Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1867-05-31

intellect, and so enthused with the deeply
stirred sensibiities Of heart burning under
the foulest frauds ever committed upon lib
crty ard humanity, were all the words he
uttered, that It puzzles the choice to select
from so much that was so well and so wisely
said.
The central idea of his whole effort be
held firmly in the easy grasp OF cap a pie
understanding, that of "equal and exact jus
tice to all men," Around this grand princi-
pie of his advocacy revolved all the lesser
points Of his speech in perfect harmony. Not
to be turned aside by the twaddle of his OPP
ponent upon purely personal and immaterial
charges, he consumed the time, that was all
too short for his earnest convictions and va
ried resources, upon the rescue of Republican
liberty, in the State of Tennessee, from the
most dangerous and damning conspiracy
sever hatched in the foul air of distempered
times"
As to the only charge that has ever yet
been raked up by the scavengers of pol.
lutcd and shameless party, in proof of Mr..
Etheriige's hostility to the colored people,
that where he is made TO say "the negroes
are no more free now than before Mr.. Lin
coins proclamation, and shoot down any man
proclaiming it, &C., Mr.. 4. most satisfactorily
convinced all honest men of its falsity. As
a Laseyer he had said, before the Constitutional
Amendment was ratified, that the negroes
were not legally free, an undeniable truth
and as to the balance of the charge he had
triumphantly proven it before military tri-
bunal, to be a malicious and dastardly false
hood. Mr.. E. stated that the Memphis Post
had taken the charge from is columns and
some of the more decent members of the
party had ceased TO foul their lips with the
dirty fabrication. It remains to be seen
whether the Press & Times will continue to
retain proven lie in its columns as it is now
doing.
RECORD ON SLAVERY.
Thus, the matter stood as between Mr.. Ether
idge and Governor Brownlow on the slavery
question. Mr.. e. had been the lifelong and
consistent friend of the colored race, both in
in his public career and private life, indeed
so much 80 before the war, that the morbid
sensitiveness of the South on the subject re-
viedhim as an abolitonist. Whilst Brown
low was the illustrious author of the Pryne
lettersl Mr.. Etheridge made this distinction
between himself and Brownlow SO plain
to his colored hearers, that conviction must
have forced itself upon them through even
the prejudices against Mr.. Z. that had been
instilled into them by the miserable midnight
lies of the "loyal leagues"
HIS TALK TO THE CoLoRED PEOPLE.
Indeed nothing could be more admirable
than his manner OF addressing the unin-
formed but common good sense of the black
people. Here the advantage of having a
Radical opponent along with him was strik-
ingly manifested. When Conservatives as
sert the most clearly proven facts tefore the
colored people, without an opponent on the
stump, they close their minds TO conviction
with the fond delusion that these facts can be
iefuted by some nasal talking Radical, who
button holes them in some dark corner. But
when Mr.. Etheridge asserted these facts and
dared Mr.. Stokes to disprove them, and the
latter sat silent and ashamed, even the most
stupid intellect could see they must be true
McoRMIcK REAPER.
asked one of his colored listeners, after
the speech, what he thought of Mr. Ethe-
ridge. swell, Boss, he's reaper sure--one
of these McKommic Reapers." l thought
it was very apt comparison, for he certain
ly did NOW down all Of Mr.. Stokes rank
crop of weeds with the clean and wide
sweeping stroke of NJ Oormick Reaper.
WHAT THE RADICALS THINK OF IT.
asked the biggest crowd of these we ev-
saw-three men-what they thought of the
discussion. They replied that "they thought
Etheridge was very fine stump speaker, but
that his whole speech was but an abuse Of
Brownlow and his party, aud that he did moi
argue any issues, and did not answer any of
the points made by Gen'l Stokesp Thus,
the great and towering issue Of the canvass
whether equal rights shall be meted out to
all men white and black, or whether few
polit cormorants and adyenturers shnll
guide the destinies of a splendid Common
wealth, by giving sole political power to the
black man, which issue, Mr.. Etheridge--pass-
ing by as properly unworthy of his breath,
much Of the irrelevant and puerile divergence
of Mr.. Stekes-illustrated and enforced with
all the matchless resources Of a consummate
master of debate, was considered by these
Radicals, as ungermane 10 the campaign
The calm scorn of an honest, earnest and able
man, for those who, for the basest motives
and in the sacred name Of "oyalty 2 would
enslave their own race, and place over them
the unlcttered colored man, thereby inaug-
urating war of races and the involvement
Of both black ard white In common ruin,
was deemed by these men as the language of
unreasonable passionll If our people listen
ed Alright to one of the most eloquent cham
pions that ever Numbered against tyranny,
they will yet, between now and August be
able to overthrow the most corrupt oligarchy
that ever made the Angels weep for fallen
humanity. CITIZEN.
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