American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-05-03
2.
MESSAGE OF
Governor Brownlow to the Legisla-
ture of Tennessee,
SECESSION.

try in the space Of four years IL na'
plunged our country into civil war, par
alvzed our commerce, destroyed our asrl-
cultural pursuits, suspended the whole
,r,de and business of our country, les
seued the value Of our property, destroy
ed many of the pursuits OF life, aud has
;nro,yed the South in rretrievable bank
ruptcy and ruin.
ms DEVASTATION.
What has it done for Tennessee? 1t
has formed odious and unconstitutional
military leagues passed military biils.a"a
inaugurated system of oppressive taxa
tion. without consulting the people, and
then. in mookery of free election, has
,reouired them by their votes to sanction
its usurpatiou, at the point OF the oayo-
net: under the penalty OF imprlsonment
and death. Ithas offered premium Tor
crime, in ordering the discharge OF c"'-
nr;Is from prisou on condition that they
would enter the rebel army, and IN recon-
meniing the judges to holdno courts ior
the trialof offenders. 1t has stained our
statute bool, with the re udiatlon OF hon
est Northern debts, and has palpabIy yio-
lated the Constitution, by attempting,
through its unlawful extension, to do
away with the right " suffrage 1t has
passed laws making it treason to say OF do
ANYTHING in favor Of the Governments OF
the United States, or against the so call
ed Confederate States ithas proslrated
and oyerthrown the freedom OF speech
and of the press; it has involved the
whole South in a war whose success IS
now proven to be utterly hopeless, and
which. ere anothe year rclIsr round, must
lead to the ruin Of the common people
It's bigoted, murderous and intoleFantsplr-
it has subjected the people Of Tennessee
to many grievances Our people have
been arrested and imprisoned; our homes
have been rudely entered and shametully
pilaged; our families have been subject
cd to insults, our women and children
have been tied up and scoqrged, or shot
by rufian soldiery; our towns have
been pilaged our citizens have been
robbed of their horses, mules, grain and
meat, and many of them ussassinated aud
murdered.
Hundreds, yes, thousands of our young
men, middle aged and old men, have been
driven from our State, and compelled to
enter the Federal army, in strange regi-
ments, aud their bones now lie bleaching
upon the many battle6elds of the South
and West, and all this because ouF pco-
ple were true to the traditions OF their
fathers. and refused to worshiprebe' gods.
And to the honor of the people be it
known, that more regiments to-day swell
the numpor of the armies of the Union
than there are living traitors in the ranks
of the enemy
THE UNION MARTYRS.
In this proud capital of lhe volunteer
State" there have been thousands of I'm
ion refugees, men women and children,
broken hearted naked and starving, q
great many are here still. They have fled
from the wicked and murderous gperril-
las, after being robbed of everything
they possessed They have lived in
camps or tents, by fires in the woods, have
dragged out miserable existence for Il
time and died among strangers. Hund
reds have suffered from actual want Of
necessary food, shelter aud clothing, while
many residences in this reLeiitous city
have been occupied by the families Of
those who were fighting against their
country, or being citizen rebels and home
,ruitors, have fed within tn rebel lines
These families have remained here pro-
tected, AMI have yielded an over-ruling
social influence. Many of them are
wealthy, and live in ease and comfort
They have busted themselves in giving
information to the enemy, in carrying
delicacies to rebel prisoners who have
been confined here for their crimes aud
treason. And it is stated upon undoubt-
ed authority, and the fact is notorious in
this capital, that the. .disloyal families
never contributed in the slightest degree
to the relief of the poor and distressed
Union women and children or disabled
soldiers thrown upon this population by
the operations of the war. / state these
facts, which may have the appearance of
a personal and local character, that YOU
may know how to shape your course when
personal and local Legislation is called
for.
AMENDMENT TO THE FEDERAL coNsTITU-
TIoN.
I have the honor to submit to the Gen
eral Assembly of the State of Tennessee,