Smyrna times., 1862-06-19
From the Nashville Union, June the 4th.
UNI0NISN I'M TENNESSEE.
Excellent speech of Hon. Neill s. Brown
Ex-Governor of the State.

AT the Union mass meeting in Columbia, on
Tuesday, the ID inst, the Market House was
densey crowded, some time before the hour OF
speaking, by people from the country proclp4i- .
iy, who all seemed to maifest The greats: "a
gerness to listen to the great and all absorbing
Issue OF the day. Ex.Gov. Brown being pres
mt, large Rumber of his Old friends expressed
desire TO hear his vlewsOn the state of public
affairs and the duty of Tennessee in the
crisis. He complied in an address OF some
thirty minutes.
These were indeed strange and troubled
times For twelve months civil war, with all
it's fierce passions, fiery resenlments aud bloody
brOlls, had ragged over our borders, aud this
State, once bright planet in the galaxy of the
| Union, had raised the stt ada I'd of revolt and
joined the Southern CantYderacy. lie declared
that he was not, never had been, and never
could be a SecessonI.t. lie had devoted the
prime Of his manhood to the service of the
Union, aud could never cense TO love il. BU,
last Spring, against my earnest cOunsels, and
my deliberate judgement, repeatedly eXprGseed
10 public. the question Of dIsunion was raised,
and supported by influential leaders aud pow.
erful and active party. The people seemed
buried off by frenzy. When he saw the avail
anche descending upon us IrresIstable as that
which breaks lte icy cable, VHd gldes on its
mission OF ruin from an alpine summit, when
he saw that he could no longer struggle TO any
purpose against the Tremendous storm, he de-
termlned, come veal, come woe, he would
; stand by Tennessee. HIS opposition would
have been useless any longer, it would have
ended ia street broIs and fatal slrercatuns.
He felt the State was gone for the present.
Old friends, once his ardent supporters, cursed
him as a Black Republican. a Lrncoinlte, an
Abolition st. HIS mind was tortured AT
times he felt as though he would like to fly the
country and leave scene of horror and mlsery
for which he had no appetite. But he felt that
this would be unmany and that he would stay
and use bis influence to moderate the fury OF
others, and protect his old friends. HIS prayer,
like that of McGregor, was that the heather on
which he lrOd alone nigh. bloom over him dead.
n He did what he felt was his duty, but he felt
e disconsoate, heart broken, unhappy He would
rather die than lead a life made of such dark
q aud dreary and bitter years the one through
Q which he had just passed He had seen young
men, the hope aOd flower ofthe State, dscom-
6ted wandering hIlher and Ihuher, scattered
: now from the prisons along the Northern Lakes
" 10 the marshes and canehrSkes in The interior
: Of Mississippi. He would not 30 toto Il dis.
: : cusson Of this controversy or its causes
" Whether the North was right, or the South, or
- whether both were wrong, it WIS not his pur.
!, pose 10 argue. He wished only TO say that. in
% his deliberate and settled judgement. sking
all The facts as they now present themselves,
. into consideration, he was bound 10 declare
= that this rebellion was played QUIT was an
o. utter failure He had ties the dearest 10 ua-
8 ture to the Southern side His enly brother
G. was prisoner, and his two SONS were in The
nd tn dan hot 1,pt,IA h,s
=, . right arm to bring hem back. He never asked
~ them to go there. They went there agains
VI his judgement Il was his solemn duty to tel
l" his old irle0d that the Confederate cause DG
ruined and hOpeLessly lost. He had never beel
en- a despOndIng man, but for months he had fel
"a. no faith in the rebellion. He had not scruple
of to say go 10 all his friends. The longer II last
u. the worse it will be for the South. lie had III
on satisfaction Of knowing that he never asked
hn man 10 vote the secession ticket. All he dl
BY say was that if Tennessee voted herself out
on the Union, che could take him with her, bU
Ter she could not make him vote for 5acessior
OF, But leaving this, he would address the yer
ial iercest and most rabid SecessIOnlst slive-h
yIy would suppose, what was not 80. that the crow
ion before hun were such fierce hre.ealers th
to they literally ate aud spaTkeled tre-and the
not he would ask them, as men ef sense, 1t the
ur. were not compelled TO relInquIsh all hope
un resisting the Federal Government ut successfully 3
1T Let US look at these things without talse Pr'd
er. Here we have twenty two million OF viii
10 people against a lite over 5000 900, wi
The 1000 900 of slaves. The q, 900, 900 have Il
rip whole power OF long. esIa bIshed gOvernme
by the revenues. the navy. the military pOwe
the markets aud commerce of the world, veal
and manufactures, 81 tth an amazing increase
was active aud enlerprsiDg population. The s
ues millions have no commerce, no manufacture
'et no navy, no immIg gTatIons, no munitions Of wa
iof Here is a simple problem of numerical strengl
'o'n The North and The South are equally braV
AXIS No Northern man caA whip three Sou,herneT
no Southern man Can whip three NOrlherne
All men Of sense know Vt Is to be the fact.
eat Nov he did not for long time believe IL
'ell, this trouble would end in war. He thong
race when Tennessee was arming herself that I
der. storm would blow over. lie did not ev
ago think that there would be war after the bat
k, TO of Manassas, tor be looked that as a bloc
very fray brought on by accident rather than a
pro- pitched battle. II proved nothing. But
own was mistaken. We have war, aud how sh
gers we stuC It's ravages and avert the certain n
her Il 10 bringing on US! II you would stare deI
urni ~ the fsce just look at the matter fairly,
see what hope you have in the udventu
'bes Missouri to day is in the possession Of the F.
snty eral troops So is large part OF ArkaOs
Ike The COnfederates seized the sIrongholds
they Kentucky, and after havIOg fortified tn
leet. strOOglyi we're drived out. Maryland was fu
visit, under the Federal power. A large part
'Ould Virginia was under The same control, and
But Federal troops were still advancing and
the COnfederates falling back toward the SOU
ce OF Even TO day the Union army 10 force threat
city the gates OF Richmond. Middle Tennesse'
reat' 10 the UaiOn lInes and East and West Tent
been see will coon be go. So is part OF North
'eans olins. NJ lssissippi and Of Florida. The Fed
tor it Aag h0aIs VIGOROUSLY over the soil of ev
takes Southern State. Were is the Southern arI
Il was lately at CoriOlh. Hehad been wall
EIt snxiousIy for that cloud TO break, that 81
nada, light might shine upon Us. He was wilin
o. see the Ceafederases have fair srial.
kMsi8 X - -1a