Shreveport news., 1864-10-25
From the Confederate Utirn.
cox. Browns Reply to Gen.
SlseiNsla MS Message.

AS much as has beE said ahont the
informal message sent hy Gen. Sh-r-
man to Gov. Brown, Vice President
Stephens and Senator Johnston, in
viting them to visit the General in
Atlanta, for Il conference in reference
to the state OF the country, with n
view to negotiations for peace. and
as the pubic raind has been nucl,
excited upon the subject, some say
ing that it Is the duty of those gen
/ tlelre-,. r., accept the Generals iuvi-
| ,ati"n, sud maSH. an effort t. settle
! our di,'icskics by negotiation, others
! contcndinS that it was the duty of
the Governor 80 have seized the
Generals messenger and hav. order.
ed him Lung ar n traitor, We have for
the qualification OF our own and the
curiosity of our readers, called upon
the Governor, and enquired after the
facts.
The Governor. in reply to our en-
ari,.ies. stated that Mr.. Wm kiug,
who represented himself as the bear
or OF a mcssasr from Gen. sherman.
and stated in substance that Gen.
sherman had requested him to say to
the Governor that he would be
| pleased to receive visit from him
and other distinguished Ge"rgIan~
witt. e. view to a conference upon the
state of the country. and a settlement
of onr ditf c,,iti.s; that II" would givr
the Governor Il passport through his
! lines. with an escort. if ir desired. to
/ 20 and retrrn ut such time as mi -ht
! be agree able TO him. that he tGcn.
. Sherman) recognized him IHuvernor
| Brown AS Governor of the whole
! State. AMI as over one hundred miles
! of the territory 81 t!.c State is now
behind his lines. he (Gen. : would
I allow the Governor to go and visit
his people in the rear il he desired 10
| look after their condition, and return
at his pleasure; that he would receive
; hin and the other distinguished
G-orsians az i,is headquarters. and
treat them with che respect .lrl CON
sidcration due their positions. du-
ring the conference which he invi-
ted: that he did not wish to be com
pel!cd to overrun and dcsolate more
of the territory Of the State, Nc.
After hearing the statemen. OF Mr..
King, the Governor replied
Please make to Gen. Sherman an
acknowledgement of my obligation
for the personal courtesies which you
say he proposes to extend to mo.
But As he lis onl Y a General com
manding an army in the field. and |
the Governor of Il state, neither tn"
Constitution of his country nor ctmv
own, confrrs upon us any power to
negotiate a treaty of peace. W."
probably hold but few sentiments in
common, but if We should ayrrr in
every particular, we would have
power to bind no one by any com
pact we might make. As ourintervirw
could therefore result in nothing. prac-
,icable. | must decline the invitation.
While the portion of the State now
in the rear of Gen. Sherman army
is held by him, and the execution Of
the laws of the State suspended 10y
armed force. | know of no service
which | could render to the people OF
that section by personal visit. If
| could better their condition or miti-
gate their suiieringS, | would, on their
account, checriully go at III" expense
sacrifice winch the trip might cos,
me.
To the remark that Gen. sherman
does not wish to be compelled to
ovcrrun and desolate more of the ter
ritory of Georgia, | reply that no
compassion rests upon him To attempt
this, uul"s~ 1t he til" cruel orders of
his government If ne makes the
effort, he vii, lind much greater diff
cuities iii the way of his advance
for the next hundred miles than thos,.
encountered during his march from
Dalton to Atlanta. Georgia may
possibly be overrun, but can never
be suhiugated, and her people will
never treat with ronqucror upon
her soil. AS sovereign Stats, she
had ;he undoubted right to dissolve
her connection with the Government
Of the United States, when the com
pact had been violated by the other
States of the contederacy, and to form
a new compact, which she has done.
She is rs 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 rssme all delegated
powers, and all the attributes of SOW
eriegnty, and then to declare war,
negotiate treaties of peace. and do all
other acts which sovereign State
may do. While this power rests in
her people, who are the original
of all sovereignty, her Consti.
tuition formed by them. has conferred
no such power upon her Governor.