Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-05-12
FALSEHOOD AND ISGRATHUBE.
Further Biographical Notes en- she Life
and Character of Gov. Br0wniew:
Iiy Col. SOhn Baxter.

BY L1ls conn EIs&AttIs
From the Knoxville Commercial. l0sh.
- Fron August 1864 III
June 1862, my entire time and energies
we're almost exclusively devoted to thu
relief Of oppressed Union men, shsring il
their peril, and laboring unceasingly FOL
their relief. And among others Governor
Brownlow was one Of the chief recipients
of my untiring efforts. His double dealing
indiseretion, and want of manly courage
had driven him into the mountains Of
Biount and SEWER counties, where he lay
concealed in the keeping of friends, while
he was crouehing and begging, through an
unmanly correspondence, with the Rebel
military authorities-as understood al the
time-for permission to return to his fami-
ly. While thus situated, at the request Of
Mrs. BroTnlew, a most excellent and true
hearted woman, / undertook to procure
permission for him to leave the Confederate
States. To this end, in connection with
other business in the interest of other Union
men, visited Richmond at my own person
al expense, and procured from President
Davis, through his Secretary Of War and
Gen. Crittenden, commanding in East Ten
nessee, a passport for him to leave and be
protected by a military escort, but before
he could leave, he was arrested BY war
rant issuing from the civil authorities, on a
charge of treason, and committed TO prison.
When it was ascertained that his pass
port had been procured through me, a per-
feet storm Of indignation was excited among
the eight or.ten thousand Confederate sol
diery then in East Tennessee. | was at
tackled with great violencein the Knoxville
Register and Richmond Examiner. The
storm was such as TO awe some of his pres
ent friends into utter silence. Neverthe-
less, | adhered to his cause got up cor
respondenee with the Confederate Secretary
of War and Attorney General; insisted
that good faith demanded his release, ["
and urged the Justice Of this demand by
calling their attention to the fact "that he
was concealed and out of the reach of the
Confederate government, and|that he had
come in upon the invitation Of General
Crittenden, with the promise of passport
to Kentucky" In addition to this, / wrote
an article for the Richmond Examiner, in
defense Of nay own actien and in vindica-
ton CT the Confederate authorities, through
which, in connection with other influences,
he was released and sent safely through
the lines 1t is believed by many who are
best acquainted with the facts, that he is
indebted 10 my persistent efforts for the
miserable existence which now enables
him, by corrupt and proAigste admins
tration, to cast a blighting mildew upon
every interest in the State. And besides,
he knows the many sacrifices, personal and
pecuniary, which | made for Others and,
in nineteen cases out Of twenty. without
compensation. For time, and when he
was clinging to me for protection, in his
Wing of September 2lst, 1861, and when
moved by momentary impulse of graft
tude, he volunteered the following editorial
evidence in my behalf:
I'VE have one word to say in regard to
Col. Baxter, which is without his knowl-
edge or advice. Some few complaints are
made that he entered the Confederate court
last week and took an oath TO support the
constitution Of the Confederate States. We
think il most fortunate for the Union
prisoners he did 80. The Judge announced
that no attorney could practice in that
court without taking that oath; and there
were then sixty or seventy Union men to
be tried in that court for the most trifing
offenses imaginable, but nevertheless to BE-
tried, and many of them without means to
employ counsel. He volunteered to defend
them, has done SO, and will continue to ID
so as long as they are arrested, following
such of them as are sent to Nashville, and
defending them at his own expense and
without fee or reward"
In all this the Governor accorded me but
simple justice; he simply proclaimed What
this whole community knew to be true
Yet in the face of this public declaration
and in disregard of the known facts in the
premises, he is now ungrateful, maliciou.
and mean enough, to use his newspaper tc
perpetrate 6 charge which he knows TO bt
false and without the slightest founda
ton.
There is one other matter in this connec
ton, which will tend to illustrate the Gov
ernor's true character. After HAD expend
ed between $4,000 and $4,000 OF my priyat,
means in my efforts to serve the Governor
and other Union men; and after my actions
had drawn down upon me the bitterness o
the Confederate soldiery, which eliminated
in an organized mob of Georgia regimen
contemplating my assassination, in Febru-
airy; and which led to my arrest and i'm
prisonment for sixteen days by the Rebe
military, in March and April, 1862, tn,
Governor is ungrateful and base enough, il
his attack of the 9Th, 10 say:
after the defeat of Baxter, he was open
ly attributing that defeat to the Governor
and giving it as his opinion, that he wa
concerned in the bridge burning. Nav
more, he threatened 10 make the Governo
FEEL the consequences Of not supporting
him, by the collection of debt he held
and he did feel it by Baxter getting hi
printing office at half price"
Now see how plain statement Of fact
will put the Governor to flight:
His business, the publication of tn
Wing, was 30 embarrassed in the summe
and fall of 1861, as to afford him an in
adequate support for his family, and force,
him into the market az a borrower
He negotiated loan from Mr.. Philli
Shetterly for $1,000, on condition that
would become his security, which, upor
his application, / agreed to do. But SCOT
after he fled to the mountains, as has beel
hereinbefore stated, the Rebel militar
threatened to seize and confscate his press
es, the only property he owned. In thi
critical condition of the Governors affairs
his son John, whowas acting as his father
agent called to consult me as to the bes
means of preventing the threatened sci
cure and con6scation of his fathers prop
erty; and after friendly conversation o
the subject, il was agreed between US, tha
/, as his security TO Shetterly, should FL
an attachment bill for the double purpos
of protecting me and throwing legal oh
stacle in the way of the military seizur,
The bill, now on file in the CHANGER
Court at this place, will show the mos
friendly and conciliatory spirit toward
my malignant and ungrateful assailan
Thus matters stood for few days Whe
John Rrownlow again called TO inform m
that he had been informed that Gen. Cal
roll had determined to seize his father
press, Notwithstanding the attachment lev
led in my favor. In view of this fact, h
proposed 10 sell the property to me, exhib
tied a statement from his father shown
its first cost to be little over 5000. B'
lieving that stood in better situation |
contend for the property thanthe Governo
frightened and concealed in the mour
tains as he was, and purely from friendl
disposition TO aid him, flor / had no n.
for printing press at that time) after
few moments reflection. / agreed TO pu