The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1874-05-22
senator Brownlow ON Civil Rights.

Senator Brownlow on Civil Rights.
We briefly mentioned la.t week that
Senator Brownlow had published
pungent letter in reply to the censurc
heaped upon him by the colored Con.
vention recently assembled at Nashville.
The letter is plain aud pointed, aud
gives the colored people some pertinent
advice which they would do well to
heed. We content ourself with an ox-
tract. After rehearslag the condition
of the blacks at the tine he was first
elected Governor aud the uniform
friendship he has manifested for them,
he says:
The persons IN tie NASHVILLE Convcu.
ton who insolen,ly characterized me
and all Republicans who agree with mo
as Judases" and "traitors 10 the Re-
publican party" can put this IN their
pipes and smoke II. have resided IN
East Tennessee forty.slx years, aud if
there is anything IN the world which
thoroughly understand il Is tho rharac.
ter OF East Tenncsseeans. During this
long period of time, ] have mingled
with this people In every one of the
thirty-oue counties comprising this di.
vision of the State aud | know the rco.
pie of every county, as well IA know
my neighbors in Knoxville. tell the
Republicans of all colors In Middle and
West Tennessee, that under no concei-
vable circumstances will East Tennessee
Republicans support any man for any
office who favors mixed schools. In
former communications on this sub.
iect, have Appealed 10 those who diff
tered with me, in kind and concilialory
terms. appealed 10 their Judgment
aud good sense. So Ear as those rnn.
ming this Nashville Convention are con.
cerned. they arc incapable Of appreciate
ing such an appeal, even from Que hav-
ing stronger claims TO their respectful
hearing than any other citizen OF tho
State. IL is high time they were made
to understand, in language which they
can comprehend, just what they can do.
pend upon. When so many leading Re-
publican politicians Of the white race are
dodging this issue il Is n real kindness,
TO the whole colored race. however they
may now receive il, to hear the truth
and know the evil consequences which
would-be leaders Of their race would
entail upon them.
Ny only hope for the future prospcri-
ty of the colored people of Tennessee
consists in the belief that the mass Of
them will repudiate the nbominable pro-
grammc so insoently put forth at Nash
vile. Let them remember that they
now have In separate schools equal cdu-
cational facilities with the whites. Lot
them remember that the taxes with
which these schools are supported are
contributed almost exclusively by the
white people of The Statc--that tho
money does not come from the Federal
Government at Washington. Let them
remember that thousands Of the pro-
per,y holders Of the State OF the poliil-
cal party to which they are in oppose
ton have aided in establishing our pre-
sent school system, and without the
support of this class, In cooperation
with their white political associates, IL
could not have been established.
Let them also remember thu, il 10 not
question as 10 whether we will have
mired schools, but whether we shall
have any systom OF public instruction
at all. For II is not in the power Of
forty Congresses to establish this mix
ed school system in Tennessee.
If the Civil Rights Bill should pass
without the mixed school feature being
stricken out, the whole school fabric IN
Tennessee will at once fall TO the ground,
as II will deserve to do. Then the cx.
penses Of the education of their chill.
dren, if they are educated at all, will
be borne by themselves, and not by tho
white people, as they now are.
w. G.. BRowNLow.