Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1867-09-25
Rnfes OF ADVERTISING.
THE KNOXVILLE WING.
Knoxville, Tenn, September %, 1867.
Speeches Of Hon. Horace Maynard and
Gen. joseph 4. Cooper.


Gen. Joseph 4. Cooper.
At the Border State Convention the following
speeches were delivered by two distinguished cti-
zens Of this county;
SPEECH OF HON. HORACE MAYNARD.
Gentlemen Of tie Cofrentio,,
accept with difIidence the position with which
you have honorea me. The attitude Of the Union
men Of the Border States during the last years Of
struggle and trouble has been peculiarly trying and
full Of responsibility No understands that bet
ter than you who are now before me- How we and
our associates have borne ourselves during this trial.
and how have acquitted ourselves OF the respoa-
sbility, It is perhaps, unwise and out OF place at
this time TO inquire. Certain it is if there be things
that we have left undOne, history ! am sure, will
do us the justice TO say there are many things we
have done. Applause Il is within the recollec-
ton of you al how we Of the Southern States were
electrified few years since by declaration OF the
great statesman Of New England, Mr.. Webster, sd-
dressed 70 his own neighbOrs, 70 the effect that
there are times when we must learn 10 conquer our
preiadices" Applause To no people--and at no
tme-has that monitor come with greater force
than 10 us of the Border States during the few years
that we have Just passed through and right man
fully have these people met and acted upon that
lesson Cast back your thoughts but six years, aye,
but three years. TO the questions that were then be-
fore tho public mind, and TO the manner in which
YOU yourselves we're inclined to meet them, and see
whether in your own breasts this great work OF
breaking unreasoning and unreasonable prejudices
has not made mighty advance. With respect to
the main proposition, which seems to have been in
the minds Of those who called this assemblsge to-
gether we in Tennessee, have possibly taken po-
sitior more advanced than has been assumed by the
other States here represented Applause With us
it is no longer theory 1t is practice. AppRuse.l
No longer speculation; it is fact Applause. No
longer hypothesis 1t is experience. Applause. =
And permit me &c say that experience has far more
than justified 81 the predictions of speculation and
hypothesis Applause Looking upon the question
we have passed, it is to us a matter of Won
der OF 8m8zement that It ever seemed TO US SO APP
paling and full of difficulties 1t was as the poet
has said Of the sense Of death, ait is most in APP
prehension; once met, once encountered all the
difficulty vanished" And there was nothing
left 20 overcome. This question: that has
shaken our country from the centre to the cir
rcumference, that Eos kept IL agitated as no
other question has ever 8gt.ed it. became no longer
question IN Tennessee the moment she blotted
from her Constitution and statute book everv dis
tinction Of either race or color. Great Applause.
When she assembled to the simple proposlton of le-
gisating for the people, for human beings, then hi
the difficulties Of race and complexion and condi-
ton disappeared. And so it viii be throughout
this vast country; when we reach that simple atti-
tude all the difficulties that have shsken US as with
a tempest, will disappear and be at an end lap
plause Gentlemen of the Convention, orr delibs-
rntions will be Of character possibly 70 call forth
differences Of opinion diversities Of sentiments ana
trust that shall have your assistance IN preserV-
ing that order, that decorani necessary 70 give 70
All delberatiya seemblies the dignity and influence
that we desire TO attach 10 our discussions. And
trusting in your assistance and forbearance, enter
with dfidence upon the discharge Of the duties you
have assigned me- and call the Convention 70 order
Great spplause
HONORARY MEMBERS.
r. -..;.- Sc A. C,oy-,,o Mv7ere Of Raltinore
the following gentlemen appointed honorary
msusb ers Of the Convention Hon. +. M. Stanton
VIM LLOYD Garrison, Charles Sumner, Frederick
Douglass, Horace Greeley, Tbad. Stevens, Hugh
Bond Francis Thomas Theodore Tilton, Henry
WILSON, VIM. G.. Brownlow, John NJ. Langston
SCHUYLER Colfax, Rev H. Highland Garnet, and
Generals Phil. Sheridan, John Pope, Daniel
Sckles and Andrew w Dennison.
