The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1867-05-23
NUMBER 16.
and those only, who may be known to
be favorable to his continuance in DOW

| er.
This, fellow citizens, is no mere fan.
cy picture, or the suggestion of mere
possibility. He has already attempted,
under the provisions Of this unconstl.
tutional law, BY proclamation, to dis.
franchise the people of seven counties,
and will, ere the August election, make
y further attempt to exclude from the
polls the people Of any county in tho
State which he may suppose will cast q
majority against him Such is tho
spirit in which the law has been and is
now being executed. The Governors
appointees. so far as they have come
under my observation, in this end OF
the State, are generally Of the most vic.
lent and INSCRIPTIONS partizans They
are as might be expected, but the reflex
Of Governor Brownow himself; "like
master, like servant" and this is suf-
licicnt to convey to citizens and stran-
gers correct appreciation ofthc mate
rial used by the Governor, under the
name Of registers, for the purpose Of
controlling the elections. 1t is impos
sble, in the very nature of things, that
it should be otherwise. TO entrust its
execution to honest, liberal and Just
men would be to defeat the object Of its
enactment. Honest men could not be
used for such purposes; and the mon.
strous injustice which conceived it also
requires conyenint, facile instruments
t,,, ,t ,,ff, tn
to its authors that mastery over the
people which its enactment was intcn'
ded to secure to them. And under its
! provisions, as now administered by
these degrading creatures OF guberns
torial confidence, large number of the
most consistent, worthy, and reliable
friends Of the Union, including large
number Of the officers and soldiers Of
the Federal army, who fought with gal
lantry and have been discharged with
honor, are robbed of this inherent and
incstimable right of free citizens. But
even with this most ample and plaza
BILE machinery, centering in the Cover
nor the whole power of the State, there
| is manifest distrustfulncss Of success
on the part Of its traitorous authors
Why is this 7 Conscious guilt gen.
tlemcn, "makcs towards of US ALL
None. gentlemen, know better than they
the extent of their base betrayal of the
people. Yes, under the guise offricnd-
ship and loyalty, they sought your con-
fdcncc, begged your permission to
serve you in positions of public trust,
and when commissioned they have base,
ly used the power obtained through
nsinccrity and fraud to rob you of
your liberties, and to betray you into
the power of the most contemplate
and corrupt oligarchy that ever dom-
nccrcd over an enlightened people,
And it is Il consciousness Of this fact
that makes them afraid to trust any
portion of thepeople, hampered as they
are by the iron-hand ofpower that seeks
TO control them through the complica.
ted net work which | have attempted to
unveil and lay bare before You.
But what more could fraud and COW
ardicc suggest? What resource was
left, by which these accidental occu
pants Of place could drive an unwilling
people into their support? 4 crisis
had been reached, and something must
be done; and the negro, the poor,
harmless. and if let alone, inoltensiva
negro, is by u third franchise act,
cniranchised. Thus, an element, ca.
pablc of voting from 10000 to $4,000
votes in the State, unaccustomed to tho
exercise ofpolitical rights, uneducated,
unfamiliar with the theory, or wants
and necessities Of the government, and
as general thing incapable Of giving
an enlightened vote, is crowded and
thrust into the political arena, to he
gamblcd for by dcmagogues, and invei-
glcd into the party harness. But even
here their confidence was not entirely
free from misgivings. Doubts, having
their origin in q sense of wrong, still
disturbed their minds. If the stake
the negro vote-was left to its own
yoltion, or to an impartial scramble Of
interested politicians, unintiuenced by
the presence offoce, it might, and pro-
baby would, be cast against them.
THE STANDING ARMY.
Hence another step became neccssa-
ry; and thereupon these opprcssors of
the people, these men who sought
places as servants, but who now claim
to be masters Of the country, by an.
other act Of the Legislature, made pro.
vision for the organization of a stand.
ing army of 5000 men in time of
peace; and these men to be organized,
equipped, fed, clothed, and paid by
taxes to be gathered from you and /;
are to be odicered and commanded by
our most excellent, Just, and discreet
Gopernor--to move at his command,
and to execute his bloody, oppressive
and illegal DEGREES. Yes, fellow.c .citi-
zcns, in time of profound peace, when
the machinery of civil government is in
full operation. and in the hands Of
their own friends in all its departments,
with a submissive and non-resistant
, population readily aiding the execu-
ton of the laws, and acquiescing in the
2 DEGREES of your court, formidable
| military power is being organized, in
] violation Of the constitution which all
; these men sworn to support for no 9TH
er purpose than to control the elections.
The negro, like some of you, can vote,
provided he gets a permit from the Gov
ernor through one Of his registers, and
provided further, that he votes in &C
cordance with the Governors wishes.
And this, gentlemen, he will be reQuir.
ed to do. Such is the unmistakable
givings out of the Governors organs
and most trusted tools.
THE BALLOT IN THE HANDS oy REGISTERS
Hppetoforo tho anpoint mant ~ ;udcos