Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1866-06-27
Exposure Of the COpperhead Assault
upon Colonel Stokes.
How the President Carries out His
Circular to the Soldiers"

How the President Carries out His
"Circular to the Soldiers"
From the Washington Chronicle.
The assault upon Colonel William B. Stokes by
the myrmidons of Andrew johnson renders it neces-
sary that statement Of his relations to that ind-
vdual and TO the great cause Of which he so dis
tinguished champion, should be made public. Col.
Stokes was born'in Chatham county, North Caro-
lima on the 9th of September, 1914. He an
old-line Wing before the war, and occupied num-
Der Of important positions in Tennessee, TO which
State he removed in early life He served three
sions in the Legislature twice representative and
once as senator and was elected a member from his
district of the NXXVIth Congress- in which he
served with great distinction, acting generally with
the anti-savery or Republicans. During all
this period Andrew johnson and VIM. b. Stokes
were political enemies, having taken opposite sides
IN politics; but, as Stokes was in the House when
johnson was in The Senate at the time the rebellion
was threatened, they became earnest friends the
occasion of the celebrated speech of the latter against
the secessonists in the Senate, early in December
1860 Stokes was on the floor and heard this speech
and was so carried away by enthusiasm that he
came forward, took his opponent by the hand, and,
from that time until recently, they worked together
in the same cause like earnest and devoted cham
pions and friends. Cooperation in such struggles
those which arose from the rebellion was enough to
attach men earnestly and cordially to each other;
and it is net surprising that johnson and Stokes
should have become sworn and confidential init
mates Not a step was taken by the one without
consultation with the other. They were naturally
Radicals but johnson far more extreme than
his old line Wing associate. As Democratic leader
in Tennessee he the chief Of the ultras and all
the time contending against the slave aristocracy
In Congress he was the champion of the homestead
BILL which constantly the dread of Calhoun,
Jefferson Davis, Isham G. Harris and other seces-
sion leaders and in the State Legislature before he
came into Congress, he always recommended popu-
lar improvements in constitutions and laws Thrown
into the front of the Union movement in the South,
he became so determined in his opposition to the
cessonists that he allowed no oneto differ from him,
making it test upon all his associates and friends,
and giving no quarter 20 the traitors TO the SYM
pathizers with secession. None of his compatriots
sympathized more earnestly with him than Colonel
Stokes, and when it became necessary to lay the
foundations for the new State government Stokes
and johnson were the chief architects 1t will be
recollectcd that johnson took so much interest in
the reorganization of his State to have desired
remain absent from the Inauguration of Mr.. Lin
coln on the 4th of March, 1865 preferring, as he
said TO stay at home and to prepare to bring Ten
nessee back into the Union in the hands of ultra
loya men, than TO be present at the pageant of the
Inauguration. When after the assassination he be-
came President he kept his eye steadily fixed upon
Tennessee. 1t will be recollectd that one of the
gravest charges made against him while mltarygov-
ernOr of Tennessee was that he would allow no one
loyalty that all men should vote for himself and
Abraham Lincoln-an accusation that had simply
the foundation that nearly all the Mcclellan men
were traitors, as nearly all the johnson men in the
same State to-day were traitors and sympathizers
with treason. When he became President, William
@ Brownlow was Governor of Tennessee and car
red out, with the assistance of Stokes, Maynard,
Fowler, Arnell, Fletcher, and Milligan, precisely
the policy laid down by johnson while he was Gov
ernOr and so far from any word of protest or re-
l,r1la
he insisted that these men should continue to pro-
scribe the traitors, and when in July of 1865 while
Stokes, Maynard and others were running for Con-
gress, the scccssionists attempted to vote and to
threaten others who attempted to vote the Union
ticket, johnson instructed Governor BrowHlow TO
call on Gen. George II. Thomas to use the military
against hem and TO protection to the friends
Of BrOwnlow and Stokes. Governor Brownlow a
that time issued of his characteristic addresses
the United States, having read this extraordinary
address Of Governor BrownlOw, telegraphed to the
latter follows:
WASHINGTON, D. C.-35OP PM
July l6, 1865.
To Cor. w. G. Bro5cRJo,r:
l hope, as l have no doubt you will see, that the
laws passed by the last Legislature faithfully eN
ecuted and that all illegal voters in the approaching
election be kept from the polls and that the ell lection
Of members OF Congress be conducted fairly. When
ever II becomes necessary for the execution of the
law and the protection of the balot-bo you will
call Upou General Thomas for sufficient military
force to sustain the civil authority of the State
have Just read your address, which most heartily
endorse. ANDREW JOHNSON.
President U. S. A.
With this endorsement of the President Stokes
prosecuted the canvass, and triumphanty
elected The reader who is constantly informed by
President Johnsons friends that he would have pur
sued Abraham Lincoln's policy has but to contrast
the endorsement of the ultra loyal sentiments of
Brownlow by johnson with this assumption.
At that time appointments we're to be made in the
State at large and in several congressional districts
Of assessors and collectors under the internal reve
nue. President johnson requested the representa-
tives chosen by the State TO select their own men
for these places, which they accordingly did. 1t
will be remembered that about the time Mr.. Seward
recovered from his severe injuries, and when the
plans that he had been concocting began to assume
shape Il sudden change took place in the policy OF
the President and he refused to endorse the Union
candidates in New York. Pennsylvania, Ohio and
New jersey, although all these candidates had been
Tlaced upon platforms composed OF the strongest
endorsements of himself and his extraordinary 10y
Al uttcrances Then came the organization of Con-
gress with the gttering generaities OF his annual
Tpessaoc He was still undecided what course to
take and apparently anxious TO preserve his reia-
tions with his own friends at home A meeting was
called at Nashville, on the 22d of February, 1866
At the request Of Andrew johnson, Colonel Stokes
went TO Nashville for the purpose OF defeating the
attempts of he Copperheads to capture the organ-
zation, and heal the troubles in the Union ranks
series OF resolutions were drawn of the most de-
clded character. They were submitted to Andrew
Johnson and by him carefully read and deliberately
sanctioned They were objected to by the Presidents
now acting private secretary, Hon E. Cooper, who
then, as before having supported Mcclellan for the
Presidency, could not endorse MANY of the senti-
nents therein contained. They were second time
presented 10 the President who having been in
formed that Cooper took issue with them said
Well upon these issues we must stand; those who
are not with against u.s. Carrying these res
olutions in his hands, Stokes went to Nashville ar
rived there in time 10 be present at the meeting and
found the Copperheads in full possession 1t ought
TO be stated that copy of the resolutions referred
70 had been forwarded to Nashville to a man who
was supposed to be leading Union man, with in