Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1862-06-17

MONTPELIER VT.
Ex-Governor Mel 5. Browns Speech.
tuesday Morning, June II, 1862.


made at Union meeting q, Columbia III that
State While bis appeals are mainly to the sell
ish and mercc1ary passions Of his hearers, 'hc
speech is yet very iorcbe argument 70 those
who, with che SPEAKER, lave oaen IN rebellion
against .ae Government Iii, remarks are for
rebels aot Union men, and very Likely he could
press them with no stronger motive to return to
their obedience ANA loyalty than 10 show them
that rebellion was failure.
These were indeed strange and troubled times.
for twelve months, civil war, with all It's fierce
passions, fierce resentnents and bloody brols,
had ragged over our borders, and this State, once
a bright planet in the galaxy Of the Union, had
raised the standard Of revolt and Joined the
Southern Conle4eracy. he declared that he
wa not, and never had been, and never could
be a secessiouist lie had devoted the prime OF
bis manhood to the service OF the Union, and
could never cease to love 1t. But last spring,
against my earnest counsel and my deliberate
judgement, repeatedly expressed in pubic, the
question OF disunlUn was raised, and supported
,by influential leaders ana powerful ana active
party The people seemed hurried Of by frenzy.
W men We saw the avalanche descending upon Us
irresistible as that which breaks its icy cable
and nldes Oh It's mission Of ruin from an Alpine
summit, when be saw that lie could no longer
struggle 10 any purpose against the tremendous
storm, he determined, come veal, como woe, ne
would stand by tennessee. Ills opposition
would have been uFeicss any longer, II would
have ended IN street br0I and Iatal alterations.
He ielt the State WAS gone 'Or the present.
Old friends, once has dIuent supporters, cursed
him Us Black Republican,, LlncOnite, an Ab.
oiitouIs, HIS mind WAS tortured. vt times,
he would feel as though he wOnio Ike TO fly
he country, ana leave il scene OF horror ana
Of aniscry lor which hc a1I w appetite ~
But he lolL that ibis would be unmanly, and
lhat Lo wuaid stay and uso bis influence 10 mod
crate the lnry OF others, and protect his old
friends. lis prayer, Ake thatnl McGregor, vas
that tbs heather on winch he trJd alone might
Gloom over MIN dead. He uid what he eit Was
his duty. but lie ieI1 disgOus0Iate, heurtjr0ken,
unhappy lie WOulQ rather die ,nan lead i lite
.aale 81 such DARK and dre4ry and bitter years
IS tls one through waich he rad just assed.
lie had seen young men, the hOfe ana lower OF
the State, discontinued, wandering hither and
1hither. ,cattercd now from tie prisons along
the Northern lakes TO the marshes aud cane
brakes IN the interior OF Mississippi. tie would
not 20 into d discussion Of TINS controversy OF
ITS causes. W neither the North was right, or
the South, or whether both were wrong, 1t was
not ms purpose to argue lie wished only 70
saw that 10 his deilberaie aud settled Judgement
taking all the facts as they now present them
selves, into consideration, he was bound to de-
clare that this rebellion was played Quit was
an utter failure lie had ties the dearest IN ma
ture TO the Southern side, HIS only brother was
a prisoner and his two sons were IN the South
ern army, and to day he would give his right
arm to bring them back. Lie never asked them
to 20 there They went against his Judgment
1t was his solemn duty u tell his old friends
that the e., Moderate cause was ruined and
hopelessly lost. He never had been Gespond.
mo man, bpt iyr months he had felt no faith in
the rebellion lie had not SCRUBBED to say 50 It
MI his friends The iODger II lasts the worse /
.yill be for the South. lie had the satisfaction
of knowing that he never asked man t. yot,
the Secession ticket. All he did say was tina
II Tennessee voted herself out Of the Union sh
.conld take him with her, butshe could not max
him vote Secession. But leaving this he woul
address the very iercest and most rabld secession
ist alive.
The North and the South are equally brave
No Northern man can whip three Southerners-
no brave Southern man can whip three Nortt
erners. All men OF sense know this to be u lac
Now he did not for long time believe that tn
trouble would end in war. lie thought ~he
Tennessee was arming herself the storm wou
GLOW over, lie did not even think there woul
De war after the battle of Manassas, for
looked on that as bloody fray brought on
accident rather than as pitched battle.
proved nothing. But he was mistaken. W
have war, and how shall We stop Its ravages al
avert the certain ruin Ii is bringing on us.
YOU would stare death in the lace, JUS. look at &
matter fairly, and see what hope you have IN Z
adventure. Missouri to-day is in the posse's'
Of the Federal troops. so ID large part OF
kansas. The COniederates seized the stronghold
of Kentucky, and after having fortified the
strongly were driven out. Maryland was tul
under The Federal power. A large part OF '
rinia was under the same control, and the 1t
eral troops were still advancing and the Cont,
crates falling back toward the South. Eve
day the Union army in force threatens the ga
OF Richmond. Middle Tennessee is in the Uni
lines, and East and West Tennessee will soon be
So is a large part Of North Carolina MISSES
nj, aud of Florida The Federal ilag floats '
toriousy over the soil Of every Southern Sta
Where is the Southern army 1t was lately
Corinth. lie had been waiting anxiouslY
that cloud to break, that some light might sh
upon us. He was willing to see the Conted
aIes have fair trial, And they have retrea
he knew not whittier.
Now what must we do as Tsnnesseeans
is lost TO the Southern Coa.c1siacy tore'
The Coniederates cannot rcinstate thense
They have got neither men, arms, ammunitl
gunb0ats or navy. Some prolessed to feel
inflated 1t this. Some say yeu will rather
than give it up. Well, he had scanned this
dionoe carefully, and they ddn't look much
men who thought Of dying They were /
enjoying themselves aud buying and SELF
eating and drinking. Yes and while som
YOU talk loudly about dying before YOU
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