Year: 1867




time constitutional convention will be called and
a new constitution made in the interest of the re-
bels whereby rebel laws will be rendered constitu-
tionalI rebel judges and attorneys general be
chosen ss of old) by rebel legislatures the basis Of
representation be so changed as TO give Middle and


West Tennessee more thaa tbree-fourths of the MEM
bers in the legislature East Tennessee be stripped
of her power snd influence, and put under the do
minion Of rebel legislature and rebel judiciary
the reasonable and atrocious deeds of rebels during
the viii be forgiven, all suits of damages
against them stopped, in Kentucky; their pro-
perty sold by Union courts restored them and
tyranuy and despotism inaugurated in our midst
more dreadful for Union men, more full of horrors
and persecutions than the hellborn rule of 81 and
'62


Q.-Great Godl I shudder at the picture You
draw. 1t looks ike vision of prophecy.


A.-Yes prophecy as sure to be fulfilled as the
Conservatives get into power. In Kentucky the
Conservatives have passed law under the opera
tion of which a Union man can't sue rebel for
trespasses committed during the war; but rebels
can sue Union men for any trespasses they may
have committed at the very same time and under
the very same circumstances. In Kentucky the
Conservative party restored The rebels to the ballot
box, and all the members of Congress (excert one)
elected at the late election in that State, SO
disloyal and reasonable during the war that the
Congress of the United States allowed only one of
them to take his seat And in Maryland the Con-
servatives have appointed commissioners of slave
registration in every county, to learn the value of
the slaves owned by each STAKEHOLDER, for the pur-
pose of securing compensation to such Shareholders
Now, say, let us in Tennessee take warning from
Maryland and Kentucky. If a deeeives me
once 1 may be unfortunate, if he deceives me twice
am fool. So 90 not intend to allow these Con-
servstves to deceive me a second time.


Q-But they tell me the Radical legislature has
passed great many bad laws and have made our
taxes so high. What have you to say to that


Al do not claim that our legislature per-
feet do not contend that all its laws are just what
they should be, no more, no less But do claim
and contend that our last legislature was composed
in the main, of good, loyal men, men of good Union
records, with good Union hearts, men whose every
thought and every wish was in harmony with true
loyalty. They may, ard probably did, make some
mistakes; but they meant well; their heart
right. You know it is impossible to please every
1
know that if our last legislature had consisted of
the purest and best Union men ever born, that the
rebel population of the State would have denounced
them and their acts 1t was impossible to please
every one; it was impossible to please both Union
men and rebels; and as the rebels largely outnum-
Der the Union men, and as rebels can out-abuse
| Union men, it was very natural and reasonable
that mighty whirlwind of censure should sweep
around our State capitol, and howl in the ears Of
the Union legislators therein assembled Had the
twelve Apostles been in the last legislature, they
would no more have escaped political prosecutions
than do Trmble, Arnell, Thornburg and their loyal
associates That legislature committed one fault
the rebels could never forget forgive-it was
composed of Union men; andits Unionism the poi
son that infected all its deeds TO show you that
the rebels do not blame the legislature for its deeds
alone, will mention the fact that they have uni
formly and persistently denounced the legislature
as bogus as unconstitutional, illegal and invalid
thus showing conclusively that their spite was d-
rected against the legislature ITSELF What Union
nan could expect Union legislature to be prais ed
| by rebels 2 What Union soldier expects to hear
rebel praise the Union army? Do not these rebels
abuse the Congress of the United States just as
fercely as the legislature of Tennessee? Surely it
is honor enough for our legislature to be abused in
the same breath and by the same men that abuse
the great loyal Congress of the whole nation. And
as for this charge of taxation, it is most nust.
Our Union Legislature found the State in ruins
and overburdened with debt this ruin and this debt
directly caused by these very rebels who now so
loudly abuse the legislature for repairing the ruin
and paying the debt. But ought our Union people
blame the legislature for rate of taxation rendered
necessary by the rebellion? In my county the re-
bells destroyed our courthouse and loyal county
court had TO tax us to build new courthouse
Who now would dare charge that tax on the Union
Justices? No one. Then why charge the State
tax on Union members of the legislature when that
taxation was rendered necessary by rebel mis-
rule? When the late legislature began its exis-
tence our railroads were in ruins, the interest
our Stats debt unpaid and in arrears, State
penitentiary and hospital we're in ruins debt and
disorganzation the State capitol was wofully di-
lapidated within, and our State treasury empty
and insolvent, Something had to be done. Taxa
ton had to follow. And when to these items we
add the enormous increase in tho costs of State
prosecutions and the cost of the legislative boilers,
we have most stupendous debt to be provided for,
not one cent of which is justly chargeable to the
Union party.


Q.-Well you certainly clear up great many
things. / begin to think have done both you and
myself injustice. 1 believe we stand together.


Al never doubted that our hearts were the
same. But before close let ask you if you can't
readily forgive the few errors committed by our
Union legislature? They were our own men; Ia
ken from our own midst, plain honest farmers like
the rest of US, with great learning to boast OF,
and is # wonderful if they made a few bunders
1 think we Union men can this State machine
without calling in rebels to help Let US try it
again, any way. believe bad Union man viii
be better friend to us than good rebel. Suppose
these rebels get majority in the legislature, do you
think they will take any special Of the inter-
ests of Union men2 And when we about to
change our political friends it does 20 me that
we ought to try to profit by the exchange have
tried both tried a rebel legislature in 81 and
Union legislature in So, and l prefer Unioh men
still. This is a great problem with me: VIII the
Conservatives and rebels be better friends TO us
poor Union man than our own Union hesh and
blood don't believe word Of it. l do not wish
10 influence you unreasonably, my friends, but
warn you to beware Of rebels in blue uniforms, and
vote as you shot. We stood together the battle
field, and l would TO God could stand together
at the ballot-box.


o-We shall stand together / always believed
] was Radical at heart but was ashRmed to cen
fess it. as q great many friends are ashamed 20
fess Christ; but now / am with you hand in hand
heart to hesrt. SHoSBRe.
"The Honest Men Of tennessee"