The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-06-12
c., :, r-o.,er.s- B~o.r~.

tioua involved at this o ' ST .,,.,..,-
JJs n .rs.I Without time, and review to some
49,, tse questions involved. l do not wish to
,ntrnds mon the proceedings OF this conSen-
t;on. came here. as II has been said, q recon-
structei rebel. Applause and cheers.) l wa
an original secessionist. )Laughter.)
Atthis point loud calls we're made for Mr.. Brown
to ascend the platform. several In the gallsrie.
cried out- We want 10 see you-"
Mr. Droun lett his scat, and when he assembled
when u had subsdsd. the President said Ex.Gov-
ernor Brown, Of Georgia
Mr.. Bsovn then resumed. Mr.. President and
Gentlemen Of the Convention; As | remarked
before leh my seat, was On original seces-
sionisl ~ was born within the State OF south
Carolina, within Mr.. CAhoun's district.
Charmed with the fascination OF his manner
and the spiendor ofhis intellect, early imbibei
his State Rights doctrines; and suppose as
religiously Believed that they we're correct rs
you bslisved that your doctrines were correct
believed that I had seen for ten years before
the unfortunate struggle through which We
have lust passc, that the issues that divided the
North and South must ultimately be settled by
the sword.
There vss no common tribunal whose judy
ment We could respect. IL the Supreme Court
decided q question bearing upon the great is
sues, the party against whom the decision was
maie refused TO abide by II. because h was re.
garded as political. And while l deprecated
the necessity, believed one day Il must come.
While Mr.. Clay liyed-thst great man and
great pacincator (applause)-we were able to
avert this issue. but Mr.. Clay Vas called from
his Geld Of usefulness; Mr.. wetster died, and
Mr.. Calhoun slept with his fathers; and, when
the storm again arose there Was No one who
could pour oil upon the troubled waters and
stop the deluge. Secession uas the result.
went into u cordially as State Rights man,
aud ssood by Il rs long as there was any
chance to sustain u. When the President OF
tho Confederate States abandoned the great
States Rights doctrines that vecommenced the
revolution upon, I differed from him. When he
adopted his conscript measures, which gave the
entire control Of the whole army OF the Confed-
erate States to the President. with the appoint
ment of every officer down ~ the lowest Lieu :
tenant--an error that your government did not
make-I took issue with hiui-
But we went through the struggle. will not
attempt now to review its history, but We VI the
south fsIl, and you of the great North were the
conquerors. think that at the end OF the
struggle hal sense enough to know when
Was whipped. tLaughter.(
The President Of the United States, after the
surrender Of General johnson. ordered my ar
rest and Imprisonment. Ater my release your
forts were opened. and WAS left free to act.
felt then that the time had come when should
make my choice between this land and this gov.
eminent and some other lsAd and some other
government. still love my native land the
best Good, Good.) With your construction
of the constitution established by Law still
prefer the government Of the United States TO
any other recognized government.
The natural inquiry then was, what Is my in
terest and what Is my dutyr believed that II
was my interest and my choice to remain in
this government. II remained there, must
seek amnesty Of the government for the past,
and must AK It's protection for the future.
Ifit yielded me that. was In honor bound to
return to my allegiance and make good citi-
zen II could. Hence, I have advocated every
measure from that day until this for recon
structiou. when the President Of the Unitcd
States proposed his plan, advised our people
to accept IL, because We had no other power ~
negotiate with but him. Ito did not call Con.
gress together.
When Congress which had the legitimate
control Of this question:, (applause1 proposed
the constitutional amendments TO the Southern
States, I advised such friends as sought my
opinion on that question, that u was better to
accept II. But the tile Of feeling was 80 over
whelming against 10 that no voice could stay
IL. Unwisety, the Southern States promptly
rejected those terms did not then suppose
We woull ever Get better terms Was sstisn-
el We must submit 10 worse ones. what was
that constitutional amendmentf There was out
one living issue In u, AMI that was IN tne SUI
frnre question. and that Congress left with the
States To determine for themselves II We Noted
for the blacks We might count them in our rep
rescntation IL we refused to vote for them We
could not count upon them. That was rignI
Immense applause j A..
With reference to the Confederate debt, the
States OF the South had declared that IL should
not be paid-thcy had repudiated u already
There WAS but one other important matter con-
enectel with II. That was that provision OF u
that declared me. and others In my condition,
from holding Office. That was no living issue:
for and they will soon pas oil the stage, anu
II we are never relieved by Congress, there are
other and often better men to take our places.
tApplause.l Therefore. In my Judgnent, We
actcl very unwisely. What nextf There iol,
lowed the shannon bill, and the supplemental
acts. advised, Immediately on the passage of
that bill. that We promptly accept the terms.
Az ,ha, time |, would have been easy TOR me
AMI, without vanity, may say. l have had
some popularity In my State. l have been Tour
times elevated 10 be Governor Of the State. 1
could have retained that popularity. Duty
in my Judgement, callci upon me to take
different course. did il. and have received
the hearty denunciation OF my people, or
large proportion u them, for having done 50.
have been denounced rs q traitor 10 my
race, and traitor TO the ''lost cause" which !
have said so much at heart (; don't think 50;
think my course moro honorable than the
course Of that man who was q rebel and sought
AMI receives the same protection from the gov
ernment that receive and there remains In his
bosom an enemy prepared to sting u when OPP
portunity offers. tCheers and cries VI
"goolP'l q,
When [ fought you, fought you openly and
boldly. When SURRENDERED, SURRENDERED In
good faith. When took the amnesty oath,
took Il intending rcligiously to observe u.
IApplanse.l Upon my theory which | have
been taught was the true one OF State sover-
eighty, when had formerly taken the oath to
support the Constitution VI the United States,
I understood IL to bind me only while my state
rem,inCd In the Union /; but nshe Withdrew.
which believed she had a right to do, from
Just cause, Of which from the necessity OF The
case thought she should be the judge, did
not feel that I violated my oath when went
with my State but since that time, when the
President OF the United States granted me his
pardon, he required me TO take different
oath; | was sworn to support not only the Con-
stitutiou Of the United States. but the Union of
the States. TApplause.1 When l did that
abandoned the doctrine of secession, lapplausel
for coull not support the union OF the Unitei
States AMI encourage secession from the Union
tRenewci cheers. The Virginia and Kentucky
resolutions advocated that doctrine. III IN
derstand them, Il has always been . part OF the
platform on which they have stood. Hence II
Is that feel I am no longer bound by party
Of allegiance. to stand BY the Democratic par
~. (Cheers.l n I cannot stand by them,
where dol naturally fall then The Hamilton
ian and websterian doctrine has been establish
ed by the swori. My own opinions. asd the
sctioa of the Democratic party. naturally leads
mo, as think. into the Repuoliean party
(Applause.
In the South. bot believe Il Is the true doctrine
But, let me tell you. Mr.. President aud gentle
men. that there are many white men In the
south: there are large numbers OF original
Dcmocrats In the South; there are large mum
hers of original secessionists In the south, who
today stand as firmly by the Republican par
~, and win support the great Captain OF the
are, Gen. Grant, as well as you viii: Our
Democratic friends there have appealed to the
whole country against negro suffrage. have
showered anatl emls upon them, have denounced
Il ~ an outrage upon humanity and on socie-
ty, and yet in the late elections there, negro
Who would vote the Democratic ticket wAs real.
y very respectable fellow. Applause and
Laughter.l They tell uS that YOU have estAb-