The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1867-05-31
ST ALBANs, VT. FRIDAY, MAY 81. 1867.
A Conversation with a Rebel En-
Governor.

tOustfSutiOu WIFI " htutt En-
Governor.
Tie Southern correspondent of the
Cincinnati Commercial had an inter-
view with ex-Gov. Brown of Georgia,
at his home near Atlanta, few days
ago. He describes the Ex-Governor
as a man of about forty-6ve, tall and
straight, with the most amiable of hui
man countenances, and smile that
many charming woman might Dor
row and wear to her advantage. His
hair seems to be rapidly turning from
black to gray-rather long, but not
profuse. He has a high, broad, intel
lectual forehead, which overarches a
pair Of large, dark blue eyes, capable
of the genuine Calhoun stare of Wild
ness or of the mildest berevolence of
expression at the owners pleasure,
and n smooth-sh face, strongly
marked with the burrows of thought
rather than of time Respecting his
share i'll the war, the Ex-Governor
said:
/ went into the war for two things
slavery and State sovereignty.
was born and reared in Calhoun's dis
trict in South Carolina--a regular
straight out Jeffcrsonian Calhoun
Democrat, believing in State sovereign.
~ as ii religion, and believing in sla-
very, too, but not MS a principle in
politics, as | believed in State SOW
ereignty When the Confederate Con-
gress passed the Consumption bill
early in 1862, while there was no need
of it, for the States were furnishing
all the troops that were asked for, l
began to think we were losing precise
ly what we started in to fight for; and
! didn't like it.
The fight was bound to come. ] had
said so for ten years, and thought
Lincoln's election was as good an ex.
cuse rs any for bringing it on; better
do it then than have it left for our
children TO fight out after us SO the
war began. We put all we had into
the stake, and we fought four years
and we came out whipped. We lost
it all; and now what should we do but
submit like men to fate which we
ourselves brought about? The very
day after the surrender / was for saw
ing to the North, We're whipped;
what are your terms The North sub
mitted the Constitutional Amendment.
| thought that was very mild, and len
lent, and that we ought to accept it
and send men to Congress who could
take the test oath. But others thought
differently. Northern men told us
not to accept the amendment that
they would get us i'll without it. We
rejected it, very foolishly. What was
the result ? Other terms were offered
and now certain Southern men tell us
not to accept them. l say, accept
them, and live up to them like men
who were beaten in a fair fight, and
who are bound to take whatever
terms the men who beat them offer.
The Governor thought it was un :
wise IN the South to look to the North
ern Democrats who had opposed the
war for any assistance in their pres
ent position. No party with such a
record rs the Democrats have made,
sad he, can hope to succeed before
the people after such war as we have
been engaged in; and they the Dem
ocrats) have iniuerd us a good deal
already By espousing our cause and
creating the impression that we were
lcagued with them in an effort to oh.
tain political power, and perhaps
again try to break up the Government.
That's what has been charged, but
there is no truth whatever in it. There
IS no sentiment of hostility to the
Government in the South; and none
can be made. The South is whipped,
and you'll find the people will ac-
knowledge it like men, and with no
feeling of animosity to the men that
whipped them either.
lie hoped no sectional party would
ever be supported again in this coun-
try, North or South; and he did not
see how it could, now that the great
cause of sectional strife had been re-
moved. As for the negroes, he be-
lieyed the Southern people would
take care of them, and treat them we'll.
There certainly was no reason why
they should not. He would not coun-
tenance anything like an attempt to
manipulate the negro votes in the in
terests of any particular party. He
believed they would all vote the Rad
zeal ticket for few years under the
influences that could be brought to
bear to secure it; but afterwards he
hoped they would divide, MS new is