The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-04-30
OBITU ARY.
WILLIAM G. BRowNLow.

deDce Cumberland street, Knoxville, Tenn, NJ i've
minutes after two L. NJ. yesterday. He had been
afflicted for years with paralysis agitaus and the I'M
mediate cause OF hts death was the extension Of this
disease 10 the bowels, paralyzug their action. During
the last two months his health had been better
than usual, and he had taken more interest in
domestic Affairs during the last week than for .
year previous. He had workmcn employed ro-
pairing porches aud fences experimenting
| the matter Ia person and walking about the premises
with more than his accustomed vigor. Saturday alter
noon he paid on the himself and retired al his
usual hour. During the night he was taken Ill when
two doctors were summoned. ana though his system
at length yielded to the effect OF remedies, yet the
pain endured mad weakened his nervous sys-
that he rallied, and refusing TO take stuu-
ants his family realized that hts had como, and
their presence, his wife aud children standing around
his bedside, his spirit passed calmly and paIncssly
away His placed IN u casket lust night
and funeral services Will take place Tuesday afternoon
at Gray Cemetery His death took the community by
surprise and the sorrow is general
his BIRTHPLACE AND ANCESTRY.
On tho 29th OF August, 1905, William G. Brownlow
born In Wythe county, Va, his father, Joseph
A. Brownlow, being gentleman OF standing and re.
spectabity In nis community. AT early age he
lost both parents, his mother dying three months
later than his father Her relatives took the orphan
charge, aud they appear to have been persons Of
slender MEANS tor the boy was reared up TO hard
labor, receiving no greater amount Of education than
enabled him read. Unit. he attained his eighteenth
year he led this LIE, and sorry one II must have
been, IL al accounts be correct In return Tor tho
slender support he received he made the drudge OF
his relatives. All kinds OF work that he was able to
do were gwen TO him; but finally, at the men
toned he launched Into life on his own account.
Removing TO Lynchburs, he apprenticed him
self to house carpenter, from whom
he learned the trade. Here, for the first
his career, hc found himself possessed
OF hours, these devoted to removing
the educational disadvantages under which he aborcd
The deficiency was in great measure filled, but not
altogether. Throughout Mr.. Brownlows his
lack OF learning was painfully evident in tho manner in
VIII Itch he yielded the dictates Of his temper Singu-
larly enough too, the occupation OF carpenter
abandoned for tho profession OF preacher Of the
Gospel in spite OF the fact that but lew wcre or
are less fitted for Il religious lie than the de-
ceased. IL related OF him that he was attending
a protracted camp meeting OF Methodsts, and the
religious exercises affected him profoundly that he
ielt caed upon 10 preach the Gospel" The recogni-
ton by Methodsm OF these ''calls" enabled him TO OBJ
tain a license 10 preach.
HIS MINISTERIAL CAREER.
Having been duly ordained, Mr.. Brownlow entered
the travelling ministry, and Tor ten years went from
point to point preaching 10 the people. His sermons
remarkable specimens OF oratorcal literature.
They more noted for their vg0r than Tor their
elegance, although there was rude oloquenco about
them which was not without evidence OF considera-
Bile national ability The class to whom he pre- chcd
was, 1t istrue not the most refined IN the south,
comprising, as 1t did, the mountainous OF Ten
nessee, North Carolina and Georgia, honest
anu brave, both illitcrate men and women.
However, 1t - undenable that he became
immensely popular with his congregation. BY
keeping up perpetual warfare against the devil and
aboiltions,s the ''parson soon made himself famous
throughout tho country Theological questions were
propounded in what might be called primitive English.
VI that the carly Anglo-Saxons INDUCED
solely expletives as means OF controverting the
with religion IN an extraordinary manner. On one
casIon Parson Brownlow did not hesitate to declare
from the pulpit his conviction that the souls OF aboi
tonists no sooner Lett their bodies than they were
seized by Satan and hurried TO the internal regions,
but saying this IN much palmer language than the
foregoing.
THE KNOXVILLE WING.
To man constil utcd the parson tho pulpit
was too limited a sphere. For the double purpose OF
extending his influence ana making money he started
the celebrated Knoxville Wdig-a journal whose edi-
torals can be mildly designated as blood aud thun-
der" Ii the energetic editor believed II, he did not
hesitate to express his conviction that this or that
man was damned scoundrc," a "a whclp OF hell,n
IA lying wretch, VINO would rather lie for nothing
than speak the truth for cash." which cnoce
fences In quotation marks have been culied from the
copous vocabulary OF The deceased parson. This
vehement style OF writing was prccminentIy calcu-
lated TO endcar the writer to exceedingly large Class
OF persons IN East tennessee who regarded
the hery adJectivcs as cnDodyihg incontcstiDc
argument. Consequently Mr. Brownlow attained
popularity among ms mountaineor fellow cltizcns
winch nc retained tli ms death. In politics Inc
Knoxville Wing supported, It's name Indicated the
wing party. II safely be asserted that 1t stood
aloDe among the Journals OF It's political latin The
irrcpressble editor could not be sienccd by the demo-
cratic press. When he iaed to winuy cum reasoning,
volley OF strong words was let ny against the enemy,
which invariably proved TOO powerful Tor further
resistance. Not even the "rcd-hop democratic news
papers OF those days. ard tor that matter OF the pres
cnt time. could compete with the Wig. IL was
compound OF vituperaton stirred by Brownlow into
white heat
Few persons not close observers oil the OF
public men would suppose Parson brownow ever 10
have been as fery state Rights politician ever
Calhoun TINS long alter the days OF the
great apostle OF SECESSION however, Tor IN 1882 Mr..
Brownow was staunch Unioni5t and strongly OPP
posed the action Of south Carolina the nulilcaon
business. During the year he published pamph-
let vindcatng hs course anu predicting that alter the
tarn, the slavery question would threaten the over
he became Intensely pro-savery and through the col
umns oil the Wing threatened the North with untold
horrors OF war any interference was attempted with
the peculiar institution OF tho South IL Is undeni-
nb q that late Is 1856 Nr. Brownow was as fierce
In his dcnuuciatons OF abolitionsis and extreme
his views upon state rights as the most pronounced
ire cater could possibly nave been. Ills celebrated
controversy IN New York and Philadelphia with Mr..
Pane, tue aboiitIonist, Will long he remembered.
lew years before the rebellion broke out, however, he
became once more strongly nbued with Union primer
pies and adhered tacin the end II is due TO the
truth OF history say that the statement which has
been extensively circulated 10 the effect that Mr..
Browniow consistently opposed the doctrine Of State
rights, is utterly aisc Whether lie believed In
not. II Is certain that he once supported 1t.
Tnk REBELLION
From tue secession OF South Carolina In 1850 to tho
close o the contest IN 1866 Mr.. BrUwnow was bitterly
opposed 10 the rebellion lie shared with cxPresden
Johnson the popularity OF the East Tenncssceans, and
thcr influence WIS successfully used against tho
sion of TENNESSEE when the question FIRST submit
ted to the people. After Nr Lincolns Tor troops
made the storm OF revolution swept through the
middle and Western sections Of the State. carrying
everything Dcfor II. such Union az Mr. stokes.
who was subsequently the defeated radical candidate
4. AZ WAS
IN favor OF the Southern caEsc MIR. Browniow with
grim couarge, resisted tho storm. Through tho col