Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1867-06-19

the coaquercrs II shey lad so felt thev Eould hav
accepted the constitutional amendment md 1,ori
not have aimed st political ascepdaner sit,ar
Tennessee or in the Union. If thew had felt on
acted as conquered people no Franchise law rc11
have been necessary IN tais State It was hut To-
fall that an intelligent rebel who resides in on -
joining county to this, said 70 me in PhladeInbia
We have got the President and I'll be id
we don't yet govern the country This is the spiri
that had to be met by Acknowledgement Stin T 3e
clare to you that take pleasure in the
/ ment of no man. believe that in nl;o go
man should be allowed to vote who NAV do 81 cor,
sistent with the public safety. And L for one. do
clare that as soon as the rebels of Tennessee shall
feel themselves conquered people, and shall NOV
by their words and actions that thew will rasnee
and protect the rights of the Union men thsa I'M
not till then, am in favor of universal sffrac,e
And believe there never has been a time thaf ii,
months Of genuine, heartfelt LOYALTY on the art n
the Southern people would not have brougbt abont
an entire restoration OF al their lost rights had
strong hopes last winter that such harrv state 81
things was about TO occur; but all nv homes were
dashed to the ground by the Nomination for Cover
nor of an apostate Unionst and an omen and 10
ciared seditIonist and enemy 10 the Union reonia
1t with pain that recognized the fact that the
spirit OF rebellion was stln rile, and, like smoth-
cred volcano, ready to burst forth and overVybsrr
the friends of the Union. If there had been moth.
ling else, that nomination shows the ,Usdnro a.
late Franchise law and of the Militia Law shall
not stop to defend thedetaia Of the Franebise law
1t is objected that the Governor appoints the Reg.
lsteI ana baxter eenounee these Registers as "de-
graded creatures, Servants" afacile instrnpoents
etc, etc. The same epithets would have been an
piled to them by disffsnehised rebels if they had
been appointed in any other way This volIev ri
abuse might have been prevented, perhaps. by o
proviso 70 the law to the effect that being eandi
date for the rebel Congress or bushwhaeking Union
men with weapon not more formidable than a
shot gun, should not debar an applicant from obtain
ing certificate of registration
THE STATE GUARD.
come now to speak of the State Guard. which
Baxter asserts is a standing army Of 5000 mon. l
say to you frankly that it is a matter of profound
regret that necessity should exist for the active or
ganization Of the militia. Aside from the expense
the presencs OF armed troops in free country is to
be deprecated, and declare to you, if Brownlew
| was responsible for the state of facts which has
called forth this State Guard, 1 would not support
him. But the responsibility rests in the first in
stance on the President and in the next place upon
the turbulent leaders of the rebel party in this State
And there is no one citizen in the State more to
blame for the presence Of this State Guard than
John Baxter told you bow in the outset of the
State Government it had TO invoke the aid of the
military authorities in the execution of the laws
against the constant opposition and seditous at
tempts of the rebel majority, as it is vauntingly
styled. told you how the government had to be
organized under the very guns of Gen. Thomas
This aid and protection was indispensable, and was
promptly rendered by Gen. Thomas until johnson
peremptory ordered him TO give it further pro-
lection. This order Published and was so strin-
gent that Gen. Thomas considered he would have
no power under it to disperse moo in the city of
Nashville This order was issued at the instance of
Just such men as Baxter at time when johnson
himself was trying to break up the State Govern
rnent General Thomas was soon after ordered to
Louisville and his troops were mostly sent to other
points. Il is well known fact that, upon the faith
of this crder that Gen. Thomas shoeld not inter
fere, conspiracy was entered into to destroy the
State Government. At the head of this movement,
was John Baxter Of East Tennessee, j. s. Brien of
| Middle Tennessee, and Emerson Etheriege OF West
! Tennessee Baxter came home from Washington
in August last declaring that the overthrow of the
State Government had been agreed upon, and would
take place in sixty days. He made number of
speeches fayoring the project Etheridge left Wash
ington a7owing his purpose to exert his utmost to
effect the same end and about the same time Brlen
broke ground in Middle Tennessee, at Shelbyville.
