GENTLEMEN:--I am in a sad plight to say much of interest--too thoroughly
incapacitated to do justice to you or myself. My throat has been
disordered for the past three years, and I have been compelled to almost
abandon public speaking. Last December I was thrust into an
uncomfortable and disagreeable jail--for what? _Treason?_ Treason to the
bogus Confederacy; and the proofs of that treason were articles which
appeared in the Knoxville _Whig_ in May last, when the State of
Tennessee was a member of the imperishable Union. At the expiration of
four weeks, I became a victim to the typhoid fever, and was removed to a
room in a decent dwelling, and a guard of seven men kept me company. I
subsequently became so weak that I could not turn over in bed, and the
guard was increased to twelve men, for fear I should suddenly recover
and run away to Kentucky. Becoming convalescent, in a measure, I was
removed to my former place of confinement. One day I was visited by some
Confederate officers, who remarked, "Brownlow, you should not be here.
Take the oath of allegiance to the Confederate Government, which will
not only entitle you to a speedy release, but insure your protection."
"Sir!" said I, "before I would take the oath to support such a
hell-forsaken institution, I would suffer myself to rot or die with old
age."
Why, my friends, these demagogues actually boast that the Lord is upon
their side, and declare that God Almighty is assisting them in the
furtherance of their nefarious project. In Knoxville and surrounding
localities, a short time since, daily prayer meetings were held, wherein
the Almighty was beseeched to raise Lincoln's blockade, and to hurl
destruction against the Burnside expedition. Their prayers were partly
answered--the blockade at Roanoke Island was most effectually raised; a
reciprocal of their sacrilege divinely tendered.
Gentlemen, I am no Abolitionist; I applaud no sectional doctrines; I am
a Southern man; and all my relatives and interests are thoroughly
identified with the South and Southern institutions. I was born in the
Old Dominion, my parents were born in Virginia, and they and their
antecedents were all slaveholders. Let me assure you that the South has
suffered no infringement upon her institutions; the slavery question was
actually _no_ pretext for this unholy, unrighteous conflict. Twelve
Senators from the Cotton States, who had sworn to preserve inviolate the
Constitution framed by our forefathers, plotted treason at night--a fit
time for such a crime--and telegraphed to their States despatches
advising them to pass ordinances of secession. Yes, gentlemen, twelve
Senators swore allegiance in the day time, and unswore it at night.
A short time since I was called upon by a little Jew, who, I believe, is
the Secretary of War of the bogus Confederacy. He threatened to hang me,
and I expected no more mercy from him than was shown by his illustrious
predecessors toward Jesus Christ. I entered into a long correspondence
with this specimen of expiring humanity, but from mercy or
forgetfulness, on their part, I was permitted to depart with all my
documents in my little valise, which I hope to publish at no distant
day.
Gentlemen, when I started on my perilous journey, I was sore distressed
in mind, and exceedingly so in body. But the moment my eyes encountered
the pickets of the Federal army my depression decreased, and returning
health seemed suddenly to invigorate my physical constitution.
Gentlemen, Secession is played out--the dog is dead--the child is born,
and his name is Jeff. Davis, jr.
My throat distresses me to such an extent that I must decline further
remarks this evening, but shall make myself heard upon the next
convenient occasion, which will probably be ere the termination of the
present week.