Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-06-12
GREAT UNION MEETING IN TEN
NESSEE.
SPEECH OF Ex-Gov. NEIL s. BROWN.

The Nashville papers bring us a full
report of the large Union meeting at Col
umbia, Tennessee, on the 22d ultimo,
with the noble speech of Mel s. Brown,
delivered on the occasion. 1t will be
perceived that whatever may have been
the past action or former opinions of this
gentleman, he is now unequivo.,.. in pro-
nouncing the Southern Confederacy a
failure, and denouncing the folly of fur
Their resistance to the Federal arms.
Coming from man holding so high a
position in the State, this speech must ex-
ert an important influence.
GOV. BROWNS SPEECH.
These were indeed, strenge and troub-
led times. For twelve months, civil war
with all its fierce passions, frey resent
ments and bloody broils had ragged over
our borders, and this State, once bright
planet in the galaxy of the Union, had
raised the standard of revolt and joined
the Southern Confederacy. He declared
that he was not and never had been a Sc
cessionist. He had devoted the prime of
his manhood to the service of the Unien,
and could never cease to love it. But
last spring. against my earnest council
and my deliberate judgment, repeatedly
expressed in public, the question of dis
union was raised and supported by infu-
entail leaders, and powerful influential
party. The people seemed hurried off
by phrenzy.
When he saw the avalanche descending
upon us, irresistible as that which breaks
its icy cable and glides on its mission of
ruin from an AL pine summit, when he
saw that he could no longer struggle to
any purpose against the tremendous
storm, he determined, come veal, come
woe, he would stand by Tennessee. His
opposition would have been useless any
longer-it would have ended in street
broils and fatal alterations. He felt the
State was gone for the present. Old
friends, once his ardent Supporters, cursed
him as Black Republican, Linsolnite,
an Abolitionist His mind was tortured.
AT times he felt as though he would
like to fly the country and leave scene
of strife. But he felt that this would
be unmanly, and that he would stay and
use his 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 trod alone might
bloom over him dead. He did what he
felt was his duty, but he felt disconsolate,
heart-broken, unhappy. He would rather
die than lead life made of such dark
and dreary bitter years as the one through
which he had just passed. He had seen
young men, the hope and flower of the
State, discounted, wandering hither and
thither, scattered from the prisons along
the Northern lakes to the marshes and
canebrakes in the interior of Mississippi.
He would not go into discussion of the
controversy or its causes. Whether the
North was right, or the South, or whether
both were wrong, it was not his purpose
to argue He wished only to say that,
in his deliberate and settled judgment, ia
king all the facts as they now present
themselves, into consideration, he was
bound to declare that this rebellion was
played out-that it was an utter failure.
He had ties the dearest in nature to the
South side. His only brother was a pris-
oner. and his two sol were in the South
ern army, and to-day he would give his
right arm to bring them back. He never
asked them to 90 there. They had went
against his judgment. 1t was his solemn
duty to tell his old friends that that the
Confederate cause was ruined and hope
lessly lost. He never had been de-
spending man, but for months he had felt
no faith in the rebellion. He had not
scrupled to say so to all his friends. The
longer it lasts the worse it will be for the
South. He had the satisfaction of know
ing that he never asked a man to vote
the secession ticket. All he did say wa:
that if Tennessee voted herself out OF the
Union she could take him with her, but
she could not make him vote secession
But leaving this he would address the We.
ry fercest and most rabid secessionis
alive.