The Governor had not a man, gun or cartridge.
i But it got to the ears of these gentlemen that he
had borrowed some 80, coo. stand of arms from
! Northern Governors, and had been offered few
thousand Tennessee militia, who happened at that
time to be residing in Northern States The conse-
quenee was that Baxter subsidized int the banking
business theridge would bet five hundred dol
lars that he never was ia favor Of the movement,
and Brien declared that he meant no harm by his
Shelbyville speech. He only meant that the people
should Fseceably assemble; PeGcea6ty adops another
constitutions peGceabE1 hold an election under 1t,
and peaeea5lg kick Brownlows little concern out Of
the Capitol. You all remember the combined eff
fort to desat the first and nildet Of the Franchise
laws in 1885, and how, in spite Of Gen Thomas
order, valid election was defeated in twenty-nine
counties of the State. The dispatch of President
johnson who was then the friend of Union mem,
directing thu GOvarpor IN call (pnprOl Thomas
for troops to enforce that law, has been published
again and again, and is now on file In my Office
You all know that it has been threatened, and the
President himself predicted, that if the negroes at
tempted to vote they would be butchered. Now
think you all see how the militia bill to pass.
First, the withdrawal by the President Of ali pro-
lection for Union men, and all aid in the execution
of the aws secondly, the rebellous conspTacies of
Baxter, Etheridge and others; and thirdly, the ne
cessity OF some force to execute the present Fran
ehise lsw. 1t may be well enough to inform these
gentlemen once more TINT the Tennessee militia are
not limited to 5000 as baxter seems suppose, nor
even 70 $4,000; but to one g OF more regiments in
each Congressional District and they may as well
know that the material for making Tennessee mill
! tia is to be had as Far north as the lakes
! shall not stop to defend the Judiciary OF the
State, and the jures of East Tennessee Baxter, in
substance and in words, charges them with corrup-
I ton and perjury and makes statement OF fscts
/ that proves nothing but that he has had number
\ OF bad cases and defended number OF gality men,
and has been defeated on trial. have no doubt he
secured his fees and with this he might be supposed
1 to be content. leave she judges to take care OF
themselves and the iuries to cogitate upon these
Wholesale charges of perjury made against them oy
/ Mr.. Baxter.
! BAxTEK's RECKLEseNBss.
! come now to the portion of the speech, pam
! phet circular or whatever it is that am review
ing, where the task of the reviewer painful IN the
extreme Here the speaker lays aside the character
OF orator and deelainer and becomes a BseFe deia-
mer. The rebel press have characterized TINS doc
ument as "a bill Of indictment" against the State
Government and in some respects the term Is prop
erly used a bill Of indictment Is always Mice
with high sounding and verbose charges, without
setting forth particle of proof, and when simply
denied it falls to the ground until supported by te:
timony. From the beginning to the end OF baxter !
speech It abounds with serious charges, unsupported
BY single reference even to witness, record, OF
I document Nor does he have the manhness to
cali his victims by name OF sssert positively eny
! charge be makes, or the courage to avow himself
responsible for any statement OF aets UDdeT cover
/ Of such phrases as :" ] aul informed under
stand iii Is reported, Is il IL believed etc, ETC.
frauds and felones are charged without the citation
even Of fact or a document ns proof Insse arS
the familiar phrases of the defamer. l WISE couio
say for h credit that Baxter was ken OF even
that be was ignorant and stepid Unfortunately
this plea cannot be MADE Tor NH aoT N tHts sas
speech ha dscoses the fact tina. be Is il possession
Of, and familiar With the very documents which dis
prove his assertions Yes, be- has, he says, the
Reports Of the Comptroller Ct The Bank Of Tennes
see, Of the committees tie proceedings Of The leg
isature etc, etc, which 2ompletely disp7oye every
charge be makes He ia counsel be says, in Ger
tain suit, and familiar with the case. In that yerl
suit the evidence is flied which directly eontFadict
his statements or insinuatons-
am not here TO tell yea what Il am told, vha
al am informed nor Whist is reported hay,
been 70 the records, and speak by it and fsom it.
might content myself With a simple denial Of tn
charges against the officers Of the State Govern
ment, so long as no proof is offered, but as ! haV,
the facts and documents ~ establish their defense
proceed TO present them.
ASSETS OF TIE Sank or FgSsEssEE.
In refsrsnee 70 the assets Of the Bank Of Tennes
sea 2avter savs, eThe books of the bank, an
10 :. "a ossols $1,000 thnrn -ra