The weekly Panola star. [volume] (Panola, Miss.) 1857-1881, 1866-02-17
Gov. Brownlew again In The Field.

Iior Brownlov again In The Field.
Hon Jobn Baker, Of Illinois, IN
his recent speech IN the House, on
/. Reconstruction introduced the fol-
letter, addressed to him by
liuy, lrownlow
SHilOn the 23d Of Inst month |
addressed certain questions In regard
to the drilS Of Tennessee, to Hon.
" g. Bowulow, Governor of that
State ! will say that | believe
Gov. Bro~nlow, ia view Of their
character, desires The admission
of the Tennessee delegation. The
following, however, is that portion of
his answer in full which discloses the
internal condition Of Tennessee, and
which is responsive to my questions;
KNOXVILLE, Tenn, Jan. /, 1866.
Hos. j. BAKER. = = As
regards the state of things in the
South, they are bad enough in III
conscience, and most of the LOYALTY
protcssed is with q view to obtain
pardon get property back, and again
get into office. There is a better
state Of feeling existing in Tennessee,
than in any other Southern State,
Kentucky not excepted, and We have
great room for Improvement in both
Middle and West Tennessee. East
Tennessee is all right, and has been
from the outset of this rebellion. |
give il as my candid opinion, that il
the military forces were all with
drawn from Tennessee, the Legisla-
ture would be. at once dispersed by a
rebel mob. Out of six daily papers
in Nashville, four of them are rebel !;
while the people are more than two
thirds on the rebel side. Rebel grand
%.iuries ARE indicting Federal soldiers
and officers in Middle Tennessee,
and either binding them over to
court in heavy bonds, or casting
them into prison for executing
orders given them BY our Generals
as FIR back as the days of Rosecrans
and Stone rivcrl And many of the
rebels now speak ont openly and say
Union men and Yankees shall not
live in the country.
As regards the negroes, they would
have hard times if the military were
withdrawn. When they arc tried in
our courts they are, If convicted, sent
TO the %pcnitentiary for the longest
period the law allows. In some in
stances they are sent for several
years, when ono months confinement
in a county jail would be equal to
the offence. | have had occasion to
pardon out several such cases. Nor
arc white loyalists treated any better
at the hands of rebel jurics. Our
judges are loyal men, but rebel juries
run owe their charges. and the law.
| am speaking OF Middle and West
Tennessee, whose rebel population,
with here and there exceptions, are
as disloyal as they were In 1861.
Other Tcnnessccans, loyal and INTEL
ligcnt, would give you a more favor
able aSount Of things. | cannot
conscientiously do 50. I believe the
whole South is full Of rebellion, and
that the rebels arr seckitg 10 accom-
plish by legislation and through
Congress what they failed to do on
the field of csrnage-dcstroy the
Government. And should this Leg
islaturc of ours adjourn without piy-
ing Us The right srt Of a franchise
inv, the next General Assembly win
be rebel, and will repeal an the laws
this one has enacted. The next
Congressional delegation will he
rcbcl, aud our Senators will he In
siructed to resign. And some such
mar as General Forrest will be elect
ell Governor.
Assuming the restraints of fhe
General Government are all 10 be re-
moved from Tennessee, YOU ask me
II Northern school-tcachcrs would be
allowed to c,lucate negrocsg an
swcr, no, not in Middle and Vast
Tennessee. In two cases out of every
thrcC, The school houses would h
burned and the tsachcrs rode upon a
rail.
| believe | have replied to an che
points Won make. You ask me. ii II
should think proper to reply to your
letter, TO allow Won to make use of
the answer. | have nothing to dis
guir in rcgarl 10 this rebellion. or
the men who brought II about. and |
have spoken out frum the beginning.
at home and abroad. NV hope for
the COUNTRY Is In the good sense, low
atty and hrune= Of the loysl n%raiofi-
ties In the twu HmisF@ Let thcm
settle the whole matter while they
have the power, and put traitors and
treason on the back ground In al
,aaie TO come. | have the honor TO
be sery tralv, ar.
W. q. BRowsow,
Enwe~ua~ ~ T--~-m--