Year: 1866

forces by unfrendly legislation and by Withholding
the necessary supplies. Major Generals Thomas
and Grierson, who know the South we'll gave SINH
lar testimony before the Reconstruction Committee
at Washington honestly believe that the coun-
try will be plunged into great sea of calamities
as il was in 1861, and hence, as Union man, feel
that / should be better than traitor did not
| say SO, and dencunce those concerned.


THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE SOUTH.


The newspapers of the rebellous States thorough
ly disoyal bitter in their teachings, and infamous
in doctrines correctly represent the feelings and
sentiments of the rebel people. How could they be
| otherwise? They are edited by the same violent
traitors who edited them when the war was brought
on and who called for the hosting of the black ag
| and the blood of Union nen There are not q
dozen straghtout Union papers in the elere, seeded
| States Of the forty newspapers now in blast IN
Tennessee only can be cassed as uncondition-
ally loyal and half of them in East Tennessee.
The rest are on the rebel side, or pander to the
preudices of rebel leaders, and those of whom they
expect patronage in the future. This is gloomy
account of affairs but it is true, and could have
stated the case stronger, and still had truth on my
side. To the credit of East Tennessee be 1t known
that rebel papers don't flourish here. They reach a
circulation of two or three hundred, all told
THE sELF1sHNEss OF MEN.


This war has brought to light the selfshness du-
plicity and political dishonesty of many men, who,





to principle, and disinterested patriotism. And the
conflict now going on between Congress and the
President which is but conflict between the North
and the South-between, If you please TREASON at
the South, and LOYALTY at the North, is revealing
the true characters of many men, who, up to this
date, have passed for Union men. We hear them
already crying out, /" l go with the South-wth my
own section This was the cry when some of them
went into the rebellion. Now they are charmed
with the beauties of the Constitution, and admire
the President for coming to the of that sacred
and time-honored instrument. They have more
veneration for the Constitution now than they had
when they were giving aid and comfort to the men
engaged in most wicked and infamous war to de-
stroy the last vestge of the Constitution. In min
cases out of every ten where leading men in these
recently rebeious States are making war upon the
Government they are men smarting under the loss
of their negroes, and hoping, by hook or by crook
to get them back, or get pay for them They will
deny this but their denial amounts to nothing with
me- Others, and not few, have rebel Kin, whom
they seek 70 restore to their former social positions
and to offices of honor and profit forfeited by trea
son and crimes which ought to consgn some them
to the gallows, and others to the pententisry.
But the meanest class of men we have in the
South, is that class of Northern men who espousea
the cause of the Union during the war, and fought
in the Union army and now turn about and pander
to the vile spirit of treason at the South-fnding
fault with Congress, and denouncing the Radicals
ana ell lOr Ll6 sake OF dHu
of being countenanced by the chivalry. l would
not insult the memory Of Judas 1scariot by naming
him in connection with one of these traitors Aaron
Burr was lover of his country compared with one
of these turJs-coats! Benedict Arnold was chris
tian and a patriot when brought in competition
with one Of the newborn Southern gentlemen!-
And the opinion express of such men is the same
entertained by those after tohon, they creepl- We
have many noble exceptions to this rule, Of high
toned loyal men, who though prudent, firm and
stand by the country. These Union we like to see
come and settle among us and extend to them cor
dial greetings. They not the class Of Northern
men who edit little dirty by 10 newspapers, of the
copperhead persuasion and boast in every issue that
they have fought in the Union army!


AFFAIRS OF THE STATE.


Having taken up so much time in speaking of Ma
tional affairs bat little time is left in which TO
speak of the condition of affairs in State. You
are aware that faction of twentyone disorganizers
in the popular branch of our Legislature have sought
to control majority of forty-ive in matters of leg
isston, and failing in their high-handed measures,
they have taken up their hats and in the true spirit
of rebels, walked out and reduced the House below
| quorum. The Franchise Law was the measure
upon which these revolutionary boilers went Off
an important measure imposed upon this Legsla-
ture BY the amended Constitution for which at least
two-thirds of these boilers voted in Convention,
or accepted of elections to the Legislature upon the
general uCkeL maQe OUT UJ LudL SOuNeELOH AlIeI
going into this rebel movement they found 1t ne
cessary to explain their conduct in a published ad
dress and alleged that they denied the priv
ilege of debate and that the previous question was
sprung upon them suddenly, cutting off debate. The
truth is, in opposition to this plea, the bill had
been printed and laid their tables for weeks be-
fore Then, in lieu of that nliLder bill was offer
ed, and discussed for more than week, the oppo-
nents of the bill occupying thirteen hours, and its
friends consuming tt0o hours in its defense. Some
of the consprator candidates for reelection on Sat-
urday next, are falsely alleging on the stump that


the reason why they voted against the bill was, be-
cause it sdcht to force negro suffrage on the peo-
! ple man base enough to make this false state
ment is base enough to change his principles for a
consideration paid HIM =!


This whole affair as l believe is the result Of a
regular conspiracy to break up the State Govern
nent destroy the credit of the State, deprive Ten
nessee Senators and Representatives in Congress of


their seats prevent the passage of Appropriation
Bill and cause the abandonment of the Lunatic Asy-
| lum and the Penitentiary, to keep Northern emil
grants out of the State and to prepare the way for
! second rebellion. The chief actors in the conspi-
racy are not members of the Legislature, but use
! those who are as I believe TO do dirty work they
do not wish to figure in before the world. Charity
| prompts me to admit that several members have
been drawn into the foul plot without appreciating
the enormty of the crime, or the designs of the bad
men who have been using them.


| Aside from the injury done to the State in her
moral political and financial character, there will
be an actual loss to the State Treasury, against the
Legislature re-assembles, say the second Monday in
April of not less than $4,000. This loss comes off
of the honest taxpayers, at time they are least
able to pay such tax for treasonl think likely
that the constituents of some of these boilers will
re-elect them or other rebels pledged to a similar
course of rebellion. | rely upon the majority re-
| fusine any such fre-brands seats among them. The
loyal people of the State and Nation will sustain
the majority in refusing seats to any such revolu
| tionary spirits.


CONCLUDING REMARKS.


! In closing my remarks on this OCCASION will be
permitted to allude to q ridiculous report now in
circulation in East Tennessee, concerning which
several letters have been written to 1t is that
| am going to resign my ofice--some have it be-
cause am not sustained by the President and others
because the people are against me. The object of
such reports is to kill of my influence if have any,
and the influence of the Knoxville Wing. If the
enemies of true loyalty and of the State Government
wish to get rid of me between this and October,
1867 they must do one of three things: they must
procure my assassination; they must impeach me
and break me of my Office; or they must prevail
upon the President to set aside the State Govern
ment and give them a Military Governor of the
copperhead stripe suited to their tastes and purposes


propose to fight it out on this line and rely upon


being sustained by right and justice truth and 10y


atty, and proud consciousness of doing my duty.


1 am no candidate for any position in future, and
can't be deferred from doing my duty by threat OF
the loss Of votes. / have been fattered, coaxed
threatened, villifed and denounced, as means OF


inducing me TO the cause of treason, and the


Interests of traitors, and have alike despised and


heroically resisted all these Solts appliances, and


God being my helper, will resist them to the bit
ter end!


| The cbaroe at Nashville is that | am only the