Year: 1864

sentlally lntolefant. They Will bear no
opposition, nor allow of any freedom of
opinion or liberty of speech. Give the
advocate of slaveholding the power, and
Ire will subjugate all who differ from him
on that subject to the control of physical
and mental despotism. If his slave is
black man, he will chain him, and torture
and mangle his body with whip and
scourge; and the white man or woman
who questions the right or justice Of his
course, however respectfully, he will fine,
imprison, lynch, or pound with his fist,
or threaten with pistol or bowie-knife.
These are the natural and necessary ten
dencies Of slavery and wherever these
developments are absent, it is owing to
otter causes, which modify and prevent
the manifestation of the natural tcnden-
cies of the thing itself Whoever becomes
imbued with slavery becomes a tyrant,
and his tyranny is not confined to the slave
he owns and drives, but will be manifest
ed in savage forms toward the weak and
defenseless everywhere.


A pointed illustration of these truths
occurred few days ago, not thou
sand miles from where write. A prom
inent supporter of slavery--the Franklin
as | understand, of the slave organs at
Louisville and ville--made violent
personal assault upon highly respectable
young lady for the respectful expression
of her opinion. He assaulted her with
his clinched fist, striking her repeated
blows in the face and upon the head, leav-
ing one eye black and swollen and three
large coutusons on her head, the effects
of which will remain for months. The
man who did this savage and brutal deed
is of the highest respectability, and has
wide spread reputation for intelligence
and professional skill; and the young la
dy is his neice, % years old. She is as
devoted Union girl as lives, and has
ever been bold and defiant, even in the
presence of rebel soldiers, not one of whom
was ever cowardly enough to raise the
hand Of violence against her. The case
has been examined before military tri.
bunal and the unimpeached testimony on
record exhibits it as one of barbarity
scarcely equaled in the annals of civilized
society," A high-souled, pure daughter
of Tennessee carries on her person the
marks of brute violence, inflicted by her
own fathers brother, who ought to have
been her protector, and who would have
been, but for the spirit of slavery that
possesses him. And it is not only the
injury to her person from which she suf-
fers, but the painful liberation of feeling
caused by the slanderous epithets he
heaped upon her name while he was
beating her like coward.


This affair occurred in Smith County
Tennessee, On the evening of the 10th of
March, 1864, and the facts are all on rec
ord, including names of parties. 1t is
presented here to show the fanaticism and
intolerance of the spirit of slavery, and
what the poor people of the South may
expect, should the slaveocracy regain its
power. This man. who beat his niece for
decent expression of opinion. but exhib-
its the spirit of system, and it is nat
u-al exhibition. Slavery bewiGders and
maddens its devotees 1t blinds them to
reason, as we'll as to right and justice.
They know how to use nothing but brute
force, ond no other kind of force can reach
them, for they are susceptible no other.
If they would tolerate others in their
opinions, they might be safely tolerated;
but this they will not do. Men are here
in Tennessee threatening others with the
penitentiary and with suits for damages,
on account of their opinions on the sub
ject Of slavery. They are advocating the
restoration Of civil government on this
ground There is nothing in these inane
threats except SO far as they show the
spirit that inspires them; for the nation
can never be so unjust as to give its friends
over again to the power Of these slave
ocrats. We trust in the right, and we
know it is mighty, and will prevail. The
nconle that determine Ia he free can never