Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1867-07-17
Tennessee,

The Union men of Tennessee are fighting des-
perate battle with terrible odds against them-for
the majority of the people are rebels, more bitter,
more malignant In feeling and more devilish in
purpose than they were during the war. The law
disffanchises rebels but the law will do good I'M
less Il can be enforced In this State the loyal men
have had the strength and the phck to enforce as
.franchisement. In Tennessee tie rebels are pro-
portionately much stronger; they have oeen greasJ,
iv REINFORCED by the detection of johnson, anu
much encouraged and strengthened ey 5ne op.nO.
Of Attorney General StanberTy, ana ny :..L
ceiving aid from all Copperheads ana repeE IN o1n-
az Stafes Tbeir hone q TO exclude so large part
Of the loya vote white and oiacA' anu " loISe Sne
reesirsfon Of 80 many rebels, as to give them con-
troll of The State Knowing that the contest IS
J-..o 90 they spare no efforts. In all quar-
go Toiseboods are most shamelessly used in many
nIaces gold. and in many force and intimidation
TTbrough whole counties, the negroes are deferred
from claiming the right TO vote and white oyalists
dare not instruct encourage them; reign Of ter
ror prevails, and rebelism rules absolutely as 1t
did when men were murdered for wishing the sue
cess Of Union armies In other counties, the rebels
have control Of the courts OF local organizations,
and if they permitted TO appoint registrars, viii
exclude loyal men and admit the distranchlsed.-
To mest this danger power has been conferred upon
the Governor TO appoint registrars, Eat the reDes
have attempted 10 get the courts TO exercise the a
pointing power and if this resistance TO the law IS
not efectually crushed by the Governors frmness.
1t will enable the rebels to capture the State
The violence and bitterness Of feeling prevailing
seems almost incredible to people OF loyal States
but the people Of Missouri, who have happily pass
cd through the same trial. can well understand It.
II is fight for life II the rebels win, loyal men
cannot live in Tennessee In some quarters already,
they are in constant peril and are protected only
by the militia. A Conservative" victory would
put the whole State in the power of rebels laws
securing the instruction of negroes or granting them
II Al, I. &C
rebels would be ignored and at the next election the
most malignant rebels Of the State would be prefer
red for office. The same spirit that hunted the 10y
al men Of Tennessee through the mountains for
years, burning their dwellings and numbering their
wives and children, needs only thestimuus and OPP
portunity Of political victory to break out in all its
former violence.
1t is well 10 remember these things, and TO rea-
lie the imminent peril Of the loyal men, before
condemning the measures which they are compell-
cd to adopt to secure loyal government. For, in
truth, Tennessee was hardly ready for reconstruc-
ton. Her admission TO representation was proba-
bly, hasty and premature. The ablest Radicals OPP
posed IT, and with success until the passage OF the
negro suffrage law seemed TO give assurance that
the loyal voters of the State would be able TO
tain themselves. The Radicals Of Tennessee then
asked for admission, and the Conservative Republi-
cans in Congress clamored for it-for they fancied
it would help the party in pending elections John
son, from the first, had been peculiarly anxious to
secure the admission of Tennessee, and there were
tmd Republicans who had mania for yielding to
bis wishes Hence, when the Radicals Of Tennes-
see themselves asked for admission, and gave assu-
rance that they would be able TO sustain their loyal
government, Congress yielded. We sill hope and
believe that the Union will not be overpower-
ed and that the desperate contest pending will
prove 10 be the last struggle of defeated rebels m,
but It would have been safer TO have spared them
the peril to which they are now exposed. Had Ten
nessee remained under military rule still longer, it
is probable that the establishment and maintenance
of a loyal government would have been compare
lively easy and safe Nevertheless, whether there
construction of Tennessee was premature or not,
her loyal men deserve hearty sympathy and willing
aid in their struggle. They cannot turn back now,
and must crush rebellion be crushed themselves.
They viii do it at the election if the laws are en-
forced and obeyed if the laws are resisted or de-
fed we trust that the Union men will not lack the
power TO sustain them Remembering that violence
always begets violence they will be careful never
10 begin OF provoke IT, but will insist upon the en-
forcement of the laws. In this State, in the last
campaign, there would have been bloody work if
the LOYAL men had not been prudent and patriotic
as well as firm. Adhering rigdly to the law, and
at the time fully prepared for any conflict that
might be forced upon them they secured fair cleo
ton in most Of the counties and achieved victory
from which rebellion viii never recover. We hope
and trust that the Union men of Tennessee will be
equally successful, and that the struggle through
which they are passing will be the end of the re-
bellion in that State.-St. Le0is Mo- Democrat