Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-10-12

Lll0 AdT uAOuy Vi SSoLoos
Yours Respectfully.
49, ALEX. II. STEPHENS.
---
..-. From the Confederate Union,l
GOV. BROWNS REPLY TO GEN. sHER.
MANS MESSAGE.
AS much has been said about the infor-
NAL message sent by Gen. Sherman to
Gov. Brown, Vice President Stephens and
Senator johnson, inviting them to visit
the General in Atlanta, for conference
in reference to the state of the country,
with view to negotiations for peace, and
as the public mind has been much excited
upon the subject, some saying that is the
duty of those gentlemen to accept tn"
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
our 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
cd himself as the bearer Of a 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 visit from
him and other distinguished Georg ians,
with view to conference upon the state
of the country, and the settlement Of our
difficulties-that he would give the Gov
ernor passport through his lines with an
escort, if desired, to 60 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, apd 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 go and visit his people in the rear if
he desired to look after their condition,
and return at his pleasure; that he wonld
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 overrun and desolate more
of the territoy Of the State, &c.
King, the Governor replied:
Please make to Gen. Sherman an &C.
acknowledgement of my obligation for the
personal courtesies which you say he pro-
poses to extend to me. But as he is only
General commanding an army in the
field, and l the Governor of a State, Meth
err the Constitution of his country nor OF
my own, confers upon us any power to
negotiate a treaty Of peace. We proba'
bly, hold but few sentiments in common,
but if we should agree in every particular,
we 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, / know
OF no service which l could render to tine
people of that section by personal visit
If l could better their condition or mitigate
their su1ferings, would, on their account
chcerfully go at the expense of any inc"n
venience or personal sacrifice which the
trip might cost me. -
To the remark that General Sherman
does not wish to be compelled to overrur
and desolate more of the territory Of Geor
gia, l reply that no compulsion rests upor
him to attempt this, unless it be the crue
orders of his government. Ii he makes
the effort, he will find much greater diff
culties in the way OF his advance for thu
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 PEG
pie will never treat with a conqueror upor
) her soil. As sovereign State, she ha,
the undoubted right to dissolve her con
nection with the government of the Uni
ted States, when the compact had beer
violated by the other States of the Con
federacy, and to form a new compact
which she has done. She is as sovereig u
}. to-day as she was the day she seeded
from the old Union, and has the sam,
power, by Convention of her people
which she then had to resume all deleea
ted powers, and all the attributes of SOW
ereignty, and then to declare war, nego
tiate treaties of peace, and do all other act
which a sovereign State may do. Will,
this power rests in her people, who ar,
: the original source of all sovereignty, he
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 b.
violated, is pledged by strong implication
; to her Southern sisters, that she will no
exercise this power without consent OF
: theirpart, and concert of action with them
In league with her Southern sister States
+, she entered into this contest with tut
knowledge Of all the responsibilities whic
attached to the act; and come veal O
d. | WA shn will navar 1ustI1 .o WI, f.o,,, -