The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-08
BROWN PUBLISHES ANOTHER
MESSAGE.
A BLOW AT JEFF. DAVIS.
Attack Upon Richmond Expected.
DEATH OF GENERAL aRAc1E.


Against
UsurpHtiOns ON IeT ONVis' Part, Sc.
From mc Richmond Braminor, Decenber5.
The Georgia papers bring us message from
Governor Brown, lt is a message that was pre-
pared by him to be sent into the General Assem-
bly, Of Georgia; but while il was being copied the
Legislature adjourned, on account Of the near
approach Of the enemy, before the message was
received. On this account Governor Brown has
authorized its publication.
The message Of Governor Brown is a most en-
phatic protest against the extraordinary recon-
mendatiou OF the President 10 Congress to repeal
entirety the exemption of all classes, and vest In
MN the discretion to detail such as he may think
ht 10 pursue their professions. Governor Brown
argues that TO give the President such poy yer
would be TO aunhate the last yestire of State
sovereignty, and 10 subyort the great constitu.
tiOnal rights Of the people. He SAYS -
Aside nom the Constitutional objections, what
would be the effect Of yesing in the President the
absolute power over all classes Of the people in
these States which he now demands at the hands
of CoDgless3 No man could cultivate his fields
to produce corn, wheat, any other of the neces-
sariCs of life run his factory % make clOthing
or work In his blacksmith shop, mill tannery.
carpenter shop, machine shop, or follow other in
dustrial pursuits without the consent and detail
from the President.
No man can then publish a newspaper without
the consent OF the President and a detail for that
purpose. This would at once destroy all indie
uendCnCe Of the press and abridge its freedom
which the Constitution of the Confederate states
expressly declares Congress shall make ''no law
to do.
No bold, Independent, high-toned man would
be willing to accept detail for this purpose as it
would be an acknowledgment in advance that his
press shall be the tool OF the President, with its
freedom abridged and its existence dependent
upon the Presidents will. As this law would
give the President the power to say how many
editors he will tolerate, it would leave II to his
"disCretiOn" what sort of editors he will have
and what principles they shall advocate.
Thus the public press of the country, which,
whatever bCiitg 4lf Ia
the Christian religion, the greatest promoter of
civilization, and when left free and untTammelled
is the strongest bulwark of constitutional govern
ment and the most powerful advocate of civil and
religious liberty is to be Frustrated at the feet of
| the President and prOsttuted TO the base end of
oyerthrowing constitutional liberty and establish
ing deSpotsm. Where did liberty ever exist
with the freedom OF the press abridged and its
existence dependent upon the will of a single
Individual
The President not only demands of Congress
the passage Of a law giving him the power in the
future to muzzle the press and prevent IL from
exposing the errors Of his Administration or the
corruption of his officials but he demands that
the state Governments be placed absolutely
under bis control, and that it be left to his "dis-
Cretlon' how many members and officers may
attend each session Of the Legislature, and what
shall be the ages Of the members, and, if he
chooses, what shall be their political sentiments
1t is also to be left to his discretion" how
many judges of the superior, inferior, or other
courts, each State may have, and what shall be
their ages how many sheritIs, clerks tax colec-
tors justices Of the peace, &C., he will tolerate in
each State.
Continuing upon the same subject, Governor
Brown enters his solemn protest as follows-
Give the President this power, and the minister
of religion can no longer exercise the high func-
tions Of his calling under the comms91 he has
received from Heaven, without detail from the
President. This would give the President the
power In his discretion to determine not only how
many may be necessary, bat TO select the locali-
ties where they will be tolerated aud to prescribe,
If he should think proper, the denomination to
which they shall belong This would place the
fTeedC IN of religion as absolutely under his CON
troll as the freedom of the press and the govern
ment of the States.
The provision Of the Constitution which de-
clares that Congress shall have power to raise
and support armies must be construed in connec-
ton with that other provision that Congress shall
make no law respecting an establishment OF re-
lgiOn, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or
abndging the freedom of speech or of the press
Taking these two provisions together, do not
see how any candid man can say that Congress
has power, under the preteXt of raising aud sup
porting armies, 10 place the free exercise of reii
gion and the freedom Of the press at the "di Gre
ton" of the President. Nor can it be denied chat
the freedom Of both are dependent upon his will
when the law permits no one TO publish a pager
or to preach the gospel without detail from him.
Is not the freedom Of the press abridged when
paper can only be published with the consent
of the President and is not the Independence and
COmDglleu
TO enter the legislative hall with detail in his
pocket subject to be ordered out of It any mo-
ment when it suits the interest or caprice Of the
Presidents Is this State sovereignty, freedom of
the nCss, and free religion?
When Congress enacts such a law It subyerts
the republicanism of the Confederate States into
the despotism OF Turkey makes the Presidenta
dictator and prOstrates the liberties Of the coun-
try, the independence of the press, aud the relf-
Rious privileges of the people at his feet Even
the Lincoln Government, despOtic as it is, has not
dared TO attempt any such eucroachment upon
the liberties Of the people of the United States.
wish, in advance, to enter my solemn protest
against this monstrous proposition, which, if
adopted by Congress, will not only endanger the
success of our cause by breaking the spirit of our
people, which may preciptate counter revolu-
tiOn, but may, and fear will, engender a strong
feeling for reconstruction with the odious Gov
ernment of the North as the only means of escape
from worse desp0tism. therefore earnestly
recommend the passage OF joint resolution by
this General Assembly, nstructing our Senators
and requiring our Representatives in Congress to
vote against and use all possible influence to
prevent the passage of any such law.
JosEPH L. BRowN.
DEATH OF GENERAL GRAoIR.
From TIE Richmond wig, DeeemJsr5.
We have already announced the death of Briga-
der General Archibald Oracle, of Alabama. He
was killed near the crater on Friday morning,
while inspecting the lines. At the moment OF his
death he was looking through his glass at the
enemy's works. with the upper portion OF his
head exposed.
The MIME balls were flying around very
rapidly. and shells were bursting in every direc-
ton. He fell al the explosion OF one Of the lat
ter, pierced through the head by ball, the shell
being loaded with shIapnel
BurnIng Of n Government stable.
New YoRK, December S.-A large Government
stable at Fort Hamilton was set on fire last night
and destroyed. The horses were saved