Great applause greeted the names of Stanton
Sheridan and Sickles.
REMARKS OF GENERAL COOPER.
The presiding officer then introduced TO the su
dience General Cooper, of Tennessee, as his owl
long tried friend and neghbOr, and one who hs'
arisen from the ranks 70 the position of General II
the Union army Loud applause.
General Cooper said that he was lately from tn
command of what was known IN Tennessee a
"Brownlows militia The rebels there did not cal
them State militia, but only Brownlows militia
and he thought the name was good enough. Their
was only about seventeen hundred of them, all told
black and white but he could say, was said du
ring the war "the colored troops did nobly." Thes
rebels had talked of the negro as an inferior race
and that they could be controlled, but in Tennesse
the colored men couldn't be bribed and couldn't b
scared, but voted just as they pleased Applause
The people Of Maryland and Delaware need not
afraid 10 trust them In Tennessee the State Gov
eminent had been organized after plan designate
by Andy johnson, who, after being the originate
Of the scheme, concocted plan to break e up, AM
in the elections that had been held TO I'LL the place
OF the boilers from the Legislature they had don
Justice 10 the colored man, and he had voted AM
voted noriv As they had trusted him on tho DaI
tle-feld they could trust him with the ballot. Ten
nessee had given thirty thousand Union majorit
for the Union ticket in August last, and had elect
cd almost the entire ticket In part OF the STATE
where the rebels were largely IN the majority
about Q 500 or 9 900 colored men had been hindere
from voting, because the rebels had said TO then
"If YOU vote we'll kill you,' and a coored man d.
not Ike 10 die any better than a white man. Whe
the next President came 10 be elected Tennesse
would give 10000 majority with her Leading reDel
disfranchised and her colorod men enfranchlsed =
In East Tennessee, where he came from, they bad
in June, 1861 given 10000 majority against seee'
sion, and in August last, after the Union men J
those parts had been shot, stabbed and hung Q
these miserable rebels, they had given tae sam
Union majority and with cOlored votes. he WEs
favor Of the Union they could get II, ana nos :
II was when traitors were on the floor Of Congfe:
and portion Of the people Of the United Stat
wore sold as chattels in the market Applause
he wanted free speech 3 free press and free c0uT
try These rebels talked about free speech. VIII
would have been done with man who stood on Oh
spot in April 1861, and lifted up his voice in fave
Of the Union He would have been hung IL the
now had all the money that bad been spent in lei
islation for the benefit Of slavery railroad cou
be built from the Atlantic 10 the racine 81
equipped, and schoolhouse could be bull IN evel
township in Tennessee. But tnss money was no
spent and gone That time was now played o
when southern man could say "You re J anke'
you can't come here 70 poison the minds of my nj
gers Laughter Be was not now talking fog q
benefit Of Tennessee, because athere thew had no
passed the Rubicon, but for the benoet ~ Nsrvlar
and Delaware and he would ten Them 70 90 bo7
and work and give the oolored man the bs1io. :
was not enough Il st idly stll and say, Wal
ought 70 have 4.
Tennessee had elected VIM. G.. Brownlow Cow
nor, and he would tell them why this was done
Whom Andy johnson and Ed. Cooper had succee
ed in inducing sixteen members to bolt from {
Legislature aud keep it without quorum, Gov
nor Brownlow had issued writs for new elections
the district of each boiling member, and SO filled
quorum, and passed a constitutional amendm
and placed our members in Congress Some p
pie said that Brewnlow was a bad man he I
bis own style so had every man, and he had I'll
20 H. BrowhlOW's style was TO fight these ret
and traitors. Applause. Many men in Tennes
had worked for BrownloW because they knew
10 be a cool and sagaciOus man, and that the So
had prospered under bis management. Etheric
once met my friend here Mr. Maynard and STR
him. bat be made him get back % bis hole pre-
fast The people Of East Tennessee had taken M'
nard and made him speak Whenever they wan