The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-05-21
BROWNLOW AND THE Ne
GROES.

GROkS.
Senator Brownlow has 4 letter in a
reeentissueo of the Knoxville Chronicle,
from which we make the following ex-
tract. He takes occasion to give the
members of the recent colored conven-
ton in Nashville "pieceof his mind, "
mixed with some wholesome advice on
the subject Of co-education and social
equality of the races. We hope they
will all read and ponder it well, espe-
cially as he has been considered by
them as their champion in this State
since the war.
The persons in the Nashville con-
vention who insolently characterized
me and all Republicans who agree
with me as "Judases" and TRAITORS to
the Republican party" can put this in
their pipes and smoke it. | have re-
sidedin East Tennessee forty-six years,
and if there is anything in the world
which / thoroughly understand it is
the character of East Tennesseeans.
During this long period of time, |
have mingled with this people in every
one Of the thirty-one counties compris-
ing this Division Of the State, and |
know the people of every county as
well as ] know my neighbors in Knox
vile. | tell the Republicans of all
colors in Middle and West Tennessee,
that under no conceivable circum-
stance will East Tennessee Republicans
support any man for any office who IA
vOrs mixed schools. In former COM
municatiOns on this subject, | have
appealed to those who differed with
me in kind and conciliatory terms.
| appealed to their judgment and
good sense. So far as those running
this Nashville convention are concern
ed, they are incapable of approaching
such an appeal, even from one having
stronger claims to their respectful
hearing than any other citizen Of the
State. 1t is high time they were made
to understand, in language which they
can comprehend, just what they can
depend upon. When so many lead
ing Republican politicians of the white
race are lodging this issue, it is a real
kindness to the whole colored race,
however they may now receive it, to
hear the truth and know the evil con-
/ sequences which would-be leaders OF
their race would entail upon them.
My only hope for the future pros
/ Perity Of the colored people Of Ten,
! nessee consists in the belief that the
mass Of them will repudiate the abom-
Unable programme 50 insolently put
forth at Nashville. Let them re-
member that they now have in sepa-
rate schools equal educational facili-
( ties with the whites. Let them re-
member that the taxes with which
these schools are supported are con-
tributed almost exclusively by the
white people Of the State-that the
money does not come from the federal
government at Washington. Let
/ them remember that thousands of
property-holders Of the State Of the
/ political party to which they are in
opposition have aided in establishing
our present school system, and with
out the support Of this class, in coop
Grafton with their white political us
sociates, it could not have been cstab-
lishcd.
Let them also remember that it is
not a question as to whether we viii
have mired schools, hut whether VIC
shall have any system Of public III
Structi0n at all. For it Is not in the
power of forty congresses to establish
this mixed 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 it viii deserve to do. Then
the expenses Of the education Of their
children, if they are educated at all,
will be borne by themselves, and not
by the white people, as they are now.