Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1866-02-14
For the Knoxville Whig.
BLouxrv1LLE, Tenn, Jan. Goth, 1866.

EdatofS hnocriue Wing, Knorritte Tenn:
1t sometimes happens that false pretenses and
false representations will do much, and apparently
succeed, but it is not always So particularly if the
lover of truth and honesty will do their part And
IN justice to of my good fellow citizens, as well
as desire to and assist truth in asserting her
sway, address you this communication; not so
much in answer to communication published in the
Nashville Union and American of the 18th inst.
headed, Bristol, January Sd, 1865 and signed "Con-
serVatlVe as to make few simple statements of
facts and deny some of the outrageous ISLANDERS in
the aforesaid communication, which, to say the least
of them, are ungentlemanly and insulting to the
voters of Sullivan county, the citizens of Bount-
vile, and particularly to our County officer VIM c.
Snapp, Esq, Clerk of the County Court for this
county. l think it due to the citizens of Sullivan
that such false representations should be corrected
allude particularly to the remarks of Mr. Conser-
vative in regard to the election which come off the
LIST day of January, in this county, to say whether
or not the county seat should remain at Blountville
or be removed to Bristol, point Immediately on
the county and State line and almost inaccessible to
majority of the citizens, and by no means pleas
ant place for Union men. Yes, the election was to
say whether the citizens Of Sullivan county should
pay thirty thousand dollars to have two new Court
Houses and iais built Zone at Bristol, the other at
KngspOrt and their county split up into two little
one-horse counties, or what was more reasonable,
would they pay only Sic thousand dollars and have
the old Court House at BlountvilIe repaired, and
thus let the county remain as formerly large and
wealthy county. Such, to sensible mind is state
ment OF the case, and because the loyal men of the
county voted sensible vete the Bristol people see
proper to abuse them, and say the election was
fraudulent one, and not according to the law Well,
right here can say to Mr.. Conservative, that the
citizens did not want removal of their Court House.
and that the idea of moving it was gotten up by
Few bankrupt citizens and money-seeking lawyers,
(who, by the way have not yet paid US forour guns
they took under Jef.s rule of Bristol and KINGS
port thinking that a removal would add few dol
lars to themselves and be of some benefit to the two
extremes of the county, thus ignoring in their ex-
treme sefshnes the best interest of the people Pre-
sHig to act on the principle that "ssItintsrest is
the first law of nature, the Bristol Kingsport peo-
pie the extremes of rebelism and loyalty unite in
their grand scheme of breaking up a large county
by dividing it into two counties, and thereby plac-
ing tax of thirty thousand dollars on the people,
for the purpose Of erecting two new Court Houses
and jails Now they get one Mr.. Welsh as their
friend in perfecting their scheme The aforesaid
Mr.. w pretends to be the Representative of SuIl
van county, and of the people but Just here | can
inform Mr. !" that he Is not representing by a
long shot, even the men who voted for him and
sent him to Nashville, when he thus undertakes to
tear up county and ruin people by such unheard
OF and foolish taxation he would place on his own
friends. When he was before the people his first
and all-absorbing cry was, l will do all | can to
Tighten the already heavy load of taxes and 10 his
first step Is to make his own people pay thirty thou
sand dollars when they do much better BY only
paying six thousand, and letting the county remain
as 1t Is and has been. Shame you, Mr. Welsh
that you would act with such inconsistency and such
direct dsrespect to your promises, and the in
terest of your friends Well, Mr. " succeeded in
having the Removal Bill passed in the Legislature
and the Governor ordered election the LIST dav of
January, when Blountville gained the day by "a
majority. Now the dissatisfied Rebels of Bristol
come up and say the election was fraud and
cheat that the judges of the election in the Bount-
vile District let any and every one vote and that
the County Court Clerk gave registered tickets to
everybody who would vote the Blountville ticket
Now can say that such unheard of ISLANDERS were
never heard of before and that sensible men cannot
believe them. And Mr.. Conservative wants to
know how it happened that Blountville precinct
could vote one hundred and forty the LIST day of
January, when, in the summer of last year. it only
voted nine loyal votes. Well, l can tell him. if he
has not already heard that quarterly term of the
County Court set at b. that day and necessarily
drew large number of the citizens to the place
who voted here. Besides the citizens all the county
officers were here. and MI but two of TWENTY-FIVE
magistrates voted here, and for the Court House re-
naming at this place. Now Nj Conservative,
does look much like cheat, when all of the JUS
tices of the Peace voted one way?
Now let me ask if Mr.. C. knows who were the
judges of the election at this place? No rebel was
judge, that is certain but whose loyalty none
can doubt. Mr.. Mullinix, Chancsry Clerk, was an
eye witness to almost every vote cast So also was
Mr.. Jno Il. Fain, Fl. c. Fain, Esquire Spurgin, and
many other loyal men of the first stamp, and who
have always been known as such, and l can only
say that Mr. Conservative must be very strong
rebel, or he would not try to insult such men whom
Gov. BrOwnlow knows, and every one else knows.
Nor would he try 10 insult VIM. c. Snapp, County
Court Clerk, unless he is personal rebel enemy of
Mr.. Snaps.
Well, the Bristol scheme failed; but does the pub
lie know how they going to build their Court
House? Now look at the trickery they used They
going to build it By private subscription, These
very people who, by the way, Mr. Conservative says
have DO capital, went to work and got up a sub
scription, and had the names of men down for one
hundred dollars and more who know do not own
one red cent, and to-day cant pay their honest
debts. Now did any one ever hear of such gener-
osity? Yet they made some votes by such trckery,
by making the people believe the tax would not
come on them,
When the Bristol people have no capital to invest
il schools and the completion of Railroads, you
may well know they have none to invest in Court
and Poor Houses. But we would like to know how
there came to be twentyseven loyal votes in Bristol
on the lst day of January 1866, when, in the spring
OF OI, there was not vote cast against Separa-
ton ! viii some one tell me? Will some one tell
me who was the of Blountville and the Blount
vile Court House being burned Who was it that
prevented Andrew johnson, Tom Nelson and others,
from speaking at Blountvie in 1851? But we all
know, and know where the mob came from. Blount-
vile has seen the zenith of her glory says Mr. Con-
servative but Bristol is in the ascendency with her
stores tin shops hotels, liquor shops, &C. &C. and
will soon be city. We wish her much success and
will be proud of her when shs does become city,