Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1866-07-06
For tho Chronicle.

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House, evincing bis purpose to utterly ignore
the voice or his Constituency, by voting for
the Constitutional Amendments in the Leg
islature, has brought upon him the obloquy
of all, ] propose to offer a few words in his
defence. In order to make this vindication
acceptable to fair minded men, shall state
The case, which bis constituency make
against him, ms strongly as 1t has been done.
Though born and reared in the North he
came to the South some thirty years ago,
and this section has ever since been his
home. For all these many years he has been
indebted to the support Of our people for the
maintenance of himself and family. This
long residence, and this kindly treatment,
should have thoroughly identified him with
the people, amongst whom he had cast his
fortunes, and induced him to feel, at the out
break Of the late sectional strife, ''that my
people may be wrong, but right or wrong,
my people always" But If his love for his
adopted section was not sufficient to make
him go to such length against the land tina,
gave him birth, he should have been, at
least neutral in the struggle between them.
Instead of this, he gave every aid, except that
Of actual fighting, as soon as he could safely
do so, to the Nerth. When this recreancy
TO the people amongst whom he had cast his
lot, was rewarded by seat in the State
Legislature, 1t was expected, that herehe would
exhibit some conservatism, in Difference to
the unhappy people with whom he had been
so long identified. Besides this considera.
ton, he had always been esteemed man Of
probity and honor, and hence it was conf.
IDENTIFY anticipated that in regard to the fact
that he was imposed upon them as a Rep.
resentative, by form of election that was
one of the many farcical devices Of the Rad
icals to obtain control of the State, and jus.
tilted only as war measure, he would be
found the uniform opposer of any policy OF
measures, looking to their further discomti-
ture or humiliation. On every occasion he
has disappointed this confidence, founded,
not upon his feelings, but his honor,
by cooperating, either directly or in
directly, with the Infamous Brownlow clique
OF The Legislature. AS completely as this
trust of those he represented, in either his
sense of justice to them, or in any lingering
spark of gratitude and affection, had been
thus dissipated, they were still struck dumb
with amazement on hearing from his lips
last Monday, that he would vote for the
Constitutional Amendments p ! need not
repeat these amendments here, that it may
be better appreciated why the honorable
gentleman's constituents were completely
staggered by his declaration that he woaid
support them. They are replete with deep
est shame and humiliation to the Southern
people, gli % sf8sE m ISL
The people of the South were once CON-
PEELED to illuminate their houses in honor Of
the defeat and death of their sons, brothers
and husbands. Men have been forced to fight
against their native land--a Tell was forced
to shoot an apple from the head of his own
child-women have been driven TO a deed
too horrible to name, as the price of their
husbands lives, but it is reserved for the
constituency of the Hon. Representative to
endure an outrage, beside which, all of these
lose their horrors, that of being forced to
give their own assent, through the voice Of
their Representative 10 their own degrade.
ton and disgraeel How exquisite wa:
their abasement when the Hon. Representa-.
tive, feeling that he was entirely independ.
ent of their political suffrages, announced
that he would tell the world through the
vote of their Representative, they approved
of the conditions which declared that they
had been scoundrels and traitors, and merit.
ed the punishment Of traitors and scoun.
drels ! .-. #.
Now, this is the strongest case that i;
made out against the gentleman under dis.
cussion. do not propose, in his vindication
to deny the truth aud force of the statement
| only desire to offer defence of such con.
duct in the presentation of a surmise, that
has, after long and careful espionage of the
Hon. Gentleman, ripened into a firm conyic.
ton. This surmise is that his desertion of a
people to whom he is bound by such strong
ties, and his past and present radicalsm in
the Legislature, are the promptings of deer
laid plan TO rescue the South FROM the ruin
which the fanatics of the North design
for her. believe that this plan looks
to the attainment Of the first office in the gift
OF the nation, through the confidence of the
Republican party. That he is fast winning
this confidence, is manifest from the fact
that he is already the leading spirit in the
present Legislature Of Tennessee. The man
who has come to control such body may
reasonably hope to be, in time, formidable
rival with even Fred Douglas himself for the
next Republican Presidential nomination.
Should he reach this position, how glorious
to show the South that the man who seemed
her btterest foe was her truest friend BY
the light of this explanation, ! can under.
stand all that makes his conduct seem SC
hideous and unnatural. see how, as soon
as the Federal troops occupied this city, the
idea flashed upon his mind, to feign Jealous
loyalty, that he might be potent for good to
his people in the future. Who knows how
much valuable information he may have
given to the Confederate War Department