Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-09-03
BROWNLOW.
Another Letter rom the ex-AutOerat
of Tennessee-What He Thinks of
the Late Election,


of Tennessee-What He Thinks of
the Late Election.
From the Knoxville Wing, Aug. 81.
l find the following in Harper's Week
ly, September T.
"Senator Brownlow has written a cus
rious letter in regard to the Tennessee
election. 1t is curious from the modera-
ton of its tone, and from its admissions.
Mr.. Brownlow says that a majority Of
the Republicans of Tennessee are Senter
men, and that Sentar is sound RepubS
lican, but he is very careful not to claim
the result as Republican victory. ms
deed, he admits that the Legislature is
not Republican. Mr.. Brownlow does not
explain why majority of the Tennes.
see Republicans preferred to take
course which gave the State to the Dem-
ocrats. If the reason was that the Re.
publicans preferred Democratic ascend.
ancy, rather than continued disfranchise-
ment, it was, if mistake, certainly not
a discreditable opinion, and he ought not
to have omitted to state it. Is Mr.. Browns
low silent because that was not the reas
son, which is to be sought in personal
iealousies? He would do his party
friends elsewhere a great service if he
would clearly and briefly explain the
reason why he wished ga sound and re-
liable Republican &" to be elected by
those who will not elect such Republic
can Senator"
Upon this l have few remarks to
offer: Neither |, nor Senter's other
Republican supporters, preferred Demo
cratic ascendancy to longer disfranchise-
ment. The reasons and the Qualifications
for our course may be gathered from
the following statements:
When the convention which assembled
in Nashville, May 20, separated without
making q nomination and without even
effectiDg temporary organization, and
the two Republican candidates were
before the people, l certainly had a
right to choose between them. From
my long and intimate knowledge of the
two candidates, ! believed Senter the
better man and | said so, giving the
reasons for that preference. J supported
him as sound Republican. l still claim
that he is such, and | shall not cease to
so claim unless Gov. Senter, himself,
shall do something to forfeit that conf
dence, which l do not expect. Personal
jealousy had nothing whatever to do
with my action in the premises. As to
the franchise question, in my judgment,
the time had come when it was safe,
proper and necessary to restore the right
ofthe franchise to those who had lost it
by their rebellion, and l said so, giving
also the reasons why so judged, among
which were the recent decision of the
Supreme Court restoring some twenty
thousand, including the most Of the lead>
ers, and l deemed it unfair, after letting
in the leaders by judicial decision, to
keep out the privates by longer political
prescription. But then, l stated in my
letter Of June r. at the opening of the
canvass, how this should be done, viz ::
by constitutional convention, and in a
constitutional manner, TO consummate
which would require two years. In all
this was consistent with my Republican
associations in Tennessee and elsewhere,
with the safety of the Republican party
in Tennessee, and as l then believed and
still believe with the best interests Of
the people of my State.
Complaints against me for recommends
ing the safe and practicable restoration
of the franchise, come with an i'll grace
from Republican parties in the North
who for four years have been holding
me up as tyrant and despotic, because
l enforced the franchise law, as the
Governor, whose sworn duty it was to
enforce it. Ia my regular message to
the General Assembly Of 1867, 1shOwed
that before long the time would arrive
when the disabilities shall be removed;
and the mistake, if any, was that the
Legislature did not institute the neces'
sary prelminaries for doing it.
For jumping the question by improp
erly manipulating the registration o
the State l am not responsible. No
have ever approved it in any manner
NV endorsement of Gov. Senter la
been purely as a Republican candidate.
will say, further, that for the i'm
proper interference of the Secretary Q
the Treasury and the Postmaster Gen
eral in the election, and the way tn
registration was conducted, but especi
ally the former, Senter's Republican vOt
would have been many thousand create
than it was. As it is, his Republica
vote is far too considerable to be over
looked, and in my judgment, as stated il
my last letter, his election by a majorit,
of the legal voters Of Tennessee is an in
disputable fact.
For the returning Of Democratic, Con
seryatiye. or Rebel members of the Legis
lature and for any unlawful, anarchi'
action they may take, neither l or any
Gov. Senter's Republican supporters ca
Justly be held answerable. In the ever
that the General Assembly shall refus
to adopt the fifteenth amendmen
which do not believe, and shall elect
,, | United States Senator hostile to the gO'
eminent and the administration, my a
ton in the premises will be determine
by my conviction Of duty.
w. G. BRowNLow.
Knoxville, Tenn, Aug. 81, 1869.