Year: 1866

strife. The religious and secular press aggravated
this state Of things until were involved in wal


with all its horrors. During the last five years we


have learned that the meanet and the cruelest mon


we ever knew or heard of were not born in Masss-


chusetts or Connecticut but there were born right
| here among Us and around Us. There are persons
| whose minds have fallen back into the old grooves


for time ard semi-religious and semi rebel press


Is busy at work TOusing old pTeudlces and stirring


up sectional bitterness and hate as in 1860 and 1861
| Ii We would profit by the errors Of the past one


would think We have had enough Of mere sectional
churches and sectional papers and sectional bitter


ness IL ought TO be time for the laying down OF
arms on the part Of all guilty Of treason, the am


nestled and the unIorgiven, and per consequence q
time Of peace, cooperation and brotherhood. When


Gen. Burnside came TO Knoxville he came as a de-


liVerer. Though he hailed from the little State of


Rhode Island, that was nothing TO US 50 long as he


held up the banner Of his country and labored for
| our good. There is no man born among whom


we respect! admire and love more than VIC do Burn
side. That narrow sectional spirit that would lead
| US TO abuse and njure such men can work nothing


but mischief to ourselves and the country If man
Is an American and patriot, let him be our friend
and our brother. Then we will have no North, 0
South, no East No West, but all Join in the senti-
ment


lhg Union, ,ae UnIya tat hopO the Tree
Howc'cr may diGoE, in this agree,


Our glorious banner, traitor hall


Fly ofacing stripe ur destroying star.


| :. Another lesson that impresscs itself un our
minds to-day is the necessity Of max ing treason
odious


Ii this important after our first revolution,
Is 1t less so row. Can render justice TO mar
tyred dead II we UbliteTate the distinction between
loyalty and treason, and divide the honors of place
and station between the friends and the enemies Of
the country VIII the heroes who have borne the
national flag through the smoke of the battle to put
down the rebellion be satisfied TO have the spirit Of
the COnfederacy fostered and its champions reward
ed? Can any nation that places no higher value on
patriotism expect her TO rally to her support in
the time OF peril Of danger? To ask these ques-
tons is to answer them. Our nation must be just rs
well as generous if il would at all times evoke the
affection and honest pride OF It's citizens This can
not be gainsaid even by the man who took up arms
/ against his government What say you then, SOL
diers snd citizens of East Tennessee, after having
baled so gloriouslY for the right is It not your wish
that treason should be made Odious? Is there one
Of you who proposes 70 turn his back upon the prn
cples for which you have cOntendcd during the last
five years While in your nagnanimity you par
don the masses, do you not desire and pray that
some at least Of the more prominent cOnspiTatOrs
against the national life should suffer the just pun
ishment Of their crimes While rebel lawyers
! gbly talk about belligerent rights of traitors,
and eulOgize COnfederates, and sluT our Union SOL
dicTs in the halls of justice and while many rebel
papers so warm y uphold q cause that is lost might


1t not help break and push back this rebel centre to


nave properly DloL6u SOlS OF Inc WICK
eldest actors in the terrible tragedy of blood? If
the President would only DO this, would he not be
sustained? If Congress will see that this is done,


that loyalty shall be rewarded and the friends Of
the Union in Mississippi South Carolina, Texas and
/ throughout the land protected and clothed with
power shall they not also be honoTed and defended
/ by the masses Let this be DONE and then time
will be cheered he passes through this land Of
stripes and stars Then would the stars of our BAN


ncr dart their rays OF everlasting beauty into the re-
gions CT oppression, darkness and despair. Then
would the American banner be al emblem OF hope
encouragement and safety. Then viii it be sign
of peace, prosperity and progress. And then shall
begin 20 the bright sun-rising Of our cloud
less day Of liberty and perfect nationality.
s. One more lesson Of the war l take time 20
is in the hands Of God.


. Dark days were U9 many times during the war.
/ Sometimes our armies were discounted; sometimes
important points captured or abandoned for a
son, and it brought grief and sadness to our hearts
and We learned TO trust less in man and more in
God. And when the nation lay prostrate before the
Almighty Ruler, and cried, In the Lord is our
help" Grant, Sherman and Sheridan came forward
great Captains to accomplish the divine will. L he
Bible warns Us against putting too much confidence
il man or in princes. Some OF us have committed
the mistake OF trusting too much 70 party party
leader and have lived long enough TO repent it,
Whether You have much to say in favor OF John
sons policy or IL favor Uf Congress let me remind
you telOwcitizens, that both these instrument
taltics merely in the Divine hand, and whether you
approve or dIsapprove OF the course they are re-
speCtiVely pursuing be admonished by the light of
all the past and by the teachings Of the unerring
word, that you put your mistaken trust IN Him who
turneth the heart OF man whithersOever he WILL
He can make the wrath perverseness or partisan
ship of man 10 praise him, and restrain the remain
der thereof lie can unite Us and give Us peace
among ourselves and with all nations. He can make
US in spite of the Vaccinations of foreign doncS
tic foes, happy and prosperous people.


Let Us now take outlook upon the future,
tce our bearings, and see what our prospects are.


lst. As 10 another war,


/ There are croakers among us who shrug their
shoulders and look wise as they te Us they
tain there viii be another war. Do they suppose
that Georgia wants Sherman 20 take Atlanta again,
and make another three-pronged march to the sea
Do they think that South Carolina would like to see
( this same Sherman with his army across her soil
again, to settle the question who burnt Columbia or
decide the rights Of rebols? Do they imagine that
Mississippi would like another visit from Grant to
receive the sword Of Pemberton as he opened the
Way TO EiCksbuTg Or that New Orleans is over
anxious TO come again under the iron hand of Gen.
Butler? or Mobile to have Faragut from his flag
ship laundering once more at her gates No; the
war of the revolution is ended. By intrigue Chi
canery and brides, by detection here or weakness
there, the rebels now and then may give some
annoyance and hope TO regain what they have lost,
but it will be the slight pattering after the great
rain and in the end they will utterly fail. And
Time the great healer, will do his work. and do it
well. Matters viii adjust themselves under patr-
otto, humane and christian influences, and national
law and wise counses 'c prsrGiI over treason-born
faction and strife.


As TO our being embroiled in any foreign war
there seems to be no imminent danger.


= As to the payment of our national debt.
There are some who prognosticate very solemnly
that it Will never be paid. In q 4th of July address
delivered at Thibadaux, La, in 1864, l stated &C.
cording to figures furnished by member of Con-
gress that the annual butter crop of the United
States was SI25 O0O OOO and that at this rate our
women could churn the debt all ont in twenty-five
years Since then our annual income foots up over
$500 600 OOO which viii pay our army expenses and
the outlay OF the Government for the civil list, and
leave a large surplus towards canceling the debt
member of the British Parliament said lately in
debate he had no doubt but there were persons now
living in the United States who would be living
when the last dollar of it paid. Our resources
are wonderful. exceeding S20OOO000 300. The pc
troum interest developed during the war to an
amount approaching 100000 900 more, and our min"
eral Interests which no man has yet cyphered out,


immensely swell the sum total of our wealth. There
need be no serious difficulty in paying the whole Of
our national Indebtedness then, if we husband our