The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-05-28

NllIcdSo, was awaiting iOf q COMlnl te e
to report the following took place.
Mr.. Conway of Louisiana addressed
the convention IS follows; Mr.. President
| suppose it is marked event with the
Republican party to-day to have the
South come into this convention, Union
end foremost. cloud cheers) We have
another marked event of special moment
to have with us in full heart, in full fell
lowship one of the former Governors in
the days of rebellion of one of the rebel
lious States, who since he became recon
structed has proved himself, in the fire
true as the convert, IN a full fellowship
with the Republican party, cloud and
long continued Applause,) | move. sir,
that ex-Goyenor Joseph E. Brown Of
Neorgla, be invited to address the CON
vention.
Loud calls were made for ex-Govenor
Brown, and demanding him to come on
the stage.
SPEECH OF EX-GOVERNOR BROWN.
Ex Goyernor Brown rose IN his seat
amid long applause and said.
Mrs. Chairman As you have announ-
ced thaC your committee ,qiil be ready to
report in few minutes, / think it might
be improper that | should attempt to en-
ter into any discussion Of the questions
involved at this time. And [ could not
do justice to myself, or to my section, if
attempt to speak upon without time and
review to some extent the questions in
vo!ved. | do not wish to intrude upon
the proceedings of the convention [
came here as it has been said recon
structed rebel. Applause and cheers
| was an Original secesslonest. laugh
ter.
At this point loud calls were made for
Mr. Brown to ascend the platform.
Several in the gallery cried out we want
to sec you.
Mr.. Brown left his seat, and when he
ascended the stage he was greeted with
cheer after cheer When it had subsided,
The President said Ex-Gogernor
Brown Of Georgia.
Mr. Brown then resumed. 1Ir.
President and gentlelncn of the conven-
ton As remarked before [ left my
seat [ was an original secessionest. /
was born IN South Carolina, in Mr.. Cal
houn's district. (LGnghter) Charmed
with his manner and the splendor of his
intellect, [ early embibed his State rights
,loctrine and | suppose | as religeously
beielved they We're correct as you believe
t;at your doctrines were cUrrect | be-
leIve that | had seen for ten years before
the unfortunate struggle through which
we have just passed, that the issues that
divided the North aud South must
ultimately be divided By the sword 7al
i here Is no common tribunal whose
judgement we would respect. IF the
the Supreme Court decided question
bearing upon the great issues the party
against whom the decision was made re-
fusedto abide by it because it was not re-
gardcdas political. Aud while | depre-
Gated the necessity [ believe Que day il
must come.
While Mr.. Clay lived-that great man
and paclticator lapplause)- were able
| to avert this issue. But Mr.. Clay was
called from his field Of usefulness MIR
Webster 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 deiuge. Secession was the re-
suit. went into it cordially as State
rights man and [ stood by it as long as
there was any chance to sustain it. When
the President of the Confederate States
abandoned the great States rights doct-
rlne that we commenced the revolution up
on,I differed from HIM When he adopt
ed his conscript measures which gave
eutire control Of the whole army of the
Confederate States to the President with
the appointment of every officer down to
the lowest Lieutcnant-an error that
your government did not make-I took
issue with him,
But we went through the struggle. I
will not attempt now to review It's history
but we Of the South fell, and you of the
great North were conquorers. [ thinl,
that at the end of the struggle [ had
sense enough to know when | was whip
ped. Laughter
The President of the United States,
after the surrender of General johnson
ordered my arrest and imprisonment.
Attor.my release your forts were opened
and L was left free to act. | felt then
that the time had come when | should
make my choice between this land and
this government and some other govern
mcut | still love my native land the
best. Good good With your con
struction ofthe constitution established by
law still prefer the governments of the
! United States to any other recognized
government.
The natural inquiry then was, what is
my interest and what is my duty? | be
leive thatit was my interest and my choice
| to remain in this goverement. If [ re-
main there, | must seek amnesty of
the government for the past, and [ must
ask its protection for the future. Ii il
yielded me that | was in honor bound
to return my allegiance and make a good
citizen if | could. Hence / have advo-
Gated every measure from that day nnti.
this for reconstruction. When the Presi-
dent of the United States proposed this
plan, | advised our people to accept it
because we had no other power to nego-
tiate with but him. He did not cali
/ CONGRESS together.
/ When Congress, which had the lesiti-
mate control of this question, Ianalausel
proposed the constitutional amendment
to the Southern States, [ advised such
friends as sought MY opinion on
| that question that it was better TO accent
it. But the tide of feeling was so over
wielmlng against it that no voice could
stay It,. Unwisely the Southern States
rejected those terms. / did not then
suppose we wonld ever get better terms
! L was satisfied we must submit to worse
ones. What was the constitutional
amendment? ? There was but one living
Issue IN it, and that was the suffrage
question, and that Congress left with
the States to determine for themselves ::
| IT we voted for the blacks we might count
them III our representation If we refu-
sed to vote for them we could not count
: as%A Concluded on fourth .paSe.] q szdasa,i