The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1865-08-23

faction and complaint, because of the
election of your illustrious predc cessor
and the Hon. Hannibal Hamlin, whom
the Rev. Mr.. Brownlow represented as a
free negro. said, also, that you were
then only conditional Unionist; that you
declared yourself "not for seeding or
breaking up fhe Union of these States
untH every fair and honorable means had
been exhausted in trying to obtain on the
part of the non -slaveholding States a
compliance with the spirit and letter of
the Constitution and all its guarantees"
And 1 further stated that you, at the same
time, had assured your rebel friends, with
whom you did SO "deeply sympathize, "
that "when this shall have been done, and
the States now in open rebellion" (mean-
ing Vermont and Massachusetts, against
the laws of the United States x x 4
shall persist in their present unconstitu-
tional course, it * (the Govern
men) will not have accomplished the
great design of its creation, and will,
therefore, in fact, be practical dissolu-
ton of the Union" repeat, 1 told the
people that this speech, so made as afore-
said by you (assisted by Senator Latham,
who was kind enough to read for YOU
was designed by you to foment rebellion
among your constituents. [ selected Ger
tain passages from that speech to prove
the above general statement. l referred
to that part in which you said ''there is no
power conferred upon the Congress of the
United States, by the Constitution, to CO.
cree State;" [ pointed to your demand
j ] "a. L Il
your statement that Vermont was, at that
time, guilty of Modification, of "resis-
tance to the laws of the United States,
which you pronounced "open rebellion
I commented upon your statement that
the conduct of Vermont had been such
that ''the Government was at an -
Nor did omit to tell the people that you
then and there (18th and 10Th of Decem-
Der, 1862 had submitted an opinion in
regard to your general complaint /
did not, like Beecher, pronounce you
drunk, nor did I, like Wilkes, say you
had been poisoned. I permitted you to
speak for yourself by reading the follow
ing from your speech:
ave have complained that their inten-
ton is to hem slavery in, SO that, like the
scorpion, when surrounded by fire, if it
did not die from the intense heat of the
scorehing flames, it would perish from its
own poisoned sting
You further promised your rebel friends
what Tennessee should do, if new guar
antees for slavery were refused. You said:
Tennessee will be found standing as
firm and unyielding in her demands for
J 81 oh
State in the confederacy." Iasserted, al
SO, that you had declared the election of
Lincoln and Hamlin sectional" that you
avowed your purpose to ''put down Mr..
Lincoln, and drive back his advances up
| on Southern Institutions" that you had
i promised not to abandon your 'Northern
i Democratic friends and leave all to Lin
coins COHORTS" that you solemnly pledg-
ed yourself "not to permit Mr.. Lincolr
to come with his cohorts, as we consider
them, from the North, to carry off every
thing All the foregoing, and much
more. I charged upon you, and proved i
by your speech of the 18th and 10Th o1
December. 1860.
i Continuing my address, I said that i
you were credible witness-I beg yor
to believe I so regard you-I could prove
T that every political supporter and admi
rer of your Excellency, and every follow
| er of the sanity Brownlow, then and there
present was disaasonist In doing this
l read from speech made by you, at Co
3 lumbia, Tennessee, On the I'd of June
Fl 1862. 1t was revised by yourself, an,
2 published in your own organ, the Nash
Vile Union, of June 9, 1862, then editet
!, by your friend Mercer, who is better known
! as "Quinine Mercer" because of his sym
: pathy with the rebel sick, to whom, it i
' alleged, he kindly smuggled that invalu
f able medicine while he sojourned within
f the Federal lines.
read the following:
r "Now, will prove, very briefly, that
t secessionist is as great an abolitionist a
] Sumner Both the secessionist and dis
4 unionist are for breaking up this Union
: | will state the argument in syllogism
: thus: An Abolitionist is disunionist:
+ disunionistfis is secessionist: a secession
L ist is disunionist: a secessionist is a.
e Abolitionist. There is not particle o
: difference between them
: | repeat, read the foregoing, afte
. WnIcH L WAS 50 IIeNeIeuG dS W Say III ie
! gard to your syllogism, that l could fin
d the silly but not the gism; but you wer
!; distinct and positive in the allegation
a that "an Abolitionist is disunionist.
: All this, and much more did say, ma
e it please your Excellency, for the man
e pious purposes hereinafter enumerated
o chiefly, however, with the design of quiet
: ing the hearts and consciences of a,few c
It your old rebel friends, Office holders an
IS Trade Agents, who desire to join you i
n your late but earnest championship of th
i rights of the colored race, They hav
5, some pride of consistency. Having al
e ways been rebels at heart, they dislik
! suddenly to become Abolitionists, fearin
= they may be required, in following you
n illustrious example, to deal harshly wit
It those who, from false sense of sham,
Is are still unwilling, by turning Abolition
a lists, to incur the rebel reproach of apo!
Is tacy. They urge that they dislike to |
1T called Judases; and yet they wish to
with you and at rest" Hence the strus
Il gle between their old party and rebel prit
IN and their love for you; their dire necess
l. ties and love of cash. With all such