TEN 



707 



1 States, and citizens of the State 

 iiis State, an; . -untie. I t. 



all tli illi.l'-r the 



sod to the repudiation <>r t 

 .in. I MIT in favor or equal taxation M the 



1 of paving the same. 

 e establishment of a standing army in 

 a flagrant and danger- 

 upon the rights and liU-rtics of the 

 . . ily oppressive to the tax-iwyer, and cvi- 

 -ii -.1 t" overawe voters nt tue ballot-box. 

 7. \Vr i-.irdiully approve of the patriotic etfortM of 

 An. In . President of tho United Stu' 



defending tin? Constitution, preserving the Union of 

 and maintaining the supremacy of the 



The colored citizens of the State were invited 

 to take part in the political meetings of both 

 parties. A convention of colored Oonacrva- 

 whirh met at Nashville on the 5th of 

 April, adopted the following resolutions among 

 others: 



motives, shall venture to deliver incendiary speech- 

 es, and advise the overthrow of the 8t*te >.'' 

 meiit by in. >l> violence, I should think the Bute 

 and loyal eiti/etjii greatly at fault to tolerate 



^ That wo do not desire to bo an element 

 of discord in the community in which we live ; that 

 to seek to unite the colored race against the white, or 

 the poor against the rich, would only bring trouble ; 

 that u ic common good of both depends on 



1 rit of harmony and j ustice of each toward the 

 other. 



Resolved, That, believing the spirit and tendencies 

 of radicalism arc unfavorable to these aims, we take 



.ud with the true Union Conservatives of Ten- 



. and invite our race throughout the State to 

 do the same. 

 Kesolced, That our right to vote involves the right 



I office, and that its denial is unjust, and that 

 our interests and rights as free men require also that 

 we should have the right to sit upon juries. 



There was also a Radical convention of freed- 

 rnen, which indorsed the platform of the Repub- 

 licans of the State, and declared itself in favor 

 of Brownlow for the next Governor of Tennes- 

 see. 



At the opening of the political campaign, 

 the following correspondence passed between 

 :i citizen of the State and Governor Brown- 

 low : 



GBEBSVILLE, May 9, 1S6T. 

 Governor Wm. G. Brownlow : 



DEAR Sni : After my respects to you, and knowing 

 you to be frank upon all subjects of a public charac- 

 ter, I now, in the <i>irit of true kindness and due re- 

 spectj ask you if Conservative men can or will be 

 permitted to canvass the various districts of Tennes- 

 see in an orderly manner, without being overawed or 

 intimidated by the State troops. 



Very respectfully, 



JOHN P. IIOLTSINGER. 



KNOXVILLE. May 10, 1867. 

 Itev. J. P. Ifoltsinger : 



In reply to your favor of the 9th inst., I respect- 

 fully reter you to my circular of the 8th inst., and to 

 the platform of the Republican Union party, adopted 

 the 2-.'d of l-\ l.ruarv. You will there learn that the 

 largest liberty in debate, with the right to discuss 

 pulilii! ni. -a and measure*, is claimed for speakers of 

 all parties. And however severe the speakers may 

 be, no State Guards will be allowed to interrupt then!, 

 or will be upheld in doing so. The State Guards will 

 protect colored men in their right to vote, and clerks 

 and judges of elections in carrying out the provisions 

 of the franchise law. And if bad men, from disloyal 



of the State, I have no authority 

 to pn- < Mini " from convansing the 



i.l, it I had, 1 have no HUcll disposition. 

 1 have the honor to lie, etc., 



-. BEOWNLOW, Governor. 



There was a difference of opinion as to the 



proper interpretation of tlie 10th section of the 

 franchise law quoted al/ovo. and the chairman 

 of the Conservative State Central Committee 

 I u. -d tho following address to the County 

 Courts of the State : 



Do not fail to appoint judges in all the precincts at 

 \ our July term. This is required to b -. done by the 

 County Courts of each county t at tho sessioi. 

 preceding the election day, which is the 1st day of 

 August next. Code, Section 821. The law is" not 

 changed on that subject. If this be neglected, as the 

 law is amended in the last franchise act, Section 10. 

 page 81, the power devolves on the commissioner ot 

 registration. Some have erroneously supposed that 

 the power has been taken from the County Court by 

 that act. It will be seen the commissioner is author- 

 ized to appoint, in cases when the sheriff by. the ex- 

 isting law could do so, and that was only in case the 

 County Court failed to attend to that duty, or the per- 

 sons they appointed failed to act. See Code, Section 

 842. Whatever may have been intended, the act of 

 the 25th of February, 1867, construed with said sec- 

 tions of the Code, admits of no other construction it 

 is certainly plain too plain for controversy. 

 By order of the Central Committee : 



JOHN C. GAUT, Chairman. 



This called forth a proclamation from Gov- 

 ernor Brownlow, the preamble of which char-. 

 acterized the address as an "incendiary doc- 

 ument," issued by the " partisan chairman of 

 a political committee," a u seditious circular " 

 recommending the nullification of the fran- 

 chise law ; and declared that a " false and rebel- 

 lious construction has been given to the law, by 

 the audacious authors of the aforesaid treason- 

 able circular, evidently for wicked and revolu- 

 tionary purposes." The body of the proclama- 

 tion was in these words: 



Now, therefore. I, William G. Brownlow, Govern- 

 or of the State of Tennessee, by virtue of authority 

 conferred upon me, and in discharge of the dutie's 

 imposed upon me by law, do hereby give notice that 

 tho franchise law was clearly ana unquestionably 

 framed so as to take the appointment 01 judges and 

 clerks of election from the County Courts and sheriffs, 

 giving the same to the commissioners of registra- 

 tion ; therefore, the election returns made by said 

 commissioners will alone be recognized at the State 

 Department. I warn all County Courts in tho State 

 not to act upon the advice of this committee of se- 

 ditionists, as they will lay themselves liable to be 

 punished; and I warn all judges and clerks of elec- 

 tions, whom they may appoint, not to attempt to 

 . as they would come in conflict with the, law- 

 fully constituted judges and clerks of elections. And 

 if it be the purpose to provoke sedition and violence 

 in a wicked attempt to overthrow the State govern- 

 ment, upon their head shall rest the consequences. 



General Joseph A. Cooper, in command of the 

 State Guards, is hereby instructed so to dispose of 

 the troops in the rebellious localities, as to enable him 

 to enforce tho franchise law in its letter and spirit, 

 without regard to the threats of the seditionistH. 

 Order must be maintained, and the law executed, if 



