The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1867-08-01
~"TRAITOR," TO WHOM /?

The Albany IN 'Y.) Journal, allu-
ding to the horrible condition Of Ten
nessce, says the New Orleans Picoyune,
and unable to conceal its disgust with
Brownlow, endeayors to get upa SET
Off in favor Of Radicalism by nssailing
Mr.. Ethcridge, the Conservative candi-
date running for Governor against
Brownlow. It lamcnts that in Tennes-
see the choice for Chief Magistrate is
"limitcd to ~ blackguard and traitor
"Blackguard'' as to Brownlow agreed,
But how came Mr.. Etheridge to be q
a "traitor?" lie was q Union man in
Tennessee from the beginning. He
was elected to Congress as al adverse,
ry of secession. lie was elected Clerk
of the House Of Representatives at
Washington by the Republican party
rs m enemy of secession. He never
retur ned to the State until the Union AZ
mics gave him protection. Having
been in Tennessee, at Times, during
the year 1861, VIC can vouch that
among the C~onfcderates no man was
more intensely hated than Emerson
Etheridge. 1t happened to the writer
of this some time in the summer of
1861, to hear Emerson Etheridgc dis
cusscd by leading Confcderates ofTcn-
nessee at a hotel in Nashville. Among
them was the notorious Henry S,
Foote, one Of the most uncompromi-
sing ofthe secession party. Ethcridgc
was denounced with as much bitterness
as Brownlow himself; and We rcmcm-
Der particularly that Focte was very
DESTROYS Of verifying q report he had
heard that E~thcridge was Yankee born
Nothing in his opinion but being Yam
kee born could excuse Ethcridge's dc,
tcrmined Unionism. Etheridge never
CHI .nged these views, never took back
an opinion, but in the course Of the
war, and particularly after the war, he
took occasion now and then to express
disapprobation ofthe lawlessness which
had been introduced into Tennessee,
and the general disregard Of constitu-
tional limitations which ha been made
to prevail all over the country rs the
Consequences Of Radical ma!a minis
t%ration. Opposition to RNlicaIism
constitutes the only offence for which
this Albany journal can stigmatiz1 him
asa TRAITOR" and intimates that there
is not much choice for the people OF
Tennessee between this man-Unionist
all owe and all the time, but not a Rad
ical-md such Il bcaslly b%lackguard
and rullian us w. G.. Brownlow.
In the modern vocabulary Of politics
the most notorious wretch like him Of
Tennessee is to be preferred to any
Union man, however clean 4 record
and character, who does not subscribe
to all the tests which radicalism ad
ministers. Every man outside OF the
pale ofthc Republican organization is
a "traitor' in heart, even if undevcl
opcd into any direct act, and is punish
able for the constructive consequences
of his supposed thoughts.
So, on the other hand, no matter
how violently " man may have op-
posed the wal and war mcasures-nay,
he may have encouraged men to take
up arms against the United States, as
two. at least of the present members OF
Congress, Stokes, of Tennessee, and
Logan, of Enthusiastically did; or,
he may have fought on the rebel side
to the close OF the war, as Longstreet
and JEFF. Thompson did, and he may
sill, as they do, only regret the failure,
and not the attempt; yet he will be in
stantly forgiven, and taken into favor
as a patriot, aye, and rewarded with
office, and lattered with promises of
high distinction hereafter, if he vii!
simply give in an adhesion to the Re
publican plan Of political party action.