Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-09-04
n II
Loyal Leaguelsm In Tennessee as
n a Seen byn Republican. -

II = Seen bya Republican.
A letter IN the Csncinnati Commercial of
Wednesday, dated Nashville, August 25,
1867, written. by a Republican, gives
beautiful insight into the workings of the
Union League in that BRowNLow-ridden
State. The letter commences thus:
Hoping that any thing said about the
little eceentricities of Radicalism down
this way wont in the slightest damage the
party (Republiean) prospects III Ohio, or
any where else, I'll make so free as to refer
briefly to the intestine squabbles among the
Radicals here, involving a desperate scram-
BILE after the municipal loaves and fishes.
1t then gives the following as specimen
of Loyal Leagueism:
SOMETHING ABOUT THE UNION LEAGUE.
Before the election in Tennessee, it was
persistently denied that members of the
Loyal League were under a solemn obli-
CATION to vote for, ,Brownlow and the Rad
ical ticket. The following official copy,
however. of charges and specifications
against Colonel James 7. Shelley, now ex-
PEELED from that order, clearly proves 9TH
erwise: sE
"[CoPY.l
."EvANs COUNCIL, U. LA.
KINGSTON, Tenn, August, 1S67.}
"Charge.-That Colonel James T. Shell
ley, q member Cof' this Council, has been
guilty OF acts inconsistent with his duty as
member of the Order of the Union
League of America.
"Specification-In this that the said Col-J
onel James T. Shelley did, on the first
Thursday In August, 1867, at am election,
for Governor, members .ot the United
States Congress, and of the Legislature of
Tennessee, vote against the nominees of the
Republican Union party, and against
pledge solemnly made by him as a member
of the Union League of America. l,z
.-r'r.r.-T -51ge, IS. p. EVANS, -rrs
set-t t,.ttTs .4asil rs. L. Chill DERs,
"JAMEs l. DAHL, 7
'lu-l 80 -, "a. .f-,1 "W. p. LowERY, y
"W. H. DETTZ,
s ;r,E COMMITTEE"
Colonel Shelley was the first man in
Roane county to abandon his home in the
Spring of 1861, and leaving his wife and
children behind him, entered Kentucky and
Ijoined the Union army. He fought his way
up to the rank of Colonel, and was honor
ably mustered out of the service after
having served, through the whole war.
Because he exercised the privileges of a
freeman, and refused to vote for man
who did more than any other in Tennessee
to bring about the rebellion, and has la
bored in turn to defame and degrade the.
black and the white races; because he
could not conscientiOusly cast his vote for
this man, he is ignominously expelled from
the League, and denounced as a rebel and
traitor. Looking at this case in all its in
quisitorial, midnight responsiveness, and re-
1ecting on the thousands who have, by the
word "Union," been inveigled into these
oath-bound conciaves, and compelled by
solemn pledges to vote the Radical ticket,
does not the wonder, after all, lie in the
fact that as many as twenty-five thousand
votes were cast against Brownlow? Don't
let Democrats or Copperheads hear of it for
the world; but reall the fact cannot be ig-
nored, that more outrageous, unrelenting
despotism never cursed any State or people
than that which, in the sacred and hallow-
ed name of loyalty" has reared its hideous
head in Tennessee, to wither and repress
every sentiment of freedom and justice.