The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1867-05-23
Plain falkland Sensible Advice
y bys Ex-Governor Brown OF
Georgia.

Ex-Governor Joseph +. Brown, Of
Georgia, addressed q large meeting
at Augusta, April 9th, and in the
course of his speech presented the
following dilemma to those who op-
posed reconstruction.
Gentlemen: None of us can CLAIM,
consistency in this matter, unless it
be the man who was from the start u
per Sc Union man, and one who stood
to it. | fear none Of us were very
consistent. Gentleman, we failed
upon the issue that we made, and
when we did we were left in the con.
dltlon where we must expect to re-
turn to the Government of the Uni
ted States in good faith, or leave tho
country. At the end of the war, no
man who was not under arms was
obliged to remain in Georgia who did
not want to. IF you were so much
welded to the doctrine of state soy.
ereignty (and Iconfess / was welded
to it,) and SO bitterly opposed to tho
government Of the United States that
you could not 1--we under it, you had
an easy way to get rid of it. All tho
avenues were thrown open at the end
of the war, and you could enlistunder
any flag you pleased, and live under
any monarchy. Why did you re-
main here, then? Some did 90, and
those who have gone, have most OF
them returned to their native land.
After the war man had no right to
remain here disloyal, and yet claim
the protection of the Government
1t is not honorable. If we remain
here and become citizens, it is our
duty to try and build up this Gov
ernment again, because we have re.
adopted it. We lost our rights by
the war, and an appeal to the sword;
and as we did not leave the country,
we were bound to accept such terms
as arc offered us. Suppose we now
adopt the rule we then stood upon,
and II we We're out of the Union, we
have no rights, and they have the
right to re-admit us upon their own
terms. Now take that horn Of the
dilemma, how do we stand? Having
failed BY the sword, we become con-
qucred people, and the Government
had q right according to the laws of
the nations, to dispose of us as con-
qucredpeople, by imposing such terms
upon us as the conqueror chooses to
put upon.the conquered. They might
keep it under Military Government
for years to come. That is when we
stood out Of the Union an independ-
ent State, said Georgia. Then they
conquered Georgia. What right has
she, then, to claim right or claim to
appear before the Supreme Court, or
any other privilege of the Union p
None. We will now take the other
horn of the dilemma. Suppose the
Northern view oft was right. Our
act of secession was void. five were
still in the Union, wo were in REBEL.
ion, AMI each of us who took up arms
was guilty Of treason, and liable to
be hanged. This is so if we are still
in the Union. There is no escape
from it, Not only SO but being gull
ty OF treason, our property should be
subject to contiscation-ou personal
property at least. Then, if this is
true, what right have we to dictate
the terms upon which we are to re-
turn to the. United States? We eth
or did go out, and the Government
had the right to deal with us as q
conquered people, or else we did not
secede, and we were rebels and liable
to be dealt with as rebels.