Year: 1866

hoii. Auate" JohnsOn, ffe1tdSnt OF thS tntted


States.


SIR-The undersigned Central Committee
of the Union party of Tennessee, deem the
present time opportune for addressing you
briefly, in reference to subjects of vital in
terest TO us and to the friends of free gov
eriment and human, liberty everywhere


In presuming to address you, we do not
suppose that you have been inattentIve to
the progress Of events here, or that you are
entirely unapprised of the present situa-
tion. Your active championship of the
Union cause inTennessee, alta period when
that cause had few advocates among the
prominent men Of our State; your adminis-
tration as Military Gov4hor, meeting; as it
did, the appreciation of loyal men, and the
earnest solicitude which YOU have mani
Tested as Chief Magistrate of the nation,
preclude all possibility that you could be
careless or inattentive observer of the course
and tendency of events in your State of
Tennessee


Believing moreover that you Sill gladly
avail yourself Of all reliable sources OF in
formation, and sustaining, as We do, in some .
sense, a representative relation to the Union /
party of Tennessee, with facilities for ascer-
tanning the true condition of public senti- !
ment, we have felt it our duty to lay before |
you the result of our observations.


lou are, of course, aware that very
large proportion Of the citizens of Tennes-
see were, either at the inception, or during
its progress, identified with the recent re-
bellion- Through the influence of bad
men whom they had been accustomed TO
regard as leaders, they were induced to en-
bark in the fatal enterprise which has en-
tailed upon the country so much of wretch
edness and woe.


BY the devotion of our loyal people to the
sacred cause of free government, the gailant-
ry of our commanders, and the wise admin
istration of our national affairs, under the
blessings of Providence, the Union was
maintained in its integrity, and the rebel-
lion was overthrown.


Armed opposition to the government hav-
ing now ceased, the permanent object of all
good men should now be to restore fra
ternal feeling throughout the country, and
to extend 10 the masses who have iapsed into
rebellion, so soon as practicable, the blessing
OF civil government, with the restoration Of
such political privileges as may be compati-
bic with the security Of the government and
the maintenance.of the plighted faith of the
nation f lI 4aaft = q /


Obviously, the difficulties of craftsmanship
at the present time, consists largely in deter
mining the real temper and disposition Ofthe
masses of our people who have been engaged
in the rebellion, and IL Is in reference to this
point that we desire mainly to speak.


The difficulties attending the organization
os our present State government, are familiar
70 you, for we do not forget that it was main
ly owing to your earnest and patriotic efforts
that it was inaugurated. We do not propose
tc argue any abstract question rs to our State
government, whether il was a rreconstruc-
tian," or simply restoration of gov
ernment whose functions had been suspended
by violence and treason. The convention
which assembled in this city in january last,
proposed certain amendments to our organic
law. These amendments were adopted BY
the people, the vote. therefor, being almost
unanimous, so far as any expression by The
loyal people was practicable. Under this
Constitution as amended, the machinery of
the government was put in operation, taking
for its guide the Constitution and laws in ex-
istence prior to the rebellion, except as the
former was amended, as above stated, and
assuming all the obligations Of the State in
Cured before the war.


BY virtue of the schedule adopted by the
people, the Legislature which assembled in
April last, enacted franchise law, which
was intended to exclude disloyal persons
from the polls, and thus prevent the enemies
of our national government from controlling
the political action of Tennessee. This law,
however, partly from its want of perspi-
Guilty, afIu PaI1y bcVsss.ss ...-s.,- sf those
charged with its execution were unlriendly
to its object, was in many counties practi-
cally disregarded, and the LOYAL people of
the State have now little hope that its en-
forcement can prevent the political organi-
zation of the State, from passing, at no dis
tant day, into the hands Of those who have
been in active sympathy with the rebellion.


An effort will, ii is understood, be made
during the present session, so to amend il as
to make it more efficient, but grave doubts
are felt as to whether the present Legislature
will pass any law which Will prevent the
political ascendancy of the rebels in Tennes-
see The returned rebel soldiers, and those
who affiliate with them, openly boast that
at the next general elections they will OBJ
tain entire control Of the State Government.
Indeed, il is now the case in many counties,
that those who have been most notorious for
their advocacy and support OF rebellion, are
the first to receive the support OF the people
for Office. Service in the rebel army is, in
many parts Of the State, the best passport to
position and power, while to have been con
nected with the Union army, is regarded as
affixing stigma, deeper and more indelibe
than the brand upon the brow Of Cain"


Under the appointing power as exercised
by Governor Brownlow, we now have a loyal
Judiciary yet all their power and influence
cannot prevent rebel juries from practising
the grosscst injustice toward loyal men,
while il is almost impossible to bring rebel
offenders to Justice. Should the Judiciary
of our State fall into rebel control, sad in
deed will be the condition, of those who,
trusting TO the nations faith, have breasted
the storm Of treason here. In a social
and business point Of view, Union men and
Union families are prescribed and insulted
We mention theses points simply to show
the spirit which still actuates those who
have been engaged in rebellion, and to indi-
cate the policy which they will pursue, il, as
they anticipate, and we fear, they should be
restored to power in Tennessee. They now
submit to the national authority, simply be-
cause they can no longer resist it they "ac-
cept the situation for the reason that they
cannot avoid it; they acknowledge their de-
feat. but glory in the stubbornhess with
which they resisted; they resign their hopes
of the Confederacy, but maintain the justice
of their cause.


With them, language is inadequate 70 ex-
press the scorn and contempt which they
feel and cherish toward TenneSseans who, rs
they allece, betrayed Southern honor and
Southern Independence by joining the ranks
Of the oppressor. .rs.


Their protestations Of loyalty are sheer
hypocrisy max assumed for an object, to
be thrown off when that object is accom-
plished. In the opinion Of some, the mass
es of the common people, who were nisled
and betrayed byG emagogues into rebellion,
have. In sincerity and truth, returned to
their allegiance 20 the government of their
fathers. We do not say that the masses are
not honest and patriotic according to their
convictions, but their convictions were form
ed under the false teachings Of those who
educated the Southern mind, and fred the
Southern heart for rebellion. Those false
teachers still direct public sentiment. Rebel
LAWYERS are still their trusted legal advisers
rebel preachers still illuminate from their
pulpits-rebel physicians still visit their
families-rebel teachers still instruct their
children, and rebel presses still disseminate
among them the perverted views and perni-
cions doctrines which have wrought all this
ruin in the land. II il. in Eict, among the
common people who have less reason for
practicing discrimination, and who are less
influenced BY motives Of policy, tliat ~e
find the most nneqnivocal expressions o.