Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-05-09
THE LETHARGY OF THE PEOPLE
CONDEMNED----AN APPEAL FOR
AGfTTktA

THE LETHARGY OF THE PEOPLE
CONDEMNED---.-AN APPEAL FOR
ACTION.
Correspondence Of the Union and Dispatch.
WINCHESTER, Tenn, May :, lS67.-The
leihargy, the inaction, in fact the coward
ice, (for that is the word, Of the Conserva-
tive party in Tennessee, Is not only surpri-
sing, but is absolutely disgraceful and sla-
wish the cry Of some, that il is no use TO
labor, the oolored man is with the Radicals,
We can't secure his support, is contempti-
bic nonsense. Men who give in 20 such
despondency are cr0akers, and hardly en-
titled TO be free The writer Of this COM
munica:ion has had some experience with
the colored man, and can say for each of
the many he has talked 10, he finds him
not only a thinking, investigating man,
but anxious 10 pursue and prosecute the
course most promotiye of the welfare
Of the State; he is not 10 be gulled with
the falsehood that the BrOwnlOw fac
ton is the instrument OF his liberty they
feel under no obligation TO that party for
their present privileges; only show the his
tory of the matter, and they at once see
the duplicity and the mean sel6sliness that
prompted the Radical 10 give, or claim TO
give the right Of suffrage; they listen TO
the record and messages of Brownlow they
read them for themselves, and to-day, there
are two eolored ministers of the gospel in
this county, one a Methodist and the other
a Baptist ready 10 take the stump for
Etheridge and his cause, and promise you
they will do good work they are men of
sense and honesty, and have the confidence
Of the white man and the black. Now,
I'll u Al T., =.
the other counties2 know. II il because
the men who are most interested take no
action or pains; they give to neither the
white man nor the black who is disposed
TO work, and TO make sacrifices for the
right, any encouragement they are viii
ming no use, no use. Such contemplate
stuff ought TO- and will, damn the political
life Of all who persevere in the course.
This county is alive 10 her duty, and will
tell a good tale in August. We are going
TO work in earnest we ask none of them
odds; we plant ourselves upon the laws of
the land, and we intend TO have the law
through the land The franchise law, we
are resolved, shall be executed by virtue of
ITSELF We are men, not beggars, and in
tend 10 demand and have what the law
gives us. We have a right 10 talk out 10
the people; we are doing Il, and mean TO
do il TO the end.
appeal 10 Conservatives TO wake up. |
appeal 10 yon TO arouse them by the power
Of the press IL we are active, honest and
faithful, our deliverance from the internal
BrownloR despotism Is sure. If We are
idle and crouching, our chains are multi
piled, made heavier and fastened harder
upon us.
What has become of the genius of Ten
nessee Whittier has she fled, and left us
to look to-day upon that multitude Of once
noble and manly men who now sit in su
pineness and with folded arms, and permit,
by their own folly, the richest prize for
which men ever commended. 10 slip their
grasp without single effort 10 secure it /?
Come, Tennesseans arouse put on your
arnor-yonr fate is in your own hands.
Gentlemen, turn upon your own party,
shd lash it--yes, lash it--into q sense of
duty. Never let them rest until every
man Is at his post and in line, and don't
allow us to lose this fight because We are All
organization Of towards.
FRANKLIN.