Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-05-11
MORE OF BROWNLOW'S RADICAL
RECORD.

Some New Facts and Revelations
He was Committed TO the Rebellion
What he Said and How he was
Influenced.
Brownlow, in his Whig of the 9Th inst,
having assailed Col. John Baxter with the
grossest scurrility and malevolent abuse,
that gentleman, in the Knoxville CONNER
cidi of the 9th, in a card to the public, dis
closes the following interesting facts, which
will be received by the followers of the
Governor with CONSERVATION. Col. B.
says:
Soon after my return from Richmond. about
the lst of September 1861 called az Governor
BrownloW's, and found the late DR.. Jeptha
Foulks, of Memphis, and John 5. SanbOrn, ,fnow
of Mississippi, with the Governor, in his parlor
After some conversation in their presence and
which presume, Mr.. Sanborn will remember
Governor Brownlow, in substance said, that he
had made up his min to abandon the Federal
cause and support the COnfederacy, and that as
soon as he could with due respect to public opin-
ion, he would change his position. Now this
pledge he began to redeem, as the changed tone
Of his paper about that time will show. This
declaration was not m lde st our importantly; it
was but the enunciation OF a conclusion, which
SO far as l knew, was the result of his own unin-
nuenced reflections. In his issue of the Whig
of the 3lst of August, 1851, before me, is the
following editorial aTticles
We say, most unhes sitstmsly. lei the Union
men-Who are the real Conservatives Of East
Tennessee-bring cut good aud true man in
each Congressional district and elect him to the
Confederate COHgress."
And in the same paper. in another article, he
adds;
whilst our principles have undergone no
change, we confess that we have lost confidence
In the ability OF the government to conduct the
war to successful termination. few
days or weeks more Will decide whether the
Federal government is able to hold on to the
capitol and records of the nation. If they fail
10 this, and the indications that theV t0iti,
for Gods sake let them not start little army of
raw militia into East Tennessee TO involve our
mountain men in all the horrors of civil war.
On behalf OF our people. our women and chill
dren, we call upon the United States govern
ment to let US alone, and leave US here alone
Everywhere the affairs of the United States
government abroad are becoming more and
more complicated and critical, and unless there
il more energy and talent displayed on the part
of Lincolns administration, matters will soon
arrive at such point that the Federal govern
ment will have to fight not only Coniederates.
but the allied fleets of England and France"
In his issue of September 9TH, 1861. he said
" East Tennessee, with her Union majority OF
10000 votes. having failed to declare herself the
State, when she could and ought to have done
so and the Federal Government having failed
to sustain the Union sentiment of East fennes-
see when il could and should have been done. it
is now too late to attempt either So far as | am
individually concerned, will not be a party to
any mad scheme of rebellion (meaninR rebellion
against the COntederaey) gotten up at this late
day, or to any insane attempt to invade this end
of the State with Federal troops"
Now these outcroppings of the Governors
mind, with many Others of the same sort clearly
indicated TO the Rebels. as well as to the Union
men, the point at which he was aiming. Some
of the Rebelieaders began to tearthat BrOwnlow
would go over to them and carry with him the
Union element, and If so. the latter element be-
ing largely in the ascendanoy, he would be able
to supersede them as leaders of the party. He
was unmstakably, gradually and certainly. ma
king his way from the Union TO the Rebel party,
as he voluntarily declared to DR.. FOulks, Mr..
Sanborn and myself he would do.
Whereupon, the Register, the secesh organ
here began to repel him. The efforts of the
Register in this respect will be remembered.
Brownlow saw it; the struggle for the leadership
was manifest to observing minds; and the inter-
nal workings of his own mind, as is always the
| case, found expression Ia one of the editorials
| of his paper of the 3lst of August, in which he
| SAYS "the poor devil in charge of the Register
| has actually rendered himself ridiculous for
| some time past In expressing fears that we would
| turn secessiOnists. and take the leadership
| Of The partv from HIM" He then goes on to saw
| that he could not consent to lead the men who
| had been guilty of the forged correspondence
| purporting TO have been passed between Presi-
! dent johnson and Amos Lswrence declared
that all the parties concerned in this disreputa-
| BILE transaction ought to be in the penitentiary
| but does dot declare that he would not lead the
better portion Of the secesh party.
| The Register was not alone in his fears. The
| Governors friends, as well as his enemies we're
alarmed. and after consultation, Judge Trigg
| and Col. John Williams-gentlemen of unblem
ished reputation, of high standing, and of de-
| served influence in the country, and Union men
who never wavered-seeing where the Governor
was tending. agreed to make an effort 20 reclaim
| him. For this purpose, they called upon him
| and held long interview with him, and each of
them well knows and will confirm what 1 say
that it was the repulsion Of the leading Rebels
| on the one side and their interventisn on the
other that prevented Gov. BroWnlog from fall
ing into the terrible sin Of rebellion; that it was
| owing TO their timely inteTposition that he was
| Of which be is TO day the uatoorthB Governor Of
the State, using his official influence to oppress
them both.
| Now. after publicly advocating In the Vhfo
| the running of candidates BY the Union party for
| the Confederate Congress, he privately urged me
| to become a candidate in this district. This is
| o fact which u known 10 none but the Governor
| and myself-it Is fact which | affirm and be
| denies. / offer IL not by way Of extennation Tor
| being a candidate, not al all. l do not seek 20
transfer that responsibility. | assume il myssii
| lit is mentioned merely by way Of estopel upon
| the Governor, inasmuch as he has several hines
| paraded the fact as evidence OF my disloyalty TO
| the Union. knew him well enough 10 know
| that he would deny 1.-THE has dsne it-and we
| are now before the people upon q question OF
yeracity, and hatter myself that in this lOcali-
| ty, where we both live and are known. there is
| very little division OF pubic sentiment upon
| this question. II Is therefore merely necessary
| for me to fortify myself with proof for the in
! formation of strangers,
| When / consented 10 become a candidate he
| Gov. broKnloW) requested ms 70 furnish him a
| statement Of my position and that he would in
| sert II in the hhie as an editorial. In compli-
ance With has suggestion, L prepared hastily,
and handed to friend, rough draft, defining
| my position According to promise, it appeared
as TIE leader in his next issRe, with an editorial
paragraph, after II had len my hands, but
| whether written By the Governor, or my friend,
| 70 was as foll6Ss;
Such, we are satisfied. Is a correct
| statement of Col. Baxter past course and
| present Ylews- We have given It il order that
| be may not be misTepressnted by one class u
| men. OF Ini5ln nderstOo1 by another. We hEve
/ Known Col Baxter Tor many years. and. although
| many may not agree with him IN opinion, We
| can safely say that a more honorable, high
| minded ana patriotic gentleman tnan he never
| presented himself as candidate 20 the people 81
! Ieanessee. lie Is one cf the ablest iaEyers IN
| tennessee. and has ever been conspicuous for
| the compTehsusfveHess of bis mental powers,
! the clsarness OF bic judgment has fidelity to his
| friends and bis unsuliied honesty and integrity
| OF character. As = member cf Congress, he
| will be industrious and faithful 20 his con-
stltuents, apd by his iateuts viii reject
honor upon hss district and State.
Now, Il matters not whether this paragraph
vas written by my friend OF BY the eoysrnoT 1t
| vas inserted by him as editorial, and Ia that
| way he made It his own. On several other occa
tIons and IL other editorial articles be earn estiy
advocated ny election, and continued 70 do 50