Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-06-12
SPEECH or NELL s. BROWN.

SfEECH VI NBlLh De DnVVN'
The following is the speech of Neill s.
Brown, omitted from the proceedings on
our outside:
Mr.. President AND GENTLEMEN OF
THE CoNyENTIoS: / cannot rise to res
pond to your call and face this large and
fine assembly of the people of Tennessee
without emotion. i see around me and
before me faces from whom / have been
separated these long mortal years, ana
upon whom are written the care which
only the life we all have suffered can i'm.
print. You are here from the East and
West, and you are here from the Middle,
to swear to the Constitution OF the United
States; and, if it be possible by any act
of yours, to redeem this down-trodden
country from the feet of the despoilers
If prophet had dared ten years ago to
proclaim to the people of America, that
in the year 1868 one half of that great
com munity would be disfranchised, that
their slaves would be their masters, them
selves excluded from the ballot-box, he
would have been Kissed cut of the conn
try. How do the gray headed, venerable
patriarchs of Tennessee feel at finding
themselves excluded from the ballot box
and that ballot-box taken by strangersf
How doIthe sons of the old pioneers feel,
who built the towns, cities and roads.
and who fought under the banner--l
mean that old banner that waved in the
battle of Yorktown and at the gates OF
Mexico2 | say, how do they feel after
all they have done towards building up
this Commonwealth of ours2 Is it pos
sible we have endured these evils until
thew have become tame2 No ordinary
purpose would have brought this vast
mass of men from all sections OF Tonnes
see TO meet in this Capitol together. This
is not mere party movement--it IS
movement to be made in ell States where
men are brave and honest, where they
carry in their blossoms the fire of liberty
They can redeem this land and restore 1t
to former beauty and prosperity, and to
its former condition. No land was ever
more prosperous than that in which we
live and which blesses US. Did we not
expel the savage, and add to this terri
TORY all these streams, and mountains,
and valleys, and plains2 We and our
fathers did it. We wrested it from the
savage, and carried that flag nearly
seven hundred miles South, and thou
sand miles West. Who does the country
owe it to? 1t owes it to the patriotism,
toll and energy of the pioneers OF this
country, our fathers and mothers--to
those who are now sleeping on hundred
battlefelds; and the streams along whose
borders they fell will murmur their melo-
dious lullaby as long as time shall last.
We who follow them have our rights too;
we have Inherited them; but they say you
forfeited them by this rebellion, and that
you are entitled to no respect. do not
stand here to discuss that chapter In our
history which we have passed. This is not
the first rebellion that was ever known.
There is difference between our rebel
lion and that of '76, viz: Ours was un,
successful and theirs was successful.
Success sancti6es the means without the
motives. Whence came this war through
which we have gomez One says it was Sew
ard and bis allies. Another that it was
JEFF. Davis and his allies. 1t came from
antagonism antagonism found in the
camp of Washington while he held Bos-
ton in siege. 1t was found in his Cabinet
when be became President. The rebel
lion did not have its origin upon
the subject of slavery. Those Radicals
from the Northeast, who are crying
40 for the colored people, were the
authors and importers OF slavery from
Africa. These are the men who talk so
much about their love for the southern
slaves. tits all humbug, and they will
find 1t TO be SO in less than five years.
This antagonism went on increasing in
force and volume. Did we not try to
prevent III Did not men from the
North and South, men that loved that
FAC. men that loved the Constitution and
Union, did they not exhaust themselves
trying 10 prevent this terrible strife Z
Can all the men ia the world stop an
earthquake or stop the how of the tide OF
the Mississippi as it bears its tribute to
the ocean, / speak Of it as l would OF a
great swell Of the ocean that was raised
up by the imprisoned winds.
Our troops came home after having
surrendered and taken the oath, aud re-
newed their loyalty. As y war, so IN
peace, they are in earnest DO not be-
iieve there is q more law-abiding people
than those whom you represent, at home,
in the fields, mountains and plains Of
Tennessee. We are in mourning tor oar
friends and neigbbors. Many OF you
have been caused to mourn. occasioned
BY the death Of your friends by the lste
war lsihat not suffering1 Isnot suffer
ing necessary TO atone for any evf that
YOU have committed1 Have y1u not
suffered in the loss OF foriuoe1 Industry
can repair fortune. New friends can
take the place Of those vhor You have
lost; but liberty lost is PERPETUAL sorrow
TN rerained. Nov. gentlemen, | % not
know how 70 talk Of these things have
neither tine nor language 10 let oat my
soul upon the tyranny that Expresses rs
/ say il s the most cursed state Of de-
spotism that everthe world saw. You
may &c 70 Austria. or Russia, or the
world ever, and you canHot had q y
raouv ard degradation rqual 70 that
placed upou us BY this Radical curse
Thershss been one man a. Washington
who. clothed with the vesture Of power
has Undertakes 70 do, and in our opin
ionnas done his best towards protecting
: a bwn-trodden nation, aud that man u
4 =.