Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-07-31
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WEDNESDAY. IUIlr 81. lsez. !
Largest Circulation in City and State.
A HUBBLE PETITION FOR THE RE-
TIrRN OF THE MEIISH

fobAAslN An AplNA1s July AD---- ~ WV .
ERSoR FLETCHER AND AID DE-CAMP WM.
G.. BRowNLow: -Humbly complaining,
your petitioners beg the honor TO eat dirt
and crawl on their bellies into your sanity
presence through the medium Of the press,
and represent unto your sDajesties that
they are citizens of Sullivan county that
we favored rebellion 50 long as there was
aHy hope OF success that when the Coz
federacy began TO wane we deserted the
South. and at the peril Of our lives went
through the lines and gave our whole time
and attention to the persecution Of those
deluded Rebels who remained constant and
faithful 10 the Confederate cause. We did
not Join che Union army because we Were
physically unfit, but we Joined that larger
army, known. as East Tennessee camp
followers, and following the victorious le-
gions OF Burnsides, we Waged as merciless
and unrelenting war upon the detenseless
females Of Rebel soldiers in the field, who
had stubbornly refused to desert Each of
as can show, and establish BY indisputable
testimony, a long list of houses and barns
burnt, Of women whipped, and children
turned out of doors, of old men murdered
and of horses stolen. We state these facts,
which can be established beyond the posi-
bility Of a doubt, in order to show to your
maiesties satisfaction that we are "rooly
loil," and therefore worthy of your distin-
guished attention.
Your petitioners would further repre-
sent. that since the removal Of Captain
Gresham's militia out of the county, peace
and good order has been restored, BY the
timidity and eOwardice Of those calling
themselves Radicals, who pledged them
selves on the departure of the militia to
keep up the strife aud agitation 80 aus
piciously begun by Capt. Gresham, until
after the election, and thereby intimidate
thewhite Conservatives and drive heblac8s
into your support. So far from carrying this
patrioticpledgei into execution, the timidity
and base cowardice OF those calling them
selves Radicals and Brownlow men, has
been such as to embolden the Conserya-
tives, and as a natural consequence, the
county is to-day in open rebellion against
you and the Radical party. Treason, base
treason, stalks abroad through the land in
open daylight Overt acts are committed
daily. In the towns and at the cross roads
such reasonable language as the following
may be heard every day " l intend to
vote for Etheridge in spite of Brownlow
aud his militia" I" The militia is a nui-
sance and an outrage upon the liberties of
the people, and ought not to be tolerated"
Brownlow viii bankrupt the State by
taxation and legislation There is not
a negro in the State but who would make
better Governor than Brownlow."
"D-n Brownlowp Hurrah for Ether
idge, etc, etc. These reasonable Conser-
yaliyes have been permitted, since the de-
parture Of the glorious parti-colored mill
tia, to talk and pirate 50 much about the
constitution, liberty of the press, free speech,
free government, taxation, peace, good or
der, and all manner of reasonable and
mischieyous beresies, that even the cOlored
people are becoming disafiected and many
Of them have been heard to declare, that
these Southern Radicals were poor white
trash before the war, and they hated Us
then, and we hated them, aud they hate
as now, and are only pretending to be our
friends in order 10 get us 10 vote for old
Brownlow TO get him in Office 50 they can
rob our old friends and masters of their
property The negroes have more sense
than they get credit for, and unless some
thing is done to keep them arrayed against
the property holders. we verify believe
Etheridge will carry the county. We
would respectfully suggest that you issue
proclamation offering every colored man
who will vote for you fifty acres Of land, to
he located in any part of the State 10 suit
the voters fancy. OF course you know that
you cannot comply with the promise, bat
the negroes will not know the difference,
nor discover the trick till after the election.
In view OF the great emergency now up
on MS and horrible state of affairs in the
county, the prayer Of your petitioners is
that your send back our militia; if con
sistent with the public interest to withdraw
them from the front. In the event you
would likely lose any Of the counties in the
west by Withdrawing our company A,
give us authority TO raise a regiment in
old sullivan The time is short, bat the
emergency ia great, and we believe several
negroes in the county would rally 10 your
call, with three days rations, at a moments
warning.
If Incompatible with the public veal TO
spare company A" or the time is too
short 10 raise another regiment, our prayer
is in view of the fact that the county can
not be carried for YOU without the aid Of
the militia, that you apply the swab-your
proclamation-and wipe out the registfa-
ton Of the county All Of the trooly loil
would rejoice at the act, and justify It as a
military necessity. Grant our prayer, and
we will ever pray.
MANY CITIZENS, Z" TROOLY LoII."