Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1866-09-26
THE KNOXVILLE WHIG.
Knoxville, Tenn, Sept. 20, 1866.
A ScOrcher--.Resignati0n Of an Indi-
ana OfliCe-hOlder...His Letter to A.
johnson.
STocKwELL, Ind, August l3, ls6r

OIOCkMELLs 1nd. august Is, 1866.
TO tie President Of tie United States
Honored Sir: Commissioned as Collector of In
ternal Revenue for the Eighth District of Indiana
on the 18th day of August, 1862, "to serve during
the pleasure Of the President y by Abraham Lin.
coin, your martyred predecessor, i have endeavored
faithfully to discharge the duties Of the office until
the present time. l had, from the time of youI
memorable and manly utterances in the United
States Senate and as Military Governor of Tennes-
see against treason and traitors learned to respect
and esteem you. / heartily united with the loyal
and liberty-loving people TO do what l could 10
place you in the second highest position within the
gift of great nation. And when the hand of the
assassin contingenty elevated you TO your present
exalted position, the American people were wont to
regard you, with the and fearful responsibilities
resting upon you, with tenderness and devotion
amounting TO little less than alteration. judging
Of your future policy from the foreshadowings Of
your able annual message TO the Thirty-ninth Con-
gress, regarded myself (however humble) as one
of your sincere friends and earnest supporters
looked upon you as the visibe head and standard
bearer OF the great Union party, which, under God,
lhd SO lar saved the country from hopeless ruin As
President Of the United States, your official act
which first startled your friends in Indiana and
caused them TO pause, was your veto Of the Civil
Rights Bill. As l read and re-read your annual
message to ny mind there clearly traceable and
ably amPhfed IN that document, every important
principle contained in the Civil Rights Bill Next
IN the category of this tultifying and stunning pro-
cess was your anomalous and inexplcable course in
opposition to the finally mild and conservative ac-
ton Of Congress- precedent 10 the admission of rep
resentatives from States lately in armed rebellion
against the Government. Did il occur to you in
the incpency of your opposition that in that action
Of Congress every member of the most numerous
branch of that body who voted to elevate you to the
Vice Presidency in 1861 also voted for the late pro-
posed amendments to the Federal Constitution p
Had you your friends iu and out of Congress had
right TO expect, given your sanction and official
Endorsement TO these measures, you would have done
much to quell the fears and inspire the hopes of
every patriot throughout the land. This much your
friends felt you owed both TO the memories of the
heroic dead and TO the interests present and future
Of distracted country.
But, sir your crownng act, II will not say of per-
ndy which has resulted in severing the last link of
political friendship which bound many loyal heart
10 you, was your official interference with the mill
iary, whereby it was unable to prevent and your
ME6r 5 F6S nds ds OF the E tTaoTPus i e
TO allow the late bloody and fearful riot dsgraceful
alike to the city and the nation. Indiscriminatey,
in that terrible tragedy Union veterans, loyal citi-
1ens and christian missionaries were beaten stabbed
shot down and murdered outright. Among the
maltreated was the learned and accomplished Henry
G. jackson, of Indiana, graduate of Asbury U nj
verify, model man, sent by the authorities of the
Methodist Episcopal Church to preach the Gospel
IL the city of New Orleans. He was first knocked
down and shamefully beaten, then shot through the
body the Dali passing through ooth lungs ana Others
doubtless noffensive he fell victims to violence
on that dreadful day. By whose hands was this
foul and fearful work accomplished? answer not
by the loyal Union-loving men who elevated you TO
power, and who followed the old flag through the
dark hours of war, but by those who for four long
years were in armed rebellion against the Govern
ment who still hate it in their hearts and who once
hated You with equal malignity, but who now, for
some reason, amid the wild carnival of death,
excite forward the infuriated mob by shouting "he
President is on our side The blood of our broth
ers cries from the ground" Who shall say that
condign punishment shall not be meted ont speedily
70 the guilty, that others may fear?
Since now, by comparing your late acts and pres
ont status with your former repeated declarations,
have lost all hope III the future of your administra
ton and yet, with the highest respect for your Of
fetal position and with earnest prayer that the na
tions God may prevent you from wrong doing,
guide and uphold you in all welldoing; and believ-
ing 1t to be your WISH it certainly II your privil
ege, te award TO your friends the patronage at your
command, hereby respectfully tender you my res
llEnation.
Very resp ectfully, your cbedient servant,
JOHN l.. SMITH.