Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-09-07
Brownlow and the Negroes-Inciting to
Mob Violence.

of "Senior Editor" publishes an extra
ordinary article in his paper (the Knox
vile Whig) Of the I'd inst he starts ou
by warning the negroes not to desert the
Radicals and vote for the Democrats, and
makes this appeal to their prejudices
"Colored Radicals cannot soou forget
the position held by these nnrecon
structed rebels toward the old flag; moi
that their aim in rebellion was to rivei
upon them the chains of slavery so fast
aud permanently as that they could never
have been removed, save by death"
Coming from man with the record
that Governor Brownlow has, il is de-
cidedy the coolest piece ofimpudence we
have met with in this canvass. In his
somewhat famous debate with the Rev.
Abraham Pryne, in Philadelphia, in the
latter part of the year 1858, he argued for
days to prove that slavery was of Divine
origin, and that it was the proper condi-
ton OF the negro. In that debate he ut
tered this declaration:
American slavery is not only not
sinful, but especially commanded by
God through Moses, and approved
through the Apostles by Christ And !
might conclude its defense by asserting
what God ordains and Christ saDctifes,
should command the respect and tolera-
tioD of Northern abolitionists
After be had passed through the Con-
federate lines in 1862, and gone North,
Brownlow published book, in which
this passage occurs:
In September, 1858, / was engaged
| ahot ha =. -,
Philadelphia, with Rev Abram Pryne, of
New York, in which defended the iusii
tuition of slavery as it existed in the
South The debate was published in
Philadelphia, and exhibits my sentiments
| upon that great question, which have
| undergone no change since then"
As late as 1864 he made this declara-
tion through the columns of his Knox
vile Whig, issued on the 2Sth of May Of
that year 0o NiO.5
"We have never differed with the
South upon the abstract question of
slavery, and do not now differ and we are
slaves, when liberated, if left in the
South, will be worse than it has been
during their servitude, and we are for
emsncipating every negro in the South,
Notwithstanding all this. For taking
this ground, we have two controlling
reasons first. it will be the severest pun.
isbment of the Southern rebels that can
be inflicted, and next, it will be the very
means of extinguishing the negro race,
as the renoval and civilization of the In
dian tribes have tended to extinguish
them"
Here is the proof from his own pen
that his matured views were in favor of
slavery as the proper condition for the
negro, and had the negro depended upon
him for his freedom, he never would have
got it, except as a punishment of his
master. His hatred of the negro is aptly
illustrated in the extract quoted from
bis paper. He declares himself in favor
of emancipation because it will be the
very means of exinguishing the negro.
And he never has recanted this declara.
ton. He would this day have the negro
race wiped out of existence in Tennessee
if it were not that he desires their votes
for his party. There never has been in
Tennessee as bitter and vindictive pro-
slavery man as Gov Brownlow, and his
declarations after Lincoln's proclama-
ton of emancipation, and after it became
certain that, from the operations of the
war, slavery would be destroyed, he de-
clared, unqualifedly, that he had never
differed with the South upon the alb
stract question of slavery" and did not
then, aud he only wanted the slaves |
emancipated as a punishment of the
Southern rebels" and as means Of |
extinguishing The negro race" His dis
like for the negro is shown even in the |
article in his paper of the I'd instant,
wherein he tells them that if the militia
is authorized, he may not at first call
out any but the white troops" but :" if the
white militia are inadequate to suppress
riot and iDsubordination," then he will
call upon the negroes, just as he did in
regard to giving them the right 10 vote.
He was determinedly opposed to giving
them the elective franchise until he be-
came satisfied that the white Radicals
could not save him and his party from
defeat. Had he been convinced that the
white Radicals were strong enough to
have elected him last year, the negro
would not to day be allowed to vote.
The negroes who have been hocking to
Nashville in the hope of getting into the
militia, may now return to the places
whence they came, for Gov. Brownlow
says they will not be received.
In the article in his paper Of the I'd
inst, Gov. Brownlow tries to palaver the
negroes after this style:
The colored men have showed a com
degree of industry, thrift and
intelligence. They have proved that
they are capable of taking care Of them
selves free, quite as we'll as their masters
could of them when they were slaves"
Ia bis debate with Pryne, in Philadel-
phia, TO show that the negro cannot en-
Joy liberty without becoming brutal in
bis habits, be quoted approvingly what
he London Times said Of the negroes in |
Jamaica, as follows:
"The negro has not acqsired with his
freedom any habits Of industry or moral
~. His independence is but little better
han that Of an uucaptured brute. HAv-
ng accepted few Of the restraints Of 1
civilization, he is amenable to few Of its
and the wants Of his nature
ire so easily satisfied, that at the current .
ate Of wages be is called upon for moth ]
ng but ftfnl or desnltory exertion. The /
blacks, therefore. instead Of becoming
intelligent husbandmen, have become =
Tagrants and squatters" '
To clinch The statement Of the London
Times, Brownlov declared that "tbe
legro W not work ==..aa.s..s sone one to :
make him DO 50. and emancipate them. :