I thank you, Brother, and through you the Preachers' Association, for
your had expression of sympathy and regard. I claim, as a Union man, to
have done nothing but my duty. I have always been a Union man, and have
edited a Union paper for the last twenty-five years. I was traveling a
circuit in South Carolina in 1832, when I was elected to the General
Conference, and there met with Rev. L. F. Wright and L. Swormsted. I was
also traveling the Anderson District of the Holston conference in the
same State, and living near Calhoun during the nullification troubles
which were so soon throttled by Old Hickory. This thing called Secession
originated in falsehood, theft and perjury. Floyd did the stealing, the
masses of the people did the lying, and fourteen U. S. Senators from the
Cotton States the perjury. While in the Senate, in the day time, they
made a show of keeping their oaths, but at night they held their secret
caucuses, planning Secession, and advising their leaders to seize the
prominent forts of the South, and arms of importance wherever they could
find them. I have no doubt there are better men in hell, or in the
Penitentiaries of this or any other State, than the prominent leaders in
this Secession movement. And I am sorry to say that the worst class of
men now in the Southern Confederacy are the Episcopalian, Methodist,
Baptist and Presbyterian preachers. High functionaries in the
Episcopalian church are now drinking and swearing. Men who have met in
our General Conferences with some of these aged brethren whom I now see
around me, preach as chaplains on Sabbath, but swear and get drunk
through the week. A Presbyterian minister in Knoxville invited all
denominations to hold a union prayer meeting, to pray to the Lord to
sink Burnside's fleet, and raise Lincoln's blockade. And at it they
went, composed of many old clerical rips, who besieged a throne of
grace, raising their hands, heaving and setting like an old Tennessee
ram at a gate-post, that God would send lightning and storm and raise
the blockade. And the Lord did give them a _raise_--at Roanoke Island,
and with that kind of lightning and storm which they did not expect in
answer to prayer. I also heard a Presbyterian minister in Knoxville make
use of the following words on the Lord's day, which he would give to
show the degradation of the pulpit. In the course of his remarks he
stated that Jesus Christ was a Southern man, and all of his Apostles
were Southern men, save Judas, who was from the North. And that he would
rather read a text from a Bible bound in hell than front one printed and
bound North of Mason and Dixon's line. I regard the churches in the
South ruined; and financially they are in a bad fix. I came across Dr.
McFarren about seventy miles from Nashville, trying to run away; but his
horse wouldn't work. He traded the horse for a mule, but the mule
wouldn't work. When I left him he was standing on the street, in company
with his wife and children, looking for another trade. Huston, Sehon and
Baldwin were still in Nashville adhering to Secession. The citizens of
Nashville could but note the contrast, and expressed their opinions in
regard to the superiority of the officers and soldiers of the Federal
army over those of the Confederate. The former were well-dressed and
well-behaved, and did not insult citizens nor ladies upon the streets.
While, on the contrary, the vagabonds of the Confederate army stole
everything upon which they could lay their hands, and drove peaceable
citizens from their homes. While there were some honorable exceptions in
the Confederate army, strange to say it seemed to be mostly composed of
the off-scouring of the land; swearing, lewd fellows, of the most
degraded possible character. I had a hard time among them, and was
satisfied that they intended to execute me. I owe my escape to the fact
that for so long a time I had been an editor, and, to a great extent,
had gained the confidence of the people. The Union sentiment prevails in
East Tennessee five to one. Among them my friends notified the leaders
that, if Brownlow was hurt, twelve of their prominent men would be
sacrificed for his life, and I think they were afraid to hang me. So
they wrote to Davis and Benjamin that they had better release me; that I
had many friends, and that my presence would continue to stir up the
rebellion; and that, if they could send me out of their lines, they
would get rid of me and my influence. Therefore Benjamin thought that,
as I was a very wicked fellow and a great traitor, he would release me
on conditions that I would leave the Southern Confederacy, and, if I
would do so, they would give me a safe passport out of their lines. So I
opened a correspondence with that little, contemptible Jew--_Judas_
Benjamin, and consented to do for the Southern Confederacy what the
devil had never done--_leave_ the country. They still hold my wife and
children as hostages for my good behavior. I don't think they will hurt
them. I hope not.
But I told my wife, before I left, to prepare for execution, for, as
certain as I got North, I would not behave myself, according to Jeff.
Davis' understanding. I am now feeble, having been preaching and
discoursing for thirty-five years. I have seen the day when I could have
spoken five hours at a time; but my late imprisonment, in connection
with my typhoid fever, has broken down my constitution. When feeblest,
they doubled the guard, and pretended to think that my sickness was all
a sham, in order that more liberty would be given me, and then I could
escape. I told them that it was unnecessary, for if there was no guard
I could not run away. For I had written to Benjamin, and, if he would
not send me away in the proper manner, I would not go. I had made up my
mind to hang. I had seen my friends taken from the same prison--one or
two at a time--and hung. Sometimes the father and son on the same day.
While this was going on, they would say tauntingly, "Your turn will be
next, for you are the ringleader and cause of all this trouble." I told
them if they would give me the privilege of making a speech, one hour
long, under the gallows, that I might speak to the people and pronounce
a eulogy on the Southern Confederacy, that I would be willing to die.
And I really think I could have swung in peace. It is my intention to go
back to Knoxville and start my paper. I want to go with the army, and
once more raise the flag of the stars and stripes, and then blaze away.
They have been doing all of the hanging on one side, and I wish to
superintend it on the other. My motto is, "Grape for the masses, but
hemp for the leaders." They deserve hanging, for this is the most wicked
rebellion ever known to the world. If you had given them a President and
all the offices, there would have been no rebellion--for the "nigger" is
a mere pretext.
After thanking the brethren, he was introduced to the Ministers and
friends present, and then took his leave. During the day he visited the
Book Concern, and expressed himself highly pleased with its evident
prosperity.