Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1866-06-13
Views of Colonel Stokes of Tennessee,

Hon. W. R. Stokes, a Representative elect from
Tennessee, made a speech in Boston on Thursday
evening. After thanking the audience for his kind
reception, he said that he came before them as
Union man, but haing from one of the states that
had been in rebeiOn-a State that had not yet been
readmitted into the Mon; but he was satisfied it
would be at proper and safe time. Serving
three sessions in the Legislature of Tennessee, re-
cording his votes for the Union when it became
cessary for that Legislature TO give its vote for
against the side Of the Union, he had the pleasure
of planting himself by the side of the Union, and
never would consent to its dissolution. His soces-
sion friends told him that he had done all that he
could and urged him to keep quiet and he could re-
main in their midst Three propositions were SUBJ
mtted to hin-to take the oath of allegiance to the
Confederacy join its army, or "pull hemp" They
all unsatisfactory TO him. and he certainly pro-
tested against the latter. He did not leave the
place soon desirable, and a body of men was
sent after him, obliging him to fall back to the
mountains, where he remained in concealment till
General Buelrs army made its appearance. He
then found that it the most advisable course for
him to form regiment and cut his way through
the rebel hordes and he did so. He thanked Mas
sachusetts for the aid and assistance she had
dered during the war. The lives that had been lost
and the suffering experienced by thousands in the
war had not been in vain. There was something
in the future to console us. This war had wiped
out slavery in the land, and he hailed to-day from
a Free State.
Parties we had had since the formation of the
Government, and we should continue to have them
as long as it existed. We now had two parties
one The Republican Union party, the other the
Conservative, Copperhead, Opposition, whatever
else you might call it; and the question was asked
by all, where does the President stand We had
Radical Congress, it was said; but it was claimed
that the President had deserted the policy he advo-
Gated in his inaugural address. The speaker had
known the President for over twenty years and had
remained friendly to him until short time since,
/ = IL
that he had taken a through ticket and was bound
TO remain firm to the Union. Since that converse
ton he had not been so intimate with him. He
read from the Presidents Speech showing Mr..
Johnson's reconstruction policy in 1864, and said
that he did not believe there a Union or
soldier but would endorse it. That was what Con-
gress endorsed and was endeavoring to carry out
Was Congress wrong, or the President? He thought
that there little doubt that the President had
strayed away from his expressed policy. The Pres
ident had said that the soldiers should have the
offices, and he believed they should. A new party
talked of; but we did not want it. 1t was COM
posed of COpperheads and Rebel sympathizers, and
heipreferred to remain with the old Union party.
He had proposed two Union men-those who had
fought for it in the battle feld-or office in his dis
trict in Tennessee, and they set aside and men
appointed in their places VINO were boilers in the
Legislature and are to-day in full fellowship with
the rebels. The claims of the soldiers had been set
aside and Copperheads installed in their places and
he wanted those who had served in the army to be
on their watch, for there were breakers ahead
They should remain with the . Mon party and view
with distruSt all opposition parties