Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-05-22

the ballot If the blacks don't vote right /;
but say TO every one, 60 to the poll and
vote independently. We only wish TO pre-
sent facts and then let the colored people
vote as they wish. | think they have the
instincts Of horse and know their friends.
| say if they want TO vote the Conservative
ticket, let them do it.
He says the Conservatives in the Legis-
lature voted for equal rights and universal
suffrage. When they could get ali why not
vote for half Why not vote for suffrage
10 the blacks.
have sold negroes to pay my honest
debts. Iwasnot negro trader. Laughter.
Mr.. Z. says he never sold any. He liked
them so well he meant TO keep them for
ever.
Campbell fought bravely in Mexico, and
when Forrest took Murfreesboro, Camp.
bell was the first man at Nashville to pro-
pose TO raise troops 10 defend Nashville
At II o'clock Mr.. East came in and said
Forrest is coming. Campbell said he had
gold il would be best to be quick, or they
couldn't get on the cars they had better
go to Louisville. They did go. | staid in
Nashville because / hadn't money to go
Campbell got a commission as Brigadiel
General, kept it in his pocket, did nothing
and threw up his commission after the pro-
clamation, and became a member Of the
Chicago convention.
voted against the bill for additional pay
of $1,000 to Congressman. Ask DIR. Left
which if he didn't make it $4,000 instead o.
$4,000. | am law-abiding man, and would
take it if it was made $4,000. Cheers.
Brownlow contended and wrote FOL
slavery. When he said it was wrong, he
went in for giving the colored man his full
rights. 1t was against his wish that the
Conservatives and some Radicals kept the
sixteenth section in the law. Amt he q
better friend to them than a man who
never spoke a word or struck stroke fol
them
If Mr. Etheridge is elected will he re
commend the dissolution of the present
State government? 1t was Andrew
johnson who opposed the selecting del
egates by the convention to amend
the constitution. The submission to the
people, he said, would ratify it. This was
done. Every man was permitted to vote
if he would take the oath required of all
Ii was the peoples fault if they did not
vote. 1t was the loyal people who selected
the set Of men in the Legislature who have
stood firm to their duty and have placed
Tennessee on the top round of the ladder
of freedom and progress
BrownloW has sustained the law, as his
official record will testify. He has aided
the Legislature and acts with them.
If it is right to give the colored man the
right to vote, You and | should support
Brownlow and the Legislature. Cheers
and Kisses.
He asks why not give Tennessee the
same rights as the States under the mill
tary reconstruction BILL Tennessee had
fixed her destiny. voted for the military
bill because thought it right l acted at
least. 1t is something to do that. The
Legislature and Governor Brownlow gave
the colored man his rights. Let him come
square up and answer that logically, as he
can do.
The speaker made sharp response to
personal allusions. He thanked the audi
ence, which had been vociferousIy calling
for "Etheridge."
The great building shook with applause
for Etheridge as the band struck up. Mr..
Stokes made bold stand, but made no
point with the audience.
A storm of cheers, stamping and hurrahs
greeted Mr.. Etheridge, and half dozen
boquets were handed up to him.
MR.. ETHERIDGE's SPEECH.
He gracefully thanked the lady doners of
the boquets, which renewed the feelings of
his youth
He regretted the announcement that he
was to speak-it was made without his con-
sent-but he filled the bonds of his friends.
He had been willing to stay as long as Mr..
Stokes wished Mr. Stokes had expressed
his thankfulness for the chance of making
a fool of himself. He need not be thankful
for that. 1t might have been found out,
even though he kept silent. He says he
thought the Duncan letter false, but he was
no lawyer. Did it need a lawyer to make
a deserter? Might it come from cowardice
and Cupidity? He says it was not the
truth. Are not some men liars who are not
lawyers? Was he not safe when he wrote
the Duncan letter? He says he was sur
rounded by soldiers. He seems now terri
bly, afraid of General Forrest. In the Dun
can letter he said time will show where we
all stand. Time shows where one of them
SITS pointing to Stokes.
The points of the Duncan letter urging
aid to the rebellion were fully stated Mr.
Stokes SAYS Hall and McNair got votes
He voted for them. / told yon most of
the fellows in the Legislature who have de-
spoiled the State of its liberties were Reb-
els, and voted for them, bat did not know
he voted for them. ! said they didn't get
votes in the counties in which they lived,
and some of them didn't live in the State.
That was exactly true. He SAYS he saw the
official record of my military trial. Didn't
you see it?
Mr.. Stokes-I read it Yesterday.
Mr.. Etheridge: PHI bet you five hun
dred dollars you didn't hear it.
Mr.. Etheridge then detailed the facts.
The record is in the official archives in
| have here the next best
evidence. The court did take jurisdiction
and try the case for many days. Every
thing / said about the case was the exact
truth. / read the plea. Mr. Stokes didn't
understand it. A man who has been study
ing military tactics, on both sides, hasn't
time to do much else. | plead not guilty
to all the charges but that of writing the
letter, and the court said did right. Mr..
Stokes says he is not educated. He need
not have told it. He is, however, the Ju-
pius who writes ably on both sides of a
great war. There are others of the same
who marched under Logwood
and now under DogWood Show me an
apostate Rebel, the refuse of the Rebel
camp, and | will show you a Radical.
He says Andrew johnson is the author
Of this State government. Now, Andrew
Johnson asks the State TO give equal rights
to all men. | would feel myself unfit for re-
spectacle society if should propose as the
Radical leaders do-to Join with the black
to put down and degrade such an assembly
as this. He says if equal rights were given
TO all, | would be beaten by General For
rest. Well, l would not be the only mar,
Union or Confederate, whom he has beaten.
Ii he did il would be the voice of the peo-
pie. This is what these Radical leaders
fear. They know that the scum of civil
war would sink into oblivion. General
Forrest would not wish to deprive the
mesnest Radical of the right to vote.
Mr.. Etheridge went on, and said Mr..
Stokes complained that he couldn't speak
at Nashville. They couldn't trust him
perhaps. That Duncan letter might have
been read. He says when he let johnson
20 / took him up. | wrote a letter elabor-
ately urging his (Stokes') admission to
Congress. l would take Stokes up if he
would repent, and not seek to degrade his
own race. Mr. Etheridge went on remark
ing that every Radical leader went up
North pleading poverty, and begging and
telling that a Union man couldn't live in
Tennessee, and then running back to Ten
nessee with the money TO their wives to
.>.,,,. - 1rbax a;r,t afraid than 7 ba,rJ