New-York daily tribune., 1865-10-25
nROwN,s APPEAL.


In view Of our coming election, en- appeal has
been made to the citizens of the State OF New
York. By Brown Mr.. Brown of the North
Carolina Convention. He has been Secession
ist; now he isn't. He reminds us of o remark
able bird as described by the Snowman, which
when " closely pursued by the hyena, or other
ferocious animal, jumps down its own stomach
where it blandly smiles npon its bafiied ana en-
ragged pursuer." Mr.. Brown believes in the
right of State to secede; he also believes In
the rights of other States to fall upon the Sc
ceder and knock the. nonsense out OF her. lie
appeals to the State of New-York to sustain TINS
view at the coming election. Under tho infu-
ence of the ri aarmis argument, Mr.. Brown has
consented to adopt our view, and now be wants
us TO adopt his. Not having been logged
effeetually, we are afraid that we can't do it.
Having thus candidly stated Browns posi-
ton. we are free to acknowledge that we never
heard of anything more absurd; and such, we
have no doubt, will be the general opinion OF
the State of New.York. We cannot, for the
life of us. see how an abstract right can be
affected as to its moral validity by physical
force. Brown evidently never heard the pretty
verse, "Truth crushed to earth will rise again,
&C., &C., &c. Brown is said to be fat. lie
feels TINT IL he were crushed to earth, Ne couldnt
rise again; and be deduces, by analogy, the
moral from the material fact. Which is pre-
posterous in Brown. He calls himself now
Union man, converted, like st. Paul, by being
Knocked down, bat unlike st. Paul, he reserves
the right to return TO his idols, IL he desires to
do 80, after recovering from his bruises. And
he appeals to New-York to DO constitutional,
after his own funny fashion. ts
We are obliged to tell Brown that his theory
Is as bad as his practice. We do not value the
peace two straws, II, upon the same grounds,
we may have war again tomorrow. We do not
consider Mr.. Brown conquered any more than
any other criminal is conquered, when taken
into custody by the constable. He is like the
larcenous appropriation Of handkerchief who
should say: "Yes, yer Honor, / acknowledge
il WAS very wrong. and l Won't do SO again
till next time!" This will not do, Brown
You must sec that Il will not do Brown. Ii
you go on in this way, asserting that your State
'had right TO scrcde,' NC uiust bind you oveI
to keep the peace, Brown How do we know
that you will not be General Brown, at the head
Of a small Rebel army, TO morrow ~
This is the same mischief to which we have
already alluded as inherent in the late action in
South Carolina. God forbid that after all this
slaughter, and waste, and public poril, and pri-
yate anxiety, the question of secession, which
has been poisoning our politics for nearly q
century, should not be settled now. We fought
for no construction Of the Constitution. We
never admitted that the question was an open
one. We coptended for no theory. We as
serted the existence Of positiTo and fundamental
law. And IL Mr.. Brown puts his theory upon
revolutionary grounds, he is still wanton dis
turber Of the peace, because 'for light and trans
lent causes" no people has right to tumble
hap-hazard from one revolution into another,
and the right of revolution Is one which from
its nature can never be reserved under any sys
tenn Of government. SO the sooner Mr.. Brown
gives up his distractions the more sensible and
the happier Mr.. Brown will be.