July 29, 1861---Pestiferous poltroons seek Statehood

JULY 29, 1861:   

East Tennesseeans rejected secession by a margin of over 80%. Their Anti-Secession Convention at Greenville actually passed an Ordinance establishing a Union State of East Tennessee, but (bizarrely, given the circumstances) in keeping with the requirements of the Union Constitution then submitted the Ordinance to the secessionist legislature at Nashville which, of course, rejected it. The Memphis Appeal publishes an editorial excoriating Unionists in the State, who are meeting at Greenville planning to secede back into the Union. It reads in part:

“We can clearly see from this outcropping of the bud of treason which was engrafted upon the ignorance of the East Tennessee masses by the parricidal hand of ANDREW JOHNSON, that a formidable movement is on foot, to oppose the constitutional authorities of the State, and thus to seek to protect another ‘Pan Handle’ Monarchy, similar to that in Western Virginia, self-styled a State. To effect this end — falsely, yet dangerously denominated ‘a struggle for independence,’ — the Lincoln Government is to be called to the rescue, and its pestiferous congregation of poltroons, with sword and bayonet in hand, be invited to come within the jurisdiction of Tennessee, bringing with them desolation, vandalism, bloodshed, and slaughter.

It is useless, in consideration of these facts, therefore, to parley longer with that clique of political charlatans who conceived the Greenville Convention, and who are soon to continue the session of their traitorous council at Kingston. We have tried a policy of conciliation toward them, and it has signally failed — the hemp policy must be the one for the future. The people, we believe, are not parties to this disreputable movement…”