Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1868-05-29
SPEECH OF GOV. BROWN.

The following speech was delivered BY Gov.
Joseph E. Brown, of Georgia, at the Lepubli-
can National Conysation, at Chicago
Mr.. Chairman: AS it has been announced
that the committee will be ready TO report in
a few minutes, | think il might be improper
That | should enter into any discussion Of the
questions involved at this time, and could
not do justice TO myself or my section if | at,
| tempted to speak without time. to review, to
some extent, the questions involved. 1 do
not wish, sir, to intrude upon the proceedings
of this convention. | came here as has well
been remarked, o reconstructed rebel. | was
an original secessionist. A open confes.
sion is good for the SOUL
AS | remarked before I left my seat, I was
an original secessionist. was born in the
State OF South Carolina, and grew up fully
imbued with the doctrines Of Calhoun, whe
was then in the full glow Of his meridian.
early imbibed his estate Rights doctrines,
and | suppose that as religiously believed
that they were correct as you believed youl
doctrines were correct. | believed that | had
seen for eight years, before the unfortunate
struggle we have just passed through, that
the issues which disordered the North and
the South must ultimately be settled by the
sword, There was no common TT ibunal whose
Judgment we would respect. If the Supreme
curt decided a question bearing upon this
great ISSUE, the party against whom the decis
Jon was made, refused to abide by 1T, because
you regarded it as political. But | knew that
the time must be when it must come. While
Mr.. Clay lived--that good man-that great
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and great applause we
were able to avert this issue. But Mr.. Clay
was called from his field of usefulness, and
| Mr.. Webster died, and Mr.. Calhoun slept with
lis fathers and when the storm again arose
there was 10 one who could pour oil upon
the troubled waters and stop the deluge Sc
c~ession was the result went with it cordi.
ally, as a States Rights man, and | stood by
it [cheers as long rs there was any chance te
sustain it. When The President OF the Con-
| Tolerate States abandoned the great estate
Rights doctrine that W. commenced and were
agreed upon, | differed from him. When he
adopted his conscript which gave the entire
control of the whole arm Of the Confederate
| States and OF every officer down to the lowest
private in the army-an error, sir, yol did
not commit, | took issue with him, but we
went through the struggle-not to attempt now
to review its history--but we Of the South
| fell. and you Of the great North were the con
q%uerors; and l think | had sense enough al
the end Of the struggle, to know when 1 was
whipped. [Gheers1 We
The President of the United States, after
the surrender of Gen. Johnston. ordered my
arrest and Imprisonment. After my release,
your courts we're open, and ! was left free to
act. / felt that the time had come when
should make my choice between this Govern
ment, and some other land or Government
| still love my native Ian the best. lCheers
md cries Of "Good !" "Good ri And with
YOUR construction Of the constitution es.ab>