Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-08-26

eastward from the center OF lhe tOWu
along narrow hilly street in Knoxville,
Won will soon cross bridge spanning
brawIinr stream, and ascending g some
what precipitous slope, you Will perceive
an old fashioned frame house on your
left: mount two or three steps, Knock al
the door, and when 1t shall De thrown
open, ask to see the Governor you WIN
ne shown into chamber, and upon bed
or lounge you will p5rceive q shrlVeied
human form, spare to almost extreme
attenuation, the legs drawn up close TO
the body. the long bOny arms stretched
forth to rest upon the knees, and the
brown skinny fingers formed into q tri-
angle above them; the entire frame ls
shaking with palsy; the small eager eyes
peeriug from under neavy brows, anu The
breath coming with wheeZ!ng, hollow,
asthmRtic sound up through the throat.
This form is that of William IL broWn-
low, the present autOcrat OF Iennesseei
and according to our nrm Delleli lhe
wickedeEt man on the continent oil
America; and, as we also think, man
without a peer in depravity, even IN the
worst departmeHts Of the French bagnes
at Brest or TouIon, or the convict settle
meuts, for the worst criminals IN the
English establishment at Norfolk Island.
CHANGING to pass q few weeks at Knox
willie during the late war, We sought 10
obtain some authentic details as to the
career Of this anomalous person. Our
information wac mostly furnished by for
mer political associates of the man and
as none OF it seemed unged with any
bitterness or hostility toward him, It
was doubtless fairly given. be began
Life in Southwestern Virginia, where, be-
fore he had fully attained to manhood,
he fiiched money from his employers,
the prOpTietOrs of some iron WORKS. he
next appeared as Methodist preacher,
and soon acquired great influence IN that
character among the rud, iiliteTate, hall
savage population of that region and the
adjoining districts in Upper East Ten
nsssee, by his vehement, fOrciole style OF
speaking, In the course OF time he got
control of q printing press, and made his
first essays in journalism. The period
was propitious for one Of his mental or
ganiZation in this new field for It was
about the beginning OF an era OF intense
ly bitter partissuship, introducing Into
political discussions personal insults and
deuuncistiOns, which for go long and
weary q period discredited the politicians
of Tennessee. Brownlow was writer
of some yigor of style, and his particular
| forte was personal detraetion Of his OppO-
nents, La this sphere he made himself
useful 20 his party friends, and became q
| faVorite orator in their ranks.
OF wit and humOr, no scinullatiOn ever
! sparkled in his columns. Vanity made
/ Brownlow sOon fancy himself man OF
national renoWn, and he aspired TO pass
] the bounds of his mountain home and
seek other fields of fame. His particular
aversion at that time seems TO have been
abolitionism, and he eOurted one or two
public debates on that subject with It's
Northern advocates, in which no snone
conspicuous as an advocate of the strict
est sect for negro slavery; and for bis
sharp, eaustic, vituperatve deDunclation
Of all who opposed that system. This
devotion TO slavery lasted until the wal
broke out In 1851. OF those who had
known him best, by political association
and sympathy, not few believed thal
his first wish was to espouse the seces'
sion side, and that had he been promptly
paid twenty or twenty-five thousand
dollars (for he loves money! he would
undoubtedly have done so. de wen
over. however, to the loyal side wal
Imprisoned for his violent diatribei
against the Confederates, and released
and sent into the Federal lines by order'
from the Richmond Government, muel
to the indignation and regret of il
prominent adherents at Knoxville, WHIT
knew him thoroughly and appreciated
his unprineipled character. He mao
himself lion amongst the creduious ant
| excited Northern masses; going fron
place to place and delivering lecture
founded on his alleged personal gTiev
ances and suffeTilgs, and spioed wit
what some OF his own partisan and fel
low. prisoners afterwsrd denounced q
fslsehoods, for mis- own glOridcstion.
In this way he filled his pockets wit
money and gratified his inOrdinste sell
ssfficiency, In the early part OF the yea
1865, a "loyal political convention
meeting at Nashville, was spontaneousi
changed to a body claiming authority t
frame q constitution for Tennessee. Thi
work was soon accomplished, and, as
, asserts, adopted by the people OF tn
State. Under this Constitution Brown
> low managed to be made Governor {
Tennessee, which position he still retains
After the surrender Of the ConfedeTst
forces in 1866, and when the first ev
dences of an intention to give the negrOe
OF the South the right Of voting man
tested themselves at the North, Brown
low opposed il In his usual bitter style
but as time rolled by, and be began
ses that without this element Of strengt
he was uncettsin in his hold on poWel
he made no dif1lculty In turning rounC
and has since been as great an advocat
of that system as he was before its en'
NV. Under his direction the shsmefI
Acknowledgement measure was enacbe;
by which nearly every respectable whit
. man and tax payer was deprived of b
: rigbtful franchise, and has since bee
taxed naerciIessly to support regime
tyranny and oppression, as yet Hnknow
J, elsewhere.
. Brownlow carries things his own wa!
sickness and suffering cannot suppre
the cruel and british instincts OF his ni
[ ture the immediate prospect of deaf
does not seem to fright him from b
fiendish designs against those whom
appears 70 have devoted to wrong, spol
alton, outrage and even exCerminatiol
as he has loudly and repeatedly declares
if they continue their opposition to b
usuTped government. The great M
l. jority Of the so-called Legislature are b
willing and interruptions tools in all b
d schemes for self aggrandizement and p
= litical supremacy. No instinct of b
manity, no consideration Of Justice,