The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-06-20
Parson Brownlow's Dying Speech.


the rebels, he prepared speech for the occa-
sion, which has been printed since his es-i
cape. 1t is highly characteristic, nearly all
Of it being devoted to scatEing review of
the characters of his personal enemies and
the secession leaders. The closing para
graphs are as follows:
"Fe!low countrymen, am shortly to be
executed, not for any crime punishable with
death, but for my devotion to my country,
her laws and constitution. l die for refusing
to espouse the cause of this wicked rebellion
and glory in it, strange as you may think
it. | could have liyed,if had taken an oath
of allegiance to this so-called confederacy.-
Rather than stultify myself and disgrace my
self by such an oath, | agree to die! never
could sanction this government, and l trust
that no child of mine will ever do it. Look
at the past history of the leaders and origin
ators of this rebellion. There is not a man
of unstained character to be found among
them. Yancey is a convicted murderer, who
killed his uncle, CDR Earl of South Carolina,)
and, instead of going to England to intrigue
against this government, he would have been
in prison had he not been pardoned BY the
governor of that state. Wigfall, confeder-
ate senator and general, fled from his ma
tive state of South Carolina to Texas to es-
cape the horrors of assassination, became a
collecting attorney for large amounts, and
then swindled his employers out of their
dues, numbering as many as two men in Tex
as. Floyd, while governor of my native
state, was guilty of swindling the state out
of some thirty thousand dollars of the WASH
ington monument fund intrusted to his care
while in Buchanan's cabinet in violation of
! his oath, he stole, besides large amounts of
bonds, the guns, forts and ammunition of the
fe eleral government, to aid in carrying on
this Infamous rebellion. Slidell, another in
! triguer, who never had an honest emotion
of soul in his life assisted while in the Unit
ed States Senate, to pass through Congress
that great swindle of the age, the 'Houmans
land grant,-a swinde so gigantic and a
cheat so enormous that the next Congress re.
voked the grant. Benjamin, your secretary
of war, and one of the men engaged in de-
ceiving me, was expelled from New Eng
land college for stealing money and iewelr,
out Of the t,unks of bis fellow students; ht
afterwards got into the senate from louisa
: ma by turning from whig to democrat,an
became the partner of Siidell in the Hou
, mans swindle. Thompson, the Mississippi
) member of Buchanan's cabinet, while secre
: tary of the interior, was partner in stealing
some Indian trust bonds, and when about t
} be dismissed for the otfense, fled from tn
federal capital by night, to avoid prosecution
? Cobb, the Georgia member of Buchanan
2 cabinet, speculated in stocks, using govern
r ment money, and was detected in it; and a
l this was at time when he was acting unde
: oath, at the head Of the treasury department
Davis, your president, after his state ha
! borrowed millions, led the way in the wor
n of reputation and in defrauding Mississippi
X honest creditors. Toombs, the big man {
e YOUR government at Richmond, was the col
a federate of X Kett and Brooks in their atteml
t, to asSassinate Sumner. Swan, your COZ
!, gresham from this district, and all origin
II secessionist, is the forger of the Johnson lie
n ters to Lawrence, with a view to swindle Il
# latter out of ten thousand dollars The
ct and a host of others like them, are the MT
ot who originated and are carrying on tn
~ southern rebellion. Ought not any hone
man to prefer to hang rather than act wi
a such men in a wicked crusade against Il
e, mild sway Of the best government on earth
Of "But must close. Solemn thought.
ry die with confidence that the United Stat
il, government will crush out this rebellion du
to ing the coming spring and summer. Ma
in nv prediction! would like to be livi
I'D when that is done; but must resign mys
re to my fate. l have word to say as it
m CARDS my family. l leave wife and sew
to children to the mercies of a cold-heart
ce, world. l hope the Union men of the COT
e. try will be kind to them, and seek to impri
their minds with what is true,-that they {
''' not disgraced, but honored, by my death.
III Let me be shrouded in the sacred folds of t
~ tar-spangled banner; and let my childre
8, children know that the last words l utter
on earth were:
or. Forever float that standard sheet.
Where breathes the foe but falls before us,
- With freedoms soil beneath our feet.
mr.. And freedoms banner streaming Ger US !.
er- WHERE IS Your BoY.-We saw him J
in the evening, in the company Of very
md boys, and they each had a cigar. And n
ter and then some of them used very prof
md language. AS we looked at your son
ose wondered if you knew where he was,
ace with whom he associated. Dear friend,
be- not be so closely confined to your shop,
and flee or ledger, as to neg lect that boy.
OF will bring sorrow into your household, if
AN do not bring proper parental restraint to /
upon him, and that very soon. Sabbath
'"n public teachers can help you, but you n
''eo do most.
bolt