The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1877-05-03
His Speech at the Court-HOuse
Tuesday
In Response to a Call from His
Friends.

land many Others.
The following was the reply of
Gov. Brown:
Pulaski, Nav 1.-Gentlemen Il
am in receipt of your very kind in
vitation to address the citizens of
Pulaski this evening at the court
house on the political issues of the
day, and especially in relation to
the late mission to Louisiana.
l would have preferred some time
for preparation, but as am on the
eve of leaving town, To be absent
several weeks, and being unwilling
to forego the pleasure of respond
ing to the wish of my friends, will
meet you at 3 o'clock P. NJ. to day.
With many thanks for your kind
ness, am your friend truly,
JNo. G. Brown.
At o'clock the Circuit Court
room was crowded with our people
anxious to see and hear Gov. Brown,
who spoke about an hour, the fol
lowing being brief synopsis of the
points of his speech:
He commenced by expressing his
gratitude for the many manifesto
tions of kindness he had always re
ceived from his people, saying that
when he had been maligned and
slandered elsewhere he had always
turned his face homeward to find
that the associates of his youth and
the friends of his manhood received
him with open arms, and never had
they failed to come nobly to his as
sistance when he asked it or occa-
sion required it. He hoped his
hearers would excuse him for avoid
ing discussion of political issues,
as he had been out of the arena
some three years. He must be per
mitted to glory over the demise of
the bloody shirt and the annihila-
ton of the cohorts of despotism,
which met with severe rebuke in the
late election, and then died from a
stroke administered by the head of
the republican party. He thought
as he heard Mr.. Hayes inaugural
that he was an honest man, and that
the principles enunciated therein
when worked out would effect
restoration of the South and har
monte the dismembered sections.
When ten days had elapsed, how
ever, and nothing was done by the
administration, he began to lose
confidence in the Presidents pro
testations, and was respondent as
to the future; but since he had seen
how effectively, silently and peace
ably the work had been accom-
plished he was forced to acknowl-
edge the exceeding wisdom Of the
Presidents policy.
When he came home a month ago
he knew that the President intend
ed sending commission to Louisi-
ana, but he was greatly surprised
to receive notice of his appointment
as one of the commission. He con
ferred with his friends who were &C
cessible and came to the conclusion
that no democrat could afford to
serve in such a cause. Letters and
kilograms were showered upon him
from all quarters advising him TO
decline, some denouncing him for
seeming to accept. He therefore
telegraphed his declination, but his
appointment was nevertheless made,
the President assuring him that it
would not be the duty of the Com
mission to pass upon the validity of
the acts of Returning Board as
rega: ded the Presidential election. |
He again hesitated, knowing that |
what little repu alton he had was in |
peril and that his labors would per-
haps prove frpitless when pitted |
against that of four republican com |
AT length, after receiv- |
ing kilograms from men in the |
South with whom he had stood !
shoulder to shoulder in battle beg I
ging him to come to their rescue,
he put himself in their place, imag-
ined Tennessee in such condition,
and concluded that it would be
moral cowardIce to decline to at |
least make an effort to relieve Lou /
isiana, and with misgivings he &C
accepted. When he got there he
found two governments complete in
all parapharnalia, but the Commits
sion we're not there twenty four
hours before they-were prepared to
the President that the
Nichols government ruled the stu
alton almost over the entire State.
The Governor then gave history
of the labors of the Commission and
how the fusion of the legislatures,
which lay at the foundation of the
whole question, was effected. The
was Of opinion (three
to two) that the Returning Board
was unconstitutional so far as it as
sumed to count the vote for gov
ernor and state officers. The Lou
siana constitution delegated that
power to the Legislative forum,
while the act creating the Returning
Board made it an intermediate 70
-um, contravening this constitu-
,ional provision. They therefore
shaped their labors so as to form a
npGn the basis of the
Parish returns Il
1--WE here remark Gliunde, not as COM
ng from Gov. Brown, that the Com
nittee, after laboring in vain to the
Ibove end for some time, despaired of /
anything and decided to
cave. Gov. Brown then asked them to
wait twenty-four hours and give him an
and If he did not accom-
dish the work then he would consent
o leave. They accordingly waited, and
he result was a victory. Thus the
whole matter is to be credited to the Ia
,ors of one democrat working against
our republicans who had responded of
anything. A gentleman
n this city from New Orleans will sub !
tantiate this.) II
After giving a very interesting
history of the work accomplished,
be Governor in very feeling way !
The people upon the {
breaking away of the clouds of op-
PRESTON that had lowered for six
cen years. When he came home
,a-oied from the war, if he had been