Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1870-06-10

/
government, | propose, with your indulgence.
| to drag them before the public gaze and adj
minister to them the rebuke which they have so
long deserved. They hayeoppressed and tyran-
yea over tpelr tellow-cltlzens long enough, and
| 1T IS time to arrest their Infamous career
i'The chief among these fseeg sote,.s in politics
was once an Attorney General of Tennessee and
now sits as a member of the Confederate Con-
gress This clique, bankrupt in character has
managed, through a noisy protestaton of deyo-
ton to the rebellion, aided by military oppres-
sion and an INSCRIPTIONS press under its imme-
oiate control, to secure some influence with the
authorities of the Confederate States. which they
have used for dishonorable and revengeful pur-
poses. They have scrupled at nothing, however
corrupt to overthrow political opponents"
Here follows an account of the forged cor
respondence with Amos Lawrence, and similar
infamies, which, for good reasons. 1 will reserve
for future use.l s-. ....t,
{ Sir, will write without reserve 1t is my
custom to do so. have no secrets and ambus-
cade no mans character, and make no clandes-
tine attacks on any man reputation I am able
and it will afford me pleasure to sustain by
proof everything which / here say.
This combination of FREEBooTERs have been
successful In clothing unprincipled partisans
with military power. through whom they have
attempted to suppress the freedom Of thought and
of speech, and the free exercise of the elective
franchise At their instance, a general system
of oppression of Union men began about the
first of last September. Under and in pursuance
of their policy, many men from different parts
of East Tennessee, were arrested and imprison-
ed In our own and in distant prisons, for no
other reason than the entertaining by them of
honest opinions ayerse to the rebellion. The
men thus arrested, taxed with costs and driven
about by force, felt and not without cause, that
this Southern structure, called the Southern
Confederacy, however beautiful to others, was,
to them, u despOtsm, depriving them of proper
ty and personal liberty. One of their captains,
acting out their policy, arrested fronfss to
one hundred citiZens-Union men-affd~ uIz1sJ
threats of sending them to distant military pris-
ons extorted from SIS to 500 each, according to
their several abilities and then gave them certi-.
fcGteS of loyalty All this was done in one
treaty Others wearing the insignia of military
power and honor, have been enriehing them
selves by pretending to seize private property
for the Confederate Government, and appropri-
ating it to themselves; or by forcing sales at
Inadequate. prices, andethen selling at profit
for their private benefit. The foregoing are but
which have been iiificted upon hepe6pie Who
have been disafnled and left by both govern
ments, without the means of self-defense."
Against such oppression have constantly in
Weighed; have denounced it frequently, open
ly, and boldly, and labored to bring the Offend
ers to condign punishment And, hence it is,
that have become the object of their concen-
trated malice Let me go where WILL their
wilfull misrepresentation follow me; their
hired press assai me; my opinions are distorted,
my business misrepresented, and my local in
fuence exaggerated, in order to make the gov
eminent believe that l was the most dangerous |
man in the South, resulting, in this instance, in |
my arrest and imprisonment.
Certainly their is no inconsistency in my in
terfering for the protection of the community |
in which l reside, against the Vaccinations and
expressions of these men, and the professions of
acquiesence and submission which 1 have SO
frequently made There is no conflict between
these positions. Can any action of mine be con-
strued into active hostility against your govern
ment or 1.-The cause" unless these men of whom
have spoken are true opponents of your gov
ernmental policy. Generals Fain and Gillespie,
Senator Haynes, Judges Mckinney and Tur-
ley and host of Others who have given
strength and responsibility to the Southern pars
ty in that end of the State, have never counte-
nanced the abuses to which have called your
attention, and which has SO frequently provoked
my indignant denunciation.
Among the many other despicable traits of
character possessed by these freebooters, is
coWardice On two different occasions by their
willful misstatements-right down lyng-they
have endeayored to excite large bodies ofsoldiers
to mob me- and by similar misrepresentation,
they have twice before as 1 understand, endeav-
ored, through kilograms, to have me arrested
while was travelling on private business, away
from home"
Here follows 4 graphic account of the STAIN
pede of leading Southern men from Knoxville,
upon the receipt of intelligence of the fall of
Fort Donaldson, which know your readers
would enjoy; but as it would subject good
many men not parties to the combination
lighting me to more or less ridicule, and perhaps
II a., Il = |
would otherwise give me to publishit. will con-
.ent myself with one more extract Speaking
IF the same set of men, said to General John
SON: I
They never have, and never will be worth
either in political influence, in counsel, or in
martial valor-one cent to the rebel cause; and
hough here q prisoner by their instigation,
write of them more In contempt than In anger.
If your government will insist on patronzing, = =
md listening to, and acting OH the suggestions
Of these men, let it do 1t the army of the !
Confederate States is to be used to avenge their
malice let this be So will not fraternize with
hem nor will / become subservient to their in
erests and wishes let the consequences to me
md to my family be what they may With I
forgery on their fingers, and perjury upon their
Ups, and frauds besmearing them all over, I'll
nave nothing to do with them; and if they are to
De made the true opponents of the Confederate .
Ipray God thatitmayrso soon be ouer- r
throion For one, I haze resotaea.nat to be sub /
ugated either By the Yankees or BIZ TIE Kaoruiue
;Lique.
AFTER writing this much, which is but a 1.-THE
IF what might be said, repeat that am inno- I
cent of any crime which will justify my deten- .
ion by you. have ever been frank and candid
IN my political tenets; been at all times what I |
profsssed to be; have no hostility to the South, |
md contemplate no injury to her people. 1 |
have never at any time entertained though. !
hostile to what conceived to be her true inter-