Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-06-19

SPEECH BY ASouTnEnN Disadvantages
ably toa call made by handbills yesterday,
large audience assembled at fremont Hal
last night to hear speech from Hon. Milton
Brown, Of Mobile, Alabama.
Mr.. Browns history is strange and event
full. He was educated at Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and removed to Mo
bile 16 years ago, where he married lady o
fortune. He was President of the Mobil
and Ohio railroad company, and contributed
$4,000 to the construction of that road
He was also six years a member Of the Ala
bama Legislature, and was member of tn
Convention which passed the Oh dinance Of Sc
cession, being an active opponent of tina
measure, which was carried by only four ma
iority. When the ordinance was submitted
to the people, Mobile gave a majority Of 3 800
against it. A strong Union organization was
formed, which, however, was overpowcret
by two regiments sent from Georgia; Brown
was arrested and thrown into prison, and his
brother, who had been the leader of Union
military organization, was hung. Browns
wife, though quite sick, begged permission to
60 and see him in prison, which was granted
and having nothing to eat but corn bread
made of meal ground with the cob and occa-
.lonally little mule meat" she died. AT.
ter q months Imprisonment, Brown was re-
leased, his health being so thoroughly under
mined that it was thought he could live but a
short time. By personal favor of a
distinguished southern gentleman, with whom
he had been for several years well acquainted,
he obtained pass to come North and arri-
we'd within our lines at Fortress Monroe
about six weeks ago. He is now on his way
to visit sister residing at Marshalltown in
this State.
His speech was listened to with great in
terest. He strongly denounced treason SYM
pathizers in the North, whom he considers
the main prop of yebelion at this time.
Messrs. McNutt and e oud were called for,
who also made stirring speeches.
An interesting feature Of the occasion was
the singing Of patriotic songs by members of
the Musical Institute, who were invited to IA
vor the League in like manner at its future
meetings.-Daily, 18Th.
That "FARcr." THE Courier INDUCES in
some ridiculous structures on the jury in the
Prosser case, and accuses Sheriff Hine of
having "sslectsd a jury composed wholly Of
Abolitionists." The reporter of that paper,
smarting under the guilty recollection of some
unhappy business transaction with Mr.. Hine,
and naturally possessed Of fertile magma
ton, has seized upon the first favorable occa-
sion to revenge himself by manufacturing a
charge, knowingly false, that might prove
prejudicial to the Sheriff. We fear the young
lawyer has over-reached his mark, and per-
petrated more damage to his own professional
reputation than to the official character of the
person he attacks. Who ever heard of a
Sheriff selecting a jury of any kind-least
of all for murder trial? The simple facts of
the case are such as to relieve the Sheriff Of
all responsibility whatsoever. But here per-
NIT US to say that the censure applied to the
jury is equally unwarranted, false and con-
temptible. The prevailing sentiment of this
community among honorable and reflective
men of all parties is, that the verdict was
pre-eminently wise and satisfactory, in view
of the peculiar and original circumstances Of
the case, as developed by the testimony, and
since the sentence of the Court, we have
found but few persons who could urge any
reasonable complaint. We say this without
abating one jot of the Nervousness of the
crime of homicide when unattended by any
palliatins circumstances and relieved of all
doubt, both as regards the motive and extent
of the injury inflicted.
A word as to the selection of jury in a
case of this kind The law, we understand,
allows the prosecution:eight peremptory chal-
lenges of jurors, and the defence twenty per-
empory challenges. If at the end of this
privilege full jury is not obtained,
the prisoner has the right to further challenge
any juror by offering valid reason, and the
Juror will be set aside if the Court rules the
objection admissible. The same privilege,
doubtless, extends to the prosecution, though
of this we cannot positively affirm. The adj
vantage, of course, Preparedness on the side
of the prisoner, but the propricty and justice
of having it so, has rarely been questioned.
The language frequently employed in pro-
sentence upon person convicted of
capital crime is, "you have been tried by a
iurv of your own selection" In the present
case the Sheriff, as was his duty, called upon
persons present, Unfortunately, to appear
as jurors, and they were accepted or rejected
according to the decision of the counsel for
and against the prisoner. Among those CAL
led were, we are assured, number of the
rankest kind Of Copperheads. That they
were not chosen is matter the smart young
man who reported for the Courier should
settle with the lawyers. So much, then, for
the charge against Sheriff Hine Of packing
no "selecting"-a jury.
INDIAN Hosr1LlT1Es ON THE MISSOURI.
the Sioux City Regisier Of May 23d, we
learn that Fort Pierre is besieged by about
1900 hostile Indians, that the garrison con-
sists of one company of infantry probably
41st Iowa) short of supplies-and that four
companies of the 9Th Iowa Cavalry major
Ten Brook) had been ordered, by forced
marches, to the relief Of the beleaguered gar
rison. It is further stated that his orders