Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1864-10-07
From the Confederate Union.
GOV. BROWNS REPLY TO GEN. SHE
MANS MESSAGE.

As much has been said about the infN-
NAL message sent by Gen. Sherman 10
Gov. Brown, Vice President Stephens ad
Senator johnson, inviting them to V At
the General in Atlanta, for a confereIke
in reference to the state of the county,
with view to negotiations for peace, sd
as the public mind has been much excl I'd
upon the subject, some saying that is sss
%%ty of those gentlemen to acceft~4e
Generals invitation and make an effort to
settle our difficulties by negotiation, others
cOntending that it was the duty of the
Governor to have seized the Generals
messenger and have ordered him hung as
a traitor, we have for the qualification of
orr own and the curiosity of our readers,
called upon the Governor, and enquired
after the facts.
The Governor, in reply to our enquiries,
stated that Mr.. VIM. King, who represent
ell himself as the bearer of message from
Gen. Sherman, called upon him, and sta
ted in substance that Gen. Sherman had
requested him to say to the Governor, that
he would be pleased to receive a visit from
him and other distinguished Georgians,
with view to conference upon the state
of the country, and the settlement of our
difficulties he would give the Gov
ernor a passport through his lines with an
escort, If desired. TO 90 and return at such
time as might be agreeable to him, that he
General Sherman) recognized him Gov
ernOr BROWN as governor OF the whole
State, and as over an hundred miles of the
territory of the State is now behind his
lines, he Gen. S. would allow the Govern
or to 90 and visit his people IN the rear if
he desired to look after their condition,
and return at his pleasure; that he would
receive him and the other distinguished
Georgians at his headquarters, and treat
them with the respect and consideration
due their positions during the conference
which he invited-that he did not wish to
be compelled to overrm and desolate more
of the tcrritoy of the State, &c.
After hearing the statements of Mr..
King, the Governor replied:
Please make to Gen. Sherman an ac-
acknowledgement of my obligation for the
personal courtesies which you say he pro-
poses to extend to me. But as he is only
a General commanding an army in the
field, and the Governor of State, Meth
err the Constitution of his country nor of
my own, conters upon us any power to
rcgotiate a treaty Of peace. We proba-
bly, hold but few sentiments in common,
but if we should agree in every particular,
VIC would have power to bind no one by
any compact we might make. As our in
terview could therefore result in nothing
practical, | must decline the invitation
While the portion of the State now in the
rear of Gen. Sherman's army is held by
him, and the execution Of the laws of the
State suspended by armed force, l know
of no service which | could render to the
people of that section by personal visit
If | could better their condition or mitigate
their sutferings, l would, on their account,
cheeriully go at the expense of any incOn-
venience OF personal sacrifice which the
trip might cost me.
TO the remark that General Sherman
does not wish to be compelled to overrun
and desOlate moro of the territory Of Geor-
gia, l reply that no compulSion rests upon
him to attempt this, unless it be the cruel
orders of his government. If he makes
the effort, he will find much greater diff.
culties in the way of his advance for the
next hundred miles than those encounter
ed during his march from Dalton TO At
lanta. Georgia may possibly be overrun,
but can never be subjugated, and her peo-
pie will never treat with cOnqueror upon
her soil As sovereign State, she had
the undoubtcd right to dissolve her con-
nection with the government of the Uni
ted States, when the compact had Boon
violated by the other States of the Con-
federacy, and to form new compact,
which she has done She is as sovereign
to-day as she was the day she seeded
from the old Union, and has the same
power, by a Convention of her people,
which she then had to resume all delega-
ted powers, and all tile attributes of SOW
ercignty, and then to declare war, nego.
tate treaties of peace, and do all other acts
which a sovereign State may do. While
this power rests III her people, who are
the original source of all sovereignty, her
Constitution formed by them; has confer
red no such power upon her Governor.
The fact must not be overlooked, how
ever, that while Georgia possesses the SOW
ereign power to act separately, her faith,
Which never has, and trust never will be
violated, is pledged by strong implication
to her Southern sisters, that she will not
exercise this power without consent on
their part, and concert of action with them.
In league with her Southern sister States,
she entered into this contest with tull
knowledge of all the responsibilities which
attached to the act; and come veal Or
woe, she will never withdraw from it p
d;shonor. However unequal may be the
proportion of suffering or sacrifice which
her people may have to endure, she WI
never make separate terms with the emf
my which may free her territory from j
vasion ana leave her Contederates in tlhe
in the lurch Whatever may be the opit.
ion Of her PEG ole as 80 the injustice d"le