Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1866-08-15

ing falsehood that the senior editor of the KNOX
VILE WIG after being imprisoned at Knoxville,
resumed the publication of his paper, and advoca-
ted the rebellion The last issue Of the paper ap-
peared on the 25th of October, 1861 the editor was
imprisoned on the 9th of December thereafter, and
was sent out of the country on the Sd OF March fol-
lowing. The publication was not resumed until |
Burnside took the country. The following farewell
address to our patrons appeared in the last issne
and will speak fer itself:
CLOSING THE KNOXVILLE WING
This issue of the WB1a must necessarily be the |
last for some time TO come am unable to say !
how long The Confederate authorities have deter
mined upon my arrest, and am to be indicted be- |
fore the Grand Jury of the Confederate Court |
which commenced its session in Nashville on Mon |
day last. / would have awaited the Indictment |
and arrest before announcing the remarkable event
to the world, but, as only publish weekly paper,
my hurried removal to Nashville would deprive me
Of the privilege Of saying to my subscribers what is
alike due to myself and them. have the fact of !
my indictment and consequent arrest having been !
agreed upon for this week, from distinguished cti
GERS legislators and lawyers at Nashville, of both
parties. Gentlemen of high positions, and mem
bers of the Secession party say that the indictment
will be made because of 'some reasonable articles
in late numbers of the WIG" 1 have reproduced
those two Unreasonable articles" the first page of
LllS ISSUE L0HE tue unDldSeu peOpio Oh Ju0
may 'read, mark, learn and inwardly digest the
treason. They relate to the cupable remissness of
these Knoxville leaders in failing to volunteer in
the cause of the Confederacy.
According to the usages of the court, as hereto
fore established, presume could go free, by Ia
king the oath these authorities administering to
other Union men, but my settled purpose is not to
do any such thing. l can doubtless be allowed my
personal liberty by entering into bonds to keep the
peace and to demean myself toward the leaders of
Secession in Knoxville who have been seeking to
have me assassinated all summer and fall, as they
desire me to do; for this is really the import of the
thing, and of the leading objects sought to be
attained. Although l could give bond for my
good behavior, for one hundred thousand dollars,
signed by fifty as good men as the county affords,
shall obstinatey refuse TO do that and if such
bond be drawn up and signed by others, I will
render it null and void by refusing to sign it. In
default of both expect TO go to jail, and am
ready to start upon one moments warning. Not
only go, but there l am prepared to lie in solitary
confinement until / waste away because of impris-
| onment or die from old age. Stimulated by con-
sciousness of innocent uprightness will submit to
! imprisonment for life, die at the end of rope,
before will make any humiliating concession to
any power on earth
! have committed offence. ! have not shout
dered arms against the Confederate Governmental
the State or encouraged others to do SO. I have
discouraged rebellion, publicly and privately.
have not assumed hostile attitude towards the
civil or military authorities Of this new Govern
ment. But have committed grave, and, really
fear, objectionable offences. 1 have refused to
make war upon the Government of the United
States have refused to publish to the world false
and exaggerated accounts of the several engage
ments had between the contending armies; have
refused to write out and publish false versions of
the origin of this war; and of the breaking up of the
best Government the world ever knew; and all this
will continue to do if it cost me my life. Nay,
! when I agree to do such things, may righteous
God palsy my right arm and may the earth open
and close in upon me forever!
The real object of my arrest and contemplated
imprisonment is to dry up, break down, silence, and
destroy the last and only Union paper left in the
eleven seeded States and thereby to keep from the
people of East Tennessee the facts which are daily
transpiring in the country. After the Hon. JEFF.
Davis stated in Richmond, in conversation rela-
tive to my paper that he would not live in a Gov
eminent that did not tolerate freedom of the press
after the Judges attorneys jurors, and all others
filing positions of honor or trust under the 'perma-
nent Constitution" which guarantees freedom Of the
pTess-and after the entire press of the South had
come down in their thunder tones upon the Federal
Government for suppressing the Louisville Courier
aid the New York Day Book and other Secession
journalist did expect the utmost liberty to be al
! lowed to one small sheet, whose errors could be
| combated by the entire Southern press It is not
enough that my paper has been denied circulation
through the ordinary channels of conveyance in the
country but it must be discontinued altogether,
its editor must write and select only such articles
meet the approval Of pack of scoundrels in Knox
vile, when their superiors in all the qualities that
adorn human nature in the penitentiary of our
STATED And this is the bOasted liberty of the press
in the Southern Confederacy!
! 1 shall in no degree feel humbled by being cast
into prison, whenever it is the viii and pleasure of
! this august Government to put me there; but, on
the contrary, shall feel proud of nay confinement.
| 1 shall 90 to iail-as John Rodgers went to the
stake-for my principles I shall &C, because have
failed TO recognize the hand of God in the work OF
| breaking up the American Government, and the
Inauguration of the most wicked, cruel unnatural,
and uncalled-for war ever recorded in history
60 because have refused to laud to the skies the
acts of tyranny usurpation, and oppression inflicted
upon the people of East Tennessee for their devo-
ton TO the Constitution and laws of the Govern
/ ment handed down to them by their fathers, and
the liberties secured to them by war OF seven long
! years of gloom, poverty and trial. repeat am
proud of my position and my principles, and shall
/ leave them to my children legacy far more
valuable than princely fortune, had the latter
/ to bestow!
With me life has lost some OF its energy having
passed six annual posts the western slope Of half
century, something of the fire of youth is exhaus-
ted; but stand forth with the eloquence and ener
gy of right to sustain and stimulate me in the main
tenance OF my principles. l am encouraged to
| frmnegs when l look back to the fate of Him
whose power Righteousness" while the infuri-
ated mob cried out Cruelty him! cruelty him y
owe TO my numerous list of subscribers the fill
/ ing out of their respective terms for which they
have made advance payments and, II circumstances
ever place it in my power to discharge these obi
/ cations will do it most certainly. But if l am
denied the liberty of doing so, they must regard
their small losses 50 many contributions TO the
cause in which I have fallen. l feel that l Can
with confidence rely upon the magnanimity and
forbearance Of my patrons under this state OF
things. They will bear witness that have held
out as long as am allowed to, and that l have
yielded to military despotism that could not
avert the horrors of or successfully oppose
l will only say, in concluson,-fOr l am not al
lowed the privilege to write-that the people Of
this country have been unaccustomed to such
wrongs; they can yet scarcely realize them. They
sstounded for the time being with the quick sue
cession of outrages that have come upon them, and
they stand horror-stricken like expecting ruin
and annihilation. / may not live to the day,
but thousands Of my readers will, when the people
of this once prosperous country will see that they
are marching by 'double-quick time" from free
dom TO bondage. They will then look these
ton outrages upon right and liberty full in the face,
and my prediction is that they will stir the stones
of Rome to rise and mutiny." Wrongs less wanton
and outrageous precipitated the French Revolu-
ton. Citizens cast into dungeons without charges
Of crime against them and without the tCrmalities
of trial by jury; private property confscated at
the beck Of those in power; the press BUNDLED muz
zled, and suppressed, or prostituted to serve the
ends of tyranny The crimes of Louis XVI. fell
short of all this, and yet he lost his head The peo
pie of this country, down-trodden and oppressed,
still have the resolution of their iustrious forefa-
theirs, who asserted their rights at Lexington and
Bunker Hill
Exchanging, with proud satisfaction, the editorial
L