The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1867-05-30

and has gone on filing vacancies as fas
As they occur, until he lias nearly subOrdi
mated the entire bench of the State to hi
base purposes. 1t was only u few weeks
ago that you saw the Supreme Court-tht
highest tribunal known to the law---dccid'
u great public question against reason
precedence, legal rulings, civil liberty ant
common sense, then resign and acccp
their rc-appOintment with increased wa
ges Of Ave hundred dollars apiece annual
~. DO you call this purity? Do you cal
this free government? Could sucli AZ
en0rmity be practlced, has 1t ever beer
pr,.cticed, in Englandi There the bencl
Is at least independent ofthe Court. Herr
tits made the servant Of the Executive.
THE LAST TWO YEARS. .o Z
Trace the history of the last two
years. First there was a franchise
how moderately strong, God knows
But the elections that followed 1t pro
we'd that Brownlow and his party coult
not hold office If any large portion O.
the people were permitted TO vote. Sc
they met again and they passed anoth
or law, more stringent still. Theil
fears continued to make them more ant
more restless, and, as they increased il
cruelty, they increased their disregare
of law in the desire to protect them
selves. Military laws, sedition laws
and finally, from the basest purpose
colored suffrage. And in this transac
tions they showed the depth Of mean
ness to which mean men can 60. The
cry went out to the colored people,
"Help us or we perish" And why did
they want the help ofthe colored man
Merely to help themselves. The idea
was that they might vote, but they
should not be candidates--thcy might
pull the wagon, but they should not
ride. Brownlow and Stokes were to
drive that, and the colored people were
to draw IL. Could anything be more
exccrably mean, cowardly selfish? l
wish they had let you run for office.
do indeed. In that event Mey would
have no chance, for there isn't one of
YOU that couldn't beat the best ofthcm.
We could trust you as we cannot trust
Stoks and Brownlow. We know you
to he a kind, q gentle and y magnani-
nous race, unwilling to ask for your
selves what you would deny to your
neighbors and we know them to be re-
narrow-minded, cruel, era
ven and determined to rule or ruin the
c;edit of the State and the people,
sH u.Yu THE STANDING ARMY.
But this was not enough. 1t was
not enough that they had packed the
Legislature, ostracised rebels and re-
laws to suit themselves. 1t
was not enough that they had corrupt
I'D the Judiciary. 1t was not enough
hat they had three franchise laws, tho
asst one excluding most of the whites
ind admitting all ofthe blacks. Some
hing else was needed to assure their
base and craven spirit. They remem,
bered war times-hOw q scouting par
" can intimidatc whole neighbor.
hood-how the people, inolfensive and
pacific, dread armed men--how poten-
tial troops are at any time, and so they
got up their "loyal mcl;sh'---to fright
IN colorcd men away from the polls or
compel them to go into loyal leagues,
o intimidate citizens everywhere and
,oercc theirvilc and despotic DEGREES.
Thus we have IN army--an army in
! time of profound peace--larger than
" Washington commanded, larger than
Jackson took to fight the battle of New
orleans, and nearly as large as the Uni
ed States army was before the war;
Their idea is not that this is necessary,
,ut that it will brow beat you and make
,ou relax your efforts you do so
'elax your efforts you are fit to be slaves
say to you go on us you are now do
ng. Relax in nothing. Obey the laws
-obey their laws to the letter. Re-
rain from violence. Resent no word.
Do not so much as return blow un-
ess it be very hard one. And as sure
IS the sun shines in August you will
lave reason to thank your prudence,
Iour integrity and your patient zeal.
THE LAST STRAW.
/ come now to the most infamous of
III their measures. l hold in my hand
. general law, the like of which was
lever known in ancient or modern leg
slative annels. BY this law the Gov
,rnor may pardon two thieves out OF
he penitentiary, and by their agency
larry whole county. In this way it
s possible to elect himself unanimous
y. Refecta moment on the provis
ons of this law, and you will see that
10 not cxaggerate. He may first dis
,harge the register Of your county, and
luH the registration, appoint one ofhis
horse thieves new register, have the
,ther invested with a certificate of fran
,hise, and thus by one vote, and that
,hc vote Of horse thief, carry the
county unanimously. This he can do,
md leave you to say, from his past
.ec0rd, whether he would do it if push
I'd to the wall. a ia..l -.tml- .-..
BROwNLOw AND STOKES.
There are men low enough, base
mean enough to pretend to ap-
prove these things. But there is a
point in infamy beyond which human
endurance will not extend Men will
not be us insane as Brownlow, vino is
simply lunatic. No one familiar with
his cOuntenancc can doubt that he is is
a funatic. As for Stokes, l take hin
around with me to show him. They
called meeting of Radicals-of all thu
literary, philosophic and intellectual
Radicals In the State--and he was Sc
lected as the "henchman'i of his mas
ter. And who is he? An ex-rebel a.
you all know from the Duncan letter
(Hcre Mr.. Etheridge read, amid grea
aDnlause and very himOrOusly. fhe IN