Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1866-07-18
"Janus.faeed..

|rifrOns Like the Hndoo god, Ganesa, the worship
Iof Janus began by offering wine and incense, and
according to Horace he was known under Tho tIteI
f Mat4tinas, or the "opener of the day. Incl
placing of gates and doors under the care OF this
god, resulted in his representation with stan and
<ey so that he was known and named the opener
Patulcius and the shutter Clusius.) After having
4 Iebauched the nymph CarnG, he compensated the
rail one for the loss Of her virtue by giving her the
+ flee of presiding over door hinges!
i Unfortunately fo7 society, if not for humanity,
he myth Of Janus has not ceased with the dark age
4 # heathenism. The great American Republic, If
not possessed of living, moving breathing, Quad
4 lfrons, must certainly mourn the presence OF an
minated Janus Bifrons. The Roman temple of the
Quadrirons long since leveled to earth has been re-
,laced in the city of Washington by the dedication
# the White House. and the motley multitude wor-
hin at the shrine of the modern Janus, incarnated
i IN the person of Andrew Johnson, citizen Of Ten
President of the United States then and there
! being.
4 When the bleeding Republic of America, strug-
4 Cling to retain her treasure of human liberty, OF
which bandits and highwaymen sought by force to
eprive her. she held high the keys of her casket,
Invoking the chivalry of freedom to rescue and
defend her in her extremity. Then it that Patul-
Gus Johnson plebeian who had struggled with oh
curity for a small blast Of the trump of fame, came
to the assistance Of his country, claiming to be
champion of her cause In the Senate right gal
anty did he stem the torrent Of secession SO incur
ring the hatred of conspirators that price put
upon his head and he was forced TO fy before his
4 prosecutors and from his East Tennessee home.
When the victorious arms of his government
rove the traitors from the soil of Tennessee Patu
ius was honored for his faith, and placed high
i n pc - r as Military Governor of his State. Calling
around him the faithful few, who had fought the
ht of freedom he established law order and gov
srnment from out of the chaos of treason, violence
and disgrace invoking the assistance Of all patriots
] who held sacred their countrys honor.
Patulcius johnson opened the government Of the
State of Tennessee, by calling Convention OF the
people, who amended the Constitution of the State
aboshing the sinful curse of slavery, and limiting
the elective franchise to the true tried friends of the
GOV eminent, and none others. He made proclama-
tion of the acts of the Convention, acting in the
primary and sovereign capacity OF the people, and
called for the election Of Governor and members
If the General Assembly After procsiming the
authority Of this election Patucius nobly spoke as
follows:
Here might well close this proclamation, but
will be pardoned for adding that the action of the
sConvenIIOn is wisely submitted to the loyal people
tc ;rS Of al political porcer-for approval
md feel assured, they appreciate the restoration
good government and the protection of their lives
and property they will not hesitate to come forward
. q, tvl ~.
action of the Convention. Strike GO,on
Z: on: 5i0.V the ast'tWtIol Of siarery-rsnoUe the dis
str5ug element from yoIr midst and by united &C
uon restore the State lis ancient moorings again
and you may confidently expect the speedy RETURN
peace, happiness and prosperity
The peOple-tho loyal people-appealod to in Ian
guage SO emotional, stimulated by their own pstr-
sOtism, rallied round the standard OF liberty ratified
the amendments to the Constitution elected loyal
fGovernor and Legislative Assembly. Proclamation
Of the fact was made by our Putulcus and he took
occasion again TO pronounce, truthtully and elo-
squently, rs follows:
"A new era dawnS upon the people of Tennessee
thy enter upon career guided by reason, law
order and reverence The reign Of brute force and
PERSONAL violence has passed away forever. By
sther own solemn act at the ballot box the shackles
have be- formally stricken from the limbs of more
han 275, 900 slaves in the State. TIE unjust DIS
tucIi0nS IN society fosered by arrogant ariStocrG
icy based upon hsEnat Jodage hare been ocsrthroon
and our achoLe Socist system RECONSTRUCTED on
me basis Of honest Industry and personal aoorth-
Labor shall now receive Its merited reward, and
honesty en- rgy and enterprise their just apprecia-
ztOn."
Our newly elected Governor entered upon the dis
charge of his duties, in connection with the Legs-
lative Assembly. Meanwhile Patulcus had been
promoted to the Vice Presidency of the Republic,
AS reward of supposed merit, and q tribute from
! the loyal people Of the country. He made inau-
gural speech attacking the blOated aristOcracy Of
slaveFy, and congratula.ing the plebeian worth oi
the III iddle classof which he clamedto be the rep
resentatve-loyaIty Qas 20 be the touchstone trsa-
so,s must be made adiols Qndha.,, 2lsbed! The
Sconspirators of treason charged that Patulcus
drunk with Joy or wine) when he spoke his piece
tthus-the country cried aloud if so, then IN rino
sUeritas." The assassin then struck down the pure
patriot Abraham Lincoln, in the midst of mis- mod
/ lest glory and in the prime of usefulness. Cruel
iagger! that when it struck home upon the sacred
MARTYR created Janus for its Nemesis.
The grave hid from mortal sight the victim thus
zicstroyed-the Vice President assumed the station
which the law gave him, with the respect and con
/ fdeDce Of the men who had bestowed upon him the
s,econd office of the Republic. His words OF loyalty
and truth were fresh upon his lips-scarce spoken
but moment, and entered simultaneously with him
the portals of power Alas for truth, wisdom and
honesty once seated upon the throne the pinnacle of
his ambition, our President, who had been the
OPENER now developing the Janus became the
s>j.utter-" Palulcius metamorphosed at once into
Clusiusr
Treason was 10 longer odious and traitors, in lieu
sof punishment, received pardon by the thousands
1t was the MGtsltnuS, the dawn OF double-dealing
the of broken promises and false words. Those
who worshpped at the shrine of treason clbowed
away and displaced the sage counselOrs Of loyalty,
offering wine and incense TO the tickle god after the
fashion described in the satires of Horace, invoking
ztheir Janus, with his bifrons. After debauching
the nymph Of loyalty, ne initiates his myth by prot
erlng her the custody of the door-iBges while the
door itself is opened wide to receive the gorgon of
ftreason.
Those faithful ones VINO rallied to his standard in
Tennessee to strike down at one blow the insttu-
ttion Of slavery, retain longer the confidence of
5ther whilom leader-the true men who "struck the
shackes from 375,GO0 slaves and did away with the
unjust distinctions Of society, fostered by AFRO
! giant aristocracy based upon human bondage" now
Z lind themselves in the vocative, and the arrogant
aristoeracy duly and truly reconstructed other
basis than honest industry and personal WORTH
The true source Of all political power, the loyal