Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-05-26

Will tcll you WHO anu what ne Is, into
whose support these Radicals are attempt
lag TO swear the colored citizens. They
tell you he is the friend of the colored
man, while in their newspapers / am held
up to the world as the enemy of their race.
Now have this to say, that in public
life extending over a period of thirteen
years, that man does not live who ever
heard me utter an unkind word against
that race. The other day at Memphis, /
said to him (Stokes) "did you ever sell
slave % He answered, yes, sir TAp-
plause. Now, | never sold a slave.
| have owned some, and our relations
have ever been those ofkindness They are
still entitled to my friendship.
| viii now read this extract from the
Nashville Press and Times:
ErHERDGE on CoLoRED FREEDMEN.-"The
negroes are no more free than they were four
years age, and any one goes about the country
telling them they are free, shoot him and these
negro troops, commanded by low and degraded
white men going through the country. ought to
1865.
| read it in Memphis few days ago, since
when the editor of the Post has taken it
from the columns of his paper, and where
ever | have been nothing more has been
heard of the calumny it contains was
speaking in Trenton in 1865, before a large
crowd of white aud colored people, alHabf
whom had often heard me stigmatized as an
Abolitionist. Indeed, only week or ten
days before Fort Sumter fell, Brownlow
proposed to have me driven from the State
as a dangerous Abolition emissary Of Mr..
Lincoln. / was speaking to this assembly
OF people, and some one asked me if the
slaves were all free. Ireplied, Just as much
in fact as you are, bat ne more free hy law
than they were foIry years. ago; that Mr.. Lin
cuiG did not include the slaves Of Tennessee
in his emancipation proclamation. | said
also that the government set up at Nash
vile in 1865 would not be the government
of the State until recognized by Congress.
Up to that time it wOuld he a judicial
question, But "a soon as a sufficient num-
ber of States should rat ify the constitu-
tioual amendment the slaves will be free
by law. | advised the colored people to
remain at home, so that when their free
dom was no longer questioned, they would
have the good opinion of their former
masters. The constitutional amendment
was ratified soon after by all the Rebel
States, and Mr.. Seward, in November
following proclaimed every slave free by
Official proclamation. Now you are free
by the action of every Rebel State in the
Union, and by the action of other States,
and any one who tells you that want to
enslave you is simply foul mouthed liar.
Applause. Now let every man in this
large crowd who would not enslave them
il he could, hold up his hand. A large
number of the audience held up their
hands. Now | wish every man who
would enslave them to hold up his hands.
There was not hand held up.l do
not desire the vote of any man who wishes
to e1slaye this people. Applause But
there are those in Tennessee who seek to
enslave white men; and if you colored
men will go to the polls, and by your votes
declare yourselves better than white men,
you will not have shown a correct appre-
citation of your freedom. But | do not be-
lieve there is a colored citizen who is so
lost to his duty and his interests as to favor
these apostate Rebels, and declare bv their
votes that while he is free the white people
of this country shall not be also free.
But | am sure you will vote to
give white people at least such
privileges as yOu have; no more, no less.
A voice: "BuIly for youp'l We ask no
more. Here is our platform on which We
stand pledged to your freedom. ! have
accepted that platform and will adhere to
the pledges it contains. l repeat that the
| military commission, composed of Federal
officers, before which | was tried acquitted
me of all blame The only charge to
which plead guilty, was that Of writing a
letter, an extract from which constituted
one of the specifications. ! plead guilty,
| If the commission would allow the whole
| letter from which the extract was taken to
| be read. This letter was read, and l was
acquitted of all improper motive in writ
ing it.
The Radicals falsely stated that l was
arrested by order of Gen. Thomas. They
| falsely stated that | was arrested by order
| of the President. / was arrested at the
| instance of Br0wnlow's pimps and hench-
men, at the instance Of those men who
desired to defeat my election to Congress
| | repeat, it has been said that | haughtily
| plead glalh, but have an Official state
ment Of the trial which disproyes this as
sertiOn | summoned no witness. | relied
solely upon thLse summoned by my enc
mics. never saw one of the members o
the commission who tried me, until
was ushered into their military pres
ence, and when they were done examining
their own witnesses, | was released. So
much for this military trial | ask yor
again in whose interests do these Radicals
propose TO enlist the colored people, by
their efforts to deeoy them Unto these loya
leagues? 1t is in the interest Of a maj
who has been throughout his life tn
prosecutor of every slave, who seems L
have had a chronic hate for every free per
son of color, and who associated ever
| abolitionists with the damued in hell
Now, | have reduced my charges agains
Brownlow TO writing, | will read them il
the presence of these colored people, and
now defy any man to say that either of thes
| is untrue. They are as follows:
lst. That throughout his whole life h
has persistently pursued and Persecute,
the free negro and the slave, and all VIII
evinced a disposition to elevate their con
dition.
I'd. He has declared that he "never en-
tertained a doubt that God intended tn
Africans TO serve their superior as bonds
men and bondwomen."
81. He has stigmatized all proposition
to free the slave az impious in the sight q
heaven.
4th. He has asserted, upon the honor {
Christian minister, that'ouT free negrue
were the most ''indolent, immoral aud dis
honest class Of persons to be found in Tia
| State" He has compared the negro 1
brutes, fit for murder and rapine," an
associated the free negroes with NOrther
prostitutes who were "skulking about on
large towns and cities"
5th. That by freeing the slaves, "in min
cases out of ten, their condition has bee
made worse
9th. He declared il to be the Christian
duty TO whip wel.'
7th. He proclaimed as the chosen min
iater Of Heaven, that slavery had risen an
spread over the world, "by and with th
consent and approval Of Almighty God
Sth. He offered to demonstrate to th
/ world "that slavery as II exists existed
IN Agerica, ouykf 10 be psrpetuafed, "
AS an established aud inepitabie conditio
| of human society"
9th That preachers who were oppose
, | to slavery ought 10 be forced TO leave th
South in hot haste"
4 10th. That when the Devil went int
p | New England two hundred years ago, h,
: appeared IN the person Of black man
{ that when he revived his work in Tennes
! see he came in the person Of niger
: | again.
Z IL. He denounced the Jews who cruel
e | fed our Saviour a. " aHfi-s'dpe7y qd1r
P, | blsrs."
r 12th He has denounced those who al
| vocated the freedom Of the slaves as ur
S ft for Heaven and deserving He'll