The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-12-12

AN HoHEsT NAN-The course of Governor
Brown, of Mississippi, affords one of the most
striking examples OF public virtue which has
occurre i'll this self-seeking age He has been.
says the Charlotte Wig, Governor of Mis-
sissippi, Speaker of the House Of Representa-
tives and Senator. For many years Missis-
sippi has conferred upon him her highest
honors. But when the war commenced he
volunteered as a private, and has been serving
ON foot as Captain. Recently, some twenty
prominent Mississippi officers IN Virginia ad
dressed him letter, urging him to accept ii e
place of Senator in the permanent Coz: less,
and giving as a reason that he can be OF more
service i'll the Senate than on foot in the field
From his reply we make the following ex-
tract:
"When l took up arms in defence of the
South it wa to illustrate hv example the
heartfelt sincerity with which l had for so
many years urged our pc ople to strike for
equality In the Union, or independence out of
it. l cannot now, camped as we are in sight
OF the enemy, consent to lay down thos 9
arms, except it be TO render my bleeding
country more efficient service somewhere
else. Arms, as you all know, is not my pro-
fession, and if bear them it is from neces-
slty and not from ch oice. That | have not
sought q higher command than captaincy
has been because my early training habits Of
thought, and pursuits in life have not be en-
such as TO qualify me for such command
nsKilied as am IN the arts of war, have
Ielt at liberty to do no more than risk nv own
life in the pending cor fiict. shrank instiac-
lively at the beginning, and ever since from
the responsibility of risking the lives. Of
| others.''
How truly noble is this, how worthy of
honor, of veneratiOn, of universal imitation
Here we have, as our Charlotte contemporary
well observes, an experienced statesman
possessed OF high order of intellect, and well
acquainted with men and things modestly de
Ginning any military Office which would place
the lives of others at his disnoaa., ol the
ground that he has not been trained to arms
and thai he o,,ght, there iore, to do no more
| shan risk his own life in the pending conflict
How does this contrast with those possessed
| of not onetenth the knowledge and qualitica
tions of Gov. Brown, who seek field otfces
and obtain them too, in many instances not on
the score of merit, but on account of partv
services
Equally worthy of al.htr4tion are The fol-
lowing sen, meats oonta nedin the same letter
! OF Gov Brown al holtor TO the man The
heart of a.tr"e patriot beats n his generous
and noble breast
"Hppohahts before the war in a peaceful,
strife for ascendancy in politics, the war has
forced arms into all their hands thrown one
nag over their heads, and marked out for
them common destiny Under such circum-
stances 1t IS duty clear as TO make eIuci.
datlon needless that all past die, snoes
should be laid aside, in :e.,y. snt i. tsc<
ana that the most aordial brotherhood should
o" ha1itu~lly cherished z nd prac tieed This
.anno~ be,.lf the old and dominant S.atrs
Rights party does not make :, sals division 4
nohors with their tor ,ler opponents and pre-
sent aliiey.p ~