Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-05-29

of Etheridge as he insisted upon learn
ing the name Of the Wilson county dele
gate
mistake. | was confronted by three
hundred men who sought my life, and
left the State because my life was in
danger You stayed because you knew
yours was not worth taking.
1t takes an apostate rebel to make
good Radical He admits writing the
Duncan letter. Now he either has an
honorable discharge, Is deserter from
the rebel army, or liar.
He says he wants loyal men TO rule.
So do /. want TO see no man vote who
cannot take the required oath. lie says
all the guerrillas and bushwhackers are
in my party. The Radicals have got
most Of the guerrillas in my county.
There are horse thieves in all great par
ties; but is this any reason why honora-
bic men should not be allowed to vote ?
He intimates that l left the Union
party. he must stop that. allow no
man to make that assertion
He says the Tennessee Legislature
has done more for the freedmen than
that OF any other State, and that it is in
advance Of all others Yes, you have
advanced. You have advanced until
you have your feet upon the necks of
men whose shoes you are not worthy to
wipe, and you are in the hands Of des.
pot who can reduce you to political serf-
dom at any moment
He says that / stir up hatred against
the Federal soldier. If there be Fed
efal soldier here against whom ] have
stirred up hatred, would like to see
him. When did / defend the rebels 2
Why, l stigmatizsd the rebellion with
every epithet known to debate.
He asserts that he wrote letter from
Washington that would do credit to my
head, and he brags about it. That letter
was a solid plagiarism from the letters
written by Amos Kendall against seo5s-
sion 1t was published in the Star, and
he cut it out in gnlches, tied it together,
sent it home to his constituents, and il
was published in the Knoxville Wing.
He steals the words of Amos Kendall and
palms them off upon the folks in the
mountains as his production Why, all
the Bill Stokeses in the universe havn't
sense enough to write such thing.
In 1862, he says, ran again from a
Paris mob, when l had come back to
address the people I'll hear no more
of that | did address the people at that
time, and implored them to stand by the
Union. tell you I'll hear no more of it.
If there is any man in this State who |
does not want the white man to have
Il Al / In
want his vote. If Stokes will agree not |
to Duncanize, and win take the field in
favor of equal rights, he may take my
place. and / will forgive him, and Gala
way too, for being a rebel.
Blackburn, he says, will come, and |
will again get away, and take the school
fund with me. Did you ever see Rad
zeal who did not keep his eye on the
school fund? If Brownlow should die
he would 90 to heaven. Stokes will
never get there. Brownlow is a mono
maniac, and he would be saved.
There is statement that introduced
a resolution to amend the Constitution.
I Turning to Mr.. Stokes Did anybody
tell you that | introduced that resolu-
ton
Stokes-Yes; it was Mr.. Bilbo.
Etheridge-Bilbo Bilbo
There's another apostate rebel ! Well,
Mr.. Bilbo told you what was not true.
Was Bill Stokes an abolitionist when
be used to sell his negroes2 was no
abolitionist. was too poor to buy, ne
groes and free them and besides, it was
against the laws of the State, and they
would have to be sent back to Africa.
will not try to deceive the colored people.
He accuses me Of trying to disfranchise
foreigners. The Know-Nothings were
never for DISTINGUISHING foreigners. How
are you going to disfrsnchise men who
have never v0ted7 The Know Nothings
did not propose to keep foreigners from
voting. They only advocated an extern
sion Of the time of residence required to
fit foreigner for voting
He says the rebel soldiers are not to
blame, and that there would be no trouble
but for me. What trouble am l giving
himf He drew the rebel soldier into
The army and ought to treat him we'll
new. 1t was by such teachings as those
Of the Duncan letter that men went into
The rebel army. he got pay for putting
bis negroes in the Federal army, and a
great many farmers treated their negroes
IN the same way. l do not defend or
the outrsges perpetrated by
.ither army during the war. doubt not
that the wretches who committed those
1utrsges are now acting with the Radi-
cal party Turning to Stokes. Do
you intimate that l would connive at an
insult to your wife and children2 No
-eply1 These outrages we're the work
IF the refuse Of both armies. The courts
are open and you have loyal judges
Why don't you try the perpetrators2
doG5: whether General Thomas ever
Jaw the paper disappearing Of the Judges
Of the court martial by which l was
ried. That man Whipple was there,
md that accounts for the paper read by
Mr.. Stokes. On the very day Of trial l
caught clerk in the act Of swindling
and had him discharged.
Mr.. Elheridge's time here expired,
ghen Stokes Numbered awhile, and the
jehata closed