Year: 1867

I . WIITT-
! science or of law viii deter the incumbent


of the State Capitol from doing an unlaw ful
4 thing The power is seemingly Dlaced in
| his hands to enforce his naked win as law
/ but we are not discouraged for all this.
| BrOwnlOw cannot, with all this machinery
! of tyranny ID his hands, hold and keen in
meek subsection the will of a million of free
/ people. If you will aronse to the contest.
and 90 forth to shake yourselves, the chords
which bind your limbs viii be parted asuD-
der as thread of tow is broken when it
| tOucheth the fire. You can win this con
test if you will arouse to work. Our peOpIe
have long been used to be free, and when
they awake from the slumber into which
their wearied energies have fallen, the cIamor
of their indignation viii be like the voice of
so many waters. The danger is, feIlow-citi-
zens, that you will too long delay your ac-
ton, and then your vengeance viii not stop
short of unlawful excess. For less tyranny
than this we see kings have lost their heads
But we would have your energies tempered
with moderation. We feel no fear from the
vaunting threats of military or militia coer-
cion daily thrown out by pitiful pOltroons,
who judgeyOur nature by their own cOwardly
instincts The government Of the nation is
not going to interfere to restrain the lawful
efforts of our people to regain their freedom.
The people of Tennessee, for the sake of
peace, have now placed themselves upon the
broad platform of universal suffrage and
universal equality before the law, The pub


lie opinion is the nation would not tolerate
an outside interference, to secure the con-
tinuance In power Of pitiful and hateful
minority which dares not 90 before the peo-
pie of the State on terms like these. AS to
BrOWnloW himself and his militia they dare
not confront a determined people. They
l. r
outrage in one Of our most peaceful counties,
which eliminated IN a cruel and cOld-blooded
murder. But when they presently beheId
the gathering wrath of people cast down
but not destroyed" they skunk away into a
covering quietude. Governor Brownlow
cannot raise his eight thousand militia.
There are not so many outlaws In the State
at his service He and his Legislature and
other officials have so bankrupted the State
Treasury, that he has no money to pay or
provision such force. But In fact he
dares not raise them until after the election.
The good sense and better feelings of even
a portion Of his own supporters is already
so greatly shocked at the barbarities of his
militia, that he will not likely dare to in
crease their number, even if it should lie
within his power. The people look upon
these Outrages more in anger than in fear.
But, if the full quota Of eight thousand ont
laws were quartered upon this once free
people, we should be unworthy our former
honor to permit them to control the result of
the coming election One hundred and fifty
thousand men aroused to struggle for their
liberties and unused to submit to oppression,
cannot be held in subjugatiOn by such
force


Notwithstanding the wicked machina-
tlons Of those who haYe organized " loyal
leagues" throughout the State. the colOred
people are inclined to vote the Conservative
ticket, if the mass of the people will in
terest themselves actively to instruct them as
to their duty and interest in this regard.
They will readily understand that the
" leagues will not support them, and that
the Radicals viii not be able or willing to
give them employment at wagas, or to feed
and clothe them and give them shelter.
They may soon be taught that their interest
lies in living in harmony with the white peo-
pie in their midst Much has been done al
ready IN that way, wherever the effort has
been made, and there can be no doubt of
success if our people will make but half the
effort the Importance of the case calls for


In this trial, fellow-citizens, let US act like
men. Let US not forget our former freedom
Let US not so soon forget our former honor
1t was a great error to break down the barri-
ers of the constitution erected by the wis





people and the arbitrary power Of those who
would oppress them. Many of you partici-
pated in that error And now, when you
see some of US who have not been cOmpro-
missed by the untoward events of the last
four years, straining every nerve in the effort
to restore to you your dearest rights, will
you lie idle, with your arms folded, sub
n.issiVe to the hateful domination of the Op-
pressor2 In memory of the past let it not
be so If each one of you who Is disfran-
chised will use every eXertion to secure one
vote for the Conservative ticket, of course
the result cannot be doubtful If each one
of you will make the effort the result is GER
tain. Many of you can secure many votes.
Win all the votes in your power Induce
those within your influence to withdraw from
these treasOnable leagues. If they continue
in such associations it must work their ruin.
We owe it to these poor people, who were
once our servants, to rescue them from the
wiles of the unprincipled adYenturers who
are now seeking to ruin the colered man
for their own selfish purposes.


No time is to be lost. Perfect your or
ganizations In every neighborhOod Have
your barbecues and public speazings, but
above all things, see that the right voters be
registered, and that they vote, and vote right
on election day. Obey the laws, unjust and
oppressive as they are; and see that your
opponents obey them. Go to the polls on
election day. and see that elections are held :;
and match that they are held furry, and the
result reported truly Let those Who cast a
vote to continue the enslavement of their
fellow-citizens, be noted; and let them know
that hereafter they shall be to you as hea-
then men and pubiicans" Where the
issues between political parties involve only
reasonable differences of opinion, we con-
denim prescription for opinion sake but
Radicalism has branded you as infamous, as
on par with him who has been convicted
of robbery, or theft, or burglary, or arson.
He who votes to sustain Rad,cahsm, casts a
stigma upon your honor, and has no right to
expect any thing else than your honest and
honorable entity and Indignation


Within the past few days, correspond


ence has been published, between two agents
of the freedman's Bureau, the intention of
/ which is to intimidate you in the exercise
1 Of your last remaining right, to employ
/ whom you please to labor on your farm, OF
/ IN your wOrkshops-to require you to feed
/ and clothe, and shelter the man who viii
]