and speeches of a more recent
date. His compliment to the slave
holders whom, he says, are inferior in all
respects to the negroes, must be refresh
ing to those who are patting and petting
Etheridge now:
P4pUc1H, December 1s, 1861.
DEAR SIR | have been here since
Sunday. Hound the place full of strug
Cling Tennesseeans, who have fed from
the despotism &C home-the draf Ting
process, which, because of the intense
excitement and resistance it produced,
has been Temporarily suspended. The
greatest resistance was in Weakly, Car
Troll, Henderson, McNairy and Hardin
Some of the scoundrels who voted for
secession--for the war---have fed, and if
the F ederal troops were, in my old dis
strict for one week, ID would put a full
brigade in theifeId. lButEhe difficulty is
in getting 30 this place. Two days since.
tRo men from Hardin and McNairy ar
rived here, leaving their armed squad of
thirfy-two in the woods of Carroll They
came to ask at what point enthe State
line their comrades might hope to meet
/ Federal aid They had to return heart
broken withoutit a9 5aH 1of5rlIesat
/ The. people there are daily praying
| for an advance of the Union army, and
it seems hard that they. should so. long.
endure the suspense and disappoint-
| ment. Through these fugitises l have
been able to Communicate with my
friends in Tennessee The Union SEN.
1 timent is stronger than / had supposed
4 il to be, and INCREASING. Q ORe Federal
victory, ins Kentucky will be the death
knen Of rebellion in Tennessee. Great
! complaint exists here because of the
Ienient, do-no'hing policy of General
Smith, the commahdant at this post. A
vigorous policy ia absolutely necessary.
This is a hell-hole of treason, and every
suspected villain ought to be put to work
! under a negro overseer. Until The
rebels are made TO suffer. in the quits,
they will be tHsolent and act the part
of spies. i shall remain here some
days longer, and until i caH hear
directly from those. with whom / am
anxious to communicate. 1t is but
forty miles to the Tennessee line, near
which is rebel camp in this State. Ii
4 is this camp which makes the fight Of
Tenuesseeans-sah az 4rdous. -----.-------s
Whenever the Federal army advances,
| those who have been drafted ION paper
will be ordered under arms, and then the
exodus will begin in earnest One en-
tire district in my county refused to per.
NIT a,draff, and were qnieted only By an
, assurance that it would be suspended.
"Contrahands" are arriving daily from
Burnett's lin Kentucky constituents,
who have lost their rights under the
Federal government. Their apology for
their pedestrian performances is that
their rebel masters are preparing to run
t them off to Dixie OF course all Union
0 men are glad to see them come, and not
!. one Of the traitors will ever be permitted
to reclaim them. Why should they be-
The negroes are, IN all respects, bette
: and more respectable than sttoh masters
a Now is the time for action. A coun.
o ter current has set in, and little ener
gy will produce the best results. liz an
J one wishes to know when | will return
tell him-not while can do the thieves
and traitors in rebeldom any harm,
! Yours, truly,
CSigned,] EN-. ETHERIDGE.
Hon. A. johnson, .. 5. g., Washington
y r. N o.