The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-08-12
Negrs voting in Tennessee.

Negro Voting in Tennessee.
Mr.. FURAY, the intelligent and OBJ
serving correspondent of the Cincin-
matt Gozttee, in Tennessee, furnishes
that paper with an interesting account
of affairs in that State. connected With
the recent election We copy a few
of his items as good reading for our
Conservative subscribers:
SCENES AROUND THE POLLS AT NASH
t-D4 WILLIE. .llI
[ was In this city on the day of the
election. and visited 10 succession
each of the places where voting was
going on The colored people had
been advised by their friends to vote
as early as possible, and at about nine
O'Clock they were out in full force.
They were dressed in their best
clothes, dressed in fact as we'll as the
white gentlemen around them, but
they evidently looked upon the af-
fair neither as an idle pastime nor as
holiday. 1t was with them deeply
significant and solemn occa-
sion, when they were called
upon to prove their title to citizenship
at the ballot-bOx, as they had before
shown their manhood ON the field of
battle. Forming in column with their
certificates and tickets In hand. they
stretched solidly for some distance
from the ballot-box into the street
Each new arrival as he came up,
made no attempt to precede or crowd
those who arrived earlier, but quietly
took his place in the rear of the col
umn, and patiently waited his turn
Some of them remained thus for three
hours. in the burning sun, advancing
inch by inch toward the box, into
which fell continually their quiet but
potent ballots. There was no bolster
BUSINESS among them; no loud
talking; scarce whisper; each coun-
tenanee looked grave as death it was,
indeed, for them, a solemn task: for
they were acting in defiance of those
who had threatened them with pro-
scriptiOn and starvation in case they
persevered; and all around them they
saw the scowls and frowDs of those
who had the power, at least for
time, to throw them out of employ
ment and deprive their wives and
children Of bread. But still those
solid columns, holding in their hands
what were at once the evidences of
their freedom and the instruments
wherewith to perpetuate it, moved
slowly, determinedly, unitedly and
sublimely on. As [ stood and watched
them, | could, IN my minds eye, per-
ceive the rebel Democracy going down
before them, as more than two years
ago L saw the veterans of Hood
routed by the onset of the black brig
AIDES along the summit of Overton
Hill. q
A STRIKING AND WONDERFUL CON
TRAST.
The day after the election one of
the Democratic organs of Nashville
drew picture of "a tall old gentleman,
who had held various Offices, up. to the )
highest in Tennessee, and had repre-
sented the country as Ambassador at
a foreign court, standing on the side
walk on the morning of election,
looking diseonsolately across the
street, watching the process Of voting,
himself disfranchised, while the
freedmen were pressing forward In
scores to the ballot box. 1t was, in
deed, an Instructive spectacle; but it
teaches different lesson from that
which the Democratic organ seeks to
inculcate. seis.5.
That tall. slender, gray haired man
(although the organ does not mention
his nancy was Ex-Governor. Neil s.
Brown. His history had beemexactly
what the Etheridge journal indicates.
He had, before the war, grown old in
the enjoyment of Offices and -honors,
which the State and nation had be-
slowed upon him. No man than he
better understood the aims of the
traitors who were seeking to disrupt
the Government; no man knew better
how to expose the fallacy of their
arguments. In the. preliminary dis
cussions preceding the rebellion. he
tore In shreds their frivolous pretexts.
and exhibited to all the people in lofty
speech. the justice. Of. the Union
causes. But when the hour of trial !
came; when the troops, of jeff. Davis
were called in from Mississippi to /
garry out the aceursed com pact .enter-
ed into. with Isham G. Harris |
for forcing Tennessee into the foul
arms OF the Southern Confederacy:
when the Union people were stretch |
ing out their hands imploringly to |
their leaders, and begging them to |
stand firm, it was then that Neil S.