Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1867-03-09
p O T. I II T O a l.
Letter from Ex.Gov Brown, of Georgia.


- -. -. -
Letter from Ex.Gov Brown, of Georgia.
Ex.Gov. JosErn BnowN, of Gcorgia,
has just returned from Washington. A num-
b.r Of the citizens Of Atlanta addressed him
BY letter, asking his views aud opinions on
the present condition Of public affairs. We
give below his reply:
ATLANTA, February 23, 1861
Gentlemen | havs the honor to acknowl-
edge the receipt of your kind and hattcring
communication. While do not pretend that
l possesn the influence you arc pleased to ut
tribute to me, | confess with profound graft
tude the obligations an, under to the people
ef Georgia, who have SO often honorcd me
with their confidence; aud have never with
held from me any position for which have
been q candidate, from the lowest to the high
est within their gift.
You are pleased to address me as the {; sen
tine upon the watchtowcr," and you ask me,
" W hat OF the night 2" We're tho sentinel,
l should unhcsitatingly reply: The night is
dark, drcary, gloomy; no rainbow of hope
spans the black impenetrablc cloud that over
shadows US. Scarcely ny Of light is seen
upon its margin. But AIN not the scntinel.
l hold no public position ut present imposing
that responsibility, nor have sought or held
any since the war, nor do l ever expect to
hold any in future.
have no power to control events. We're
it even the desire Of the people of my beloved
State to invest me again with official authori-
ty, aud my own wish to accept, there is a pow
er higher than their will which will deny my
eligibility.
I, therefore write, as indeed my custom s,
with perfect frankncss, without regard to the
effect which the communication of truth may
have upon my present or future popularity.
AN aware that the facts which feel it my
duty 10 cnnm7nioate, are unacceptable to the
good people of Georgia. but they are none tho
losa /tcts on that account.
During my late sojourn in the City of
Washington, | converscd freely with persons
high in authority in every department Of the
Government, and with men Of distinction Of
every shade Of political sentiment which is
represented there. l was received, as vas
Judge Walker, of the Supreme Court Of this
State, who accompanied ue, with k;nduess
and courtesy. My object WAS to learn the
true state Of affairs. and believe succeeded.
The result may be summed up as follows:
The party usually designated the " Radical
party" is sustained by the majority of the
people of the North. The Congressman Of
that party are generally Representatives men
The Democratic party is not sustained by
the people Of the North, and is not gaining
ground. As is always the case after n sue
cessful war, the party in the government which
is set down as opposed to the war, is unpnpu-
lar.
The reconstruction policy of the President
is not sustained by the popular sentiment of
the Northera people.
Th, Radical party is at issue with the Pres
ident. The breach is wide and the contest
angry, They have over two-thirds in each
branch Of Congress, and huve power to pass
any measure they please over his ueto. BY
this means they arc constantly hedging him
in more closely. and limiting his power. lie
stands firmly by what he considers the right,
and avows his purpose to support the Corsti-
tuition and maintain the just rights Of the
States under the Constitution. IIestill holds
the doctrine that no State could or did goout
Of the Union, and that at the end Of the val
no had the right to reconstruct republican
governments in the insurrectionary StateS--
They deny his power of reconstruction and
contend that, as the power to make war il
vested in Congress, the power to make peace
and re.establish State governments in the
States lately in rebellion, rests also with Con
gnsss They arc unit in denying the valldi