Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1866-05-23
i. Rank Radicals.

.ol of tbe s,h of May, contains a significant hit
:. tho unconditional Union men of East Tennessee.
It is in the following language:
:. A,d last rot least if get State Gogern
, ,,ithout its falling the hands Of and being
Contracted 6y rank Radicals the same in the past
Ecst Tennessee has been controlled by them"
It is notification of the character of tactics to
which the rebel sympahSers intend to resort in or
der to divert the minds of the people from the true
issues before the country II is part OF an article
intended to poison the minds of the loyal masses to-
wards the contemplated new State of East Tennes-
see 1t is the assumption of fslsehood as discre
liable to the writer as it is unjust to those to whom
it is applied 1t is the conception of mind biased
by strong predictions for the enemies of the ma
ton. II does not evince the impulses OF truth and
loyalty but bears the impress of treason. 1t COM
ports with the method of augmentation long prsc-
tced by the demagogue and traitor. Taking the
entire article from which this is extracted-and
is an lily woven cobweb, supposed by the author t"
be sufficiently strong to hold fast the "ine3HcGted
mountain people" East Tennesseeans are termeO
by the educated copperhead gentlemen who are be
coming citizens in this section. Particular attention
directed to the language employed. After expires
sing the fear that naturally invests the sdherents OF
bad cause, and acknowledging by implication that
East Tennessee could not be controlled by the recon
structed rebel party, to which the writer belongs he
exclaims, Controlled by rank Radicals, the same
in the past East Tennessee has been controlled by
Them" The conclusion of the sentence here
quoted, interprets the ming the writer intended
to attach to what he used IS offensive epithcts
rank Radicals" And it is at ence demonstrated
that these phrases are applied to, and designed to
express that high order of Unionism, which has
made the name of East Tennessee and her heroic
sons immortal. This modern Scion is fearful that
if East Tennessee is organized into separate State
it will be controlled by unconditional Union men
in the future, "the in the past East Tennes-
sec has been controlled by them" And the terms
frank Radicals" are thrown in to conceal the real
object, but they do not effect the plain and unmis
taxable intention of the writer, because every one
knows that the negro-suffrage party does not COM
prise Corporals guard throughout the thirty one
counties of Eastern Tennessee. There is not man
the State who has sort OF reverence for truth,
hut will at once needle that East Tennessee has
never "been controlled" by Radicals of the Stevens
s INNER stripe. But, upon the contrary, East Ten
nes has been CONTROLLED by unconditional Union
men, who have not now, nor never had, the least
sympathy with the peculiar views of these gentle
men and their party; and especially are those VINO
have controlled East Tennessee in the past bitterly
opposed to the doctrines of the Radicals Congress
touching the question of universal suffrage. Hence
the conclusion is irresistible, that the term Radical
employed in this little paper is intended to apply
to the devoted Union men of East Tennessee, who
3 II.
power. And the additional conclusion follows, that
The party which such papers hope to build up is to
he founded upon the idea Of opposition to the State
government falling into the hrnds of and being
controlled by" those who have been loyal, "the
same in the past East Tennessee has been" true
to the old flag. The devotion which the people Of
East Tennessee have shown to the principles of free
dom and the Union, is denounced frank Radi-
calism," and this child of deception, delusion and
darkness, the readers Of the Commercial
against the probability of being controlled by thee
rank Radicals
Now, gentle reader, here is bold proclamation
that the movement to create new State is Radi-
cal measure, and ut the time appeal 20 the
people of East Tennessee to oppose the scheme, be-
cause it will place the political power of the
whom this writer falsely calls Radicals. This is
concession that the differs with majority Of
the people of East Tennessee and therefore asks
them to continue their political connection with the
other divisions of the State, that he and the party
to which he belongs may avail themselves of
the rebel element of Middle and West Tennessee in
the work of crushing and destroying the uncon-
dtional Union party who rallied here 1861, and
crossed the mountains to aid in restoring the flag of
the country over their native mountains. Such
piece Of bareaced impudence has not been exhibited
since the devil proposed to transfer all the king
dOms Of the world without having the least shade
of title to any. Was such presumption before
known The writer had just we'll have saId he
desired to build up party composed of copper
heads and rebels with such symPathrzng friends
would abandon the Union cause and enter into a
scramble for the spoils of office; and that the peo
pie of East Tennessee were too true 70 their ancient
Union sentiments to aid in his purposes but upon
the other hand, would confer political power upon
those who had remained true to the Union all the
time, provided the new State was established; and
that therefore, he appealed East Tennesseeans
Jorge the chains with which to bind themselves by
refusing to engage IN the enterprise of State
hat rebels and traitors might control Tennessee
the III the past Tennessee has been
trolled by them"
1t is said open confession is good for the SOUL
However, it is conceived this confession of desire
the rebels restored to power, is too pal pabe
not to be through by every Union man W no
reads it; and the most coDfdlng and creduous must
know the object OF the rebel papers Of East Tennes
to BE- to break down and destroy the Union party
OF the State. Here is an organ of the so-calied
Conservative party of East Tennessee, plainly tell
ing the people that if the State is formed the
reconstructed rebels and their sympathzers cannot
govern il, but if it is not made they can control the
destnes of Tennessee. The question comes up, Ms
with j voice Of thunder, which do you prefer, new
State governed by loyal men, or the old one ruled
by rebels ?
1t is for the people to decide. And the remark
may we'll fall right here that the loyal men 0 f
East Tennessee do not intend to be- driven into the
ranks of the enemy by the insane cry Of 'RGdicGL
and negro equality" and the like. Whenever they
are driven the necessity Of taking sides between
loyal black men and dsloyal white men, the rebels
will find that the color of the skin, the fatness Of
the nose, and the bigness of the mouth, will never
induce the gallant sons of these mountains array
themselves under the black-bannered battalions of
thuse who have sought the life of the nation.
amnesty man had hrttp- c0Dsider of this pa