Year: 1866

! BRowNLow MAKES SPEEcH.-At the opening OF
a free colored school in Nashville the other day
Brownow made the following speech


fortunate in being the last speaker On the list
Of several for if l really desired to make speech
and do not-there is nothing left for me to say /
however, appear at your CALL to show that | approve
all that you have said and done, and all that you pro
pose to do Your naming this the Fisk school is
just compliment to q meritorious And will be
pafdoned for saying, in the presence of Gen. Fisk
that if man less prudent, less kind less reasonable,
and less just both toward white and colored persons
had been placed the head of the bureau in this city
il would have proved failure.


The general, b. way Of encouraging the tourc OF
this school to study very appropriately related his
struggles in early life, and bis limited aid FROM
widowed mother in iadigent circumstances You have
greater advantages than he had and be eniored
greater advantages than did I had neither father
or mother, both having died when was little shaver
But had the advantage Of the general in other re-
spects. was born and raised in e great State the
Old Dominion, and amoug great people One of rly
nelghbor boys, Gen. Joseph L. JOhnston about my
age, started to West Point, TO be educated By the
United States goverameat Another john B. Flord
went to Jefferson university They were Of the first
families, aad had means. Where did go9 Bengof
one OF the second families I was bouud CIT to learn
the trade Of carpenter and furniture maker. have
made (polntlng a Cen Fiskl many bureau and
Kitchen cupboard.


But allow me, through friendship to advise you, my
colored friends, for your good both young and old
Avail yourselves of all occasions to learn to read the
word of God and then study it cose and practice its
holy preceps. In all your intercourse in life be mild
aud prudent and give ofense to your former own
ers by either words deeds. 70 you who are teach
ers--whte teachers from the north-male and female,
be prudent and give no unnecessary ofense to even
rebels, for they already hate you with a perfect ha-
tired And if Gen. Thomas were to Withdraw lis
bayonets from this city, this coored school could not
exist one week nay, more, if the federal bayonots
were all withdrawn from this State rebel mob would
dive me and this legislature out Of Nashville in one
week. Our civil and military fnetonares, ard secret
agents may make their flying visits through the SOUTH
and return and report the south all right and recon
structed, and all accepting the results of the war;
Those of you who green enough to believe it. may
do 50, but pardon me for saying don't believe one
word of it. The south is still rebcous and the pco
pie Of this State, great extent are displeased with
what you are doing now. Why, if the Saviour of
men were to descend from the clouds with the shoul-
der straps of lieutenant general, and bring with him
as military staff the old apostles, they could not
please these reconstructed rebels and gayansed Union
men, provided they held the principles we have all
here to-day.


speak plainly, and so intend to speak am in
for the war and propose to fight it on this line