The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1866-04-12
Miscellaneous.
Telcgraphic Correspondence Cincinnati Commercial
A Characteristic Speech from
r- Gov. BrOWnlOw.
KNoxvIILE, Tenn, March "a.

Governor BrOwnlOw has been at his
home in this city for some days, re-
cruiting his shattered health. At the
invitation of the German Union League
of this city, he addressed large as
semblage of his fellow-citizens, this
evening.
He prefaced his remarks by asking
their indulgence, as he was feeble, but
promised them to be brief and to the
point. He said that parties were again
at work, seeking an ascendancy in the
Government. The Democratic party,
under a new guise and new leaders,
was again asking countenance from the
people. The firing on Sumter was a
Democratic measure. The Southern
States were all Democratic when they
went into rebellion. The revenue
stamps you are now taxed with are
Democratic, and so are shinplasters.
announce to you that if Andy Johnson
is to lead the way in reconstruction,
with the Democratic party at his back,
! go the other way. ! 90 with the
Congress of the United States, the So
called Radicals. / do not fear to side
with them. The name of Radical has
no terrors for me. Ihave been known
as damned bluc-light Whig" and
" a damned lunatic," and l think it
cheap if they will now let me off by
calling me " damned Radical"
So far as the reconstruction policy Of
the President is developed, do not
indorse it. / do indorse his policy as
Military Governor of Tennessee.
indorsc his letter accepting the Balti-
more nomination. / indorse his dec
laration that if there were but FIVE
thousand Union men in State they
should govern such State. / indorse
his declaration that treason should be
made OdiOus. If we differ, it is he
who has changed.
There are g two human monsters :"
now engaging the attention of the
American people. Their names are
on every mans lips. / refer to Sum-
ncr and Stevens. President johnson
is engaged in bitter warfare against
them. TO abuse these men is the test
of the loyalty Mr.. johnson prescribcs.
They are both men of ability and un-
blemished private character. Stevens
has sacrificed more for the Union than
any five men in East Tennessee, and
is a better man than any two men who
ever lived in the South. / am not
afraid to indOrse these men on my own
"dung-hill." We must all be Radicals
or reconstructed Democrats. | prefer
to side with the former class.
You have heard great deal about
negro equality. You are asked by am
nestled rebels ifyou are in favor ofnegro
equality. 1t is "mad-dog cry" and
trick for the demagogues. / have no
fear that l or mine will ever come
down to the level of negro. know
whites who, by their conduct, have
put themselves below negroes.
On the negro suffrage question !
have only to say that, for the present,
| am willing to be content with the
freedom of the slaves, and with the
privilege given them to testify in the
courts. I differ from President John
son ON this subject. lie says he is in |
favor of allowing all negroes to vote
who have been in the army and of |
extending the right of suf- |
trage to all. 1t was through his intlu-
cnce'that we succeeded in passing the |
Negro Testimony Bill through our
Tennessee Legislature. He wrote let |
ters, and sent kilograms, asking men,
bcrs to support the bill. 1t was
through his help that the bill becamea
law. He went further than / ever
did. / want them to be qualified first;
it will come in time. They voted in
Tennessee prior to 1882. '"
| have some secrets to tell of the |
Bureau Bill. / think the
bill was Objectionable, and it might |
have been proper for me to veto it, |
but President johnson ought not to |
have done it. Generals Howard and
Fisk drew up that bill. They carried
it to the President and read it to him,
section by section. He favored it,
General Fisk thought the expenses
would be too great, but the President
said "nO." He urged it and promised
to sign it if Congress should pass it.
1t went through both Houses. In the
mean time he got into q personal
quarrel with Sumner and others, and
when the bill came before him for his
signature he vetoed it after having
promised to favor it. This is secret,
but true.
/ am in favor of the test oath, and
don't want it repealed, and it won't
be, thank God. There are crippled
rebels in Washington who want to
govern this country, and ! am opposed
to letting them in. They, wouldn't
help govern the country. President
Johnson can't carry a single state
north of Mason's line but Kentucky,
and l wish he would carry that State
to "hell."
The people of the North are for the
Union. l have written letters to Col
fax, Kelly, and others, for which !
have been abused by the rebels all
through the South. There Is no 10y
atty in the South. They are more de-
hant to-day, than when Lee surrender
ed. The Tennessee delegates ought 10
be admitted when they take the oath.
They had forty papers in Tennessee,
and but seven OF them are loyal. The
thirty-thrce are bitter, artful, rebel