Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-05-24

A reporter OF the Nashville Amer
lean called upon ex-Gen. Joseph E.
Brown in Nashville, and obtained
the following points in regard to his
life: He said that his grandfather, on
his mothers side, was named Rice,
and was one of the earliest settlers
on Duck river, Tenn. His father was
a soldier in the wal of 1912. Rice,
then living within seven miles Of
Shelbyville. His father and mother
removed from Tennessee to South
Carolina, and he was born just six
weeks after their arrival there. "And
so you see," said the senator, laugh
ing, 81 just missed being a Tennessean
by six weeks"
He remained in South Carolina I'M
til he was 16 years of age, when he
moved into the northeastern portion
of Georgia. He graduated in the law
Of Yale college. Col.
John G. Burch and Gratz Brown were
students at the same college at the
time. On his return to Georgia he
settled at Canton, and there began
the practice of his profession. He
married in South Carolina. In 1919
he was elected to the senate from
Cobb and Cherokee counties, and
served one term only, declining after
wards to be a candidate. For several
years he devoted himselfto the practice
ofhis profession. In1852he was an cleo
tor on the Pierce and King ticket, and
voted in the electoral college for
those candidates for the presidency of
the United States. He was the
youngest man on the ticket in Geor-
gia, but he came within one of getting
the highest vote cast. In 1855 he was
elected by a large majority, judge Of
what was known in Georgia as the
Blue Ridge circuit, containing eleven
counties, defeating David Irwin. He
resigned the position after two years
service. In 1857 he was elected gov
ernor, over Ben. H. Hill, now a United
States senator from that state, and
was reelected successfully in 1859,
1861 and 1863.
AT the close of the war he surren-
dered the Georgia state troops to
General Wilson, and took his parole.
On the next night after his return
home federal troops surrounded the
executive mansion, arrested him on
the order of Secretary Stanton and
took him to Washington, where be
was confined in what was known a:
Carroll prison. He addressed a letter
to President johnson, informing him
of the fact of his surrender and parole
President johnson looked into the
matter, and gave him a parole for the
city Of Washington. About a week
afterwards the president ordered
his discharge, on the ground thar
his arrest was illegal, as he haC
surrendered and given his parole
lie then returned home and resigned
the office Of governor. He was sue
ceeded by James johnson, provisional
governor, who carried out the presi
dents reconstruction policy set asidt
by congress in 1876. Senator Brown
published a letter to the people advis
ing them to accept the situation anC
comply with the reconstruction acts
so as 10 secure representation in con
gress at as early a day as possible
For this he was most bitterly de
nounced by leading politicians o
Georgia, and for the time became yer,
unpopular. But matters worked jus
as he had predicted, and within a few
years afterwards there was a great re
action in popular feeling in his favor
Meantime, when the state govern
ment was reorganized, he was ap
pointed the chief justice of the SUI
preme court Of Georgia for a term 0
twelve years. He held the oficI
something less than three years, ant
resigned on account of falling health
He then became one of the lessees o
the Western and Atlantic railroad
and was elected president of the roa,
in 1871, and has since been retained
in Office. He also organized the Dad
county coal mining company, and ha
since had the management of its at
fairs. He is president of the board O
education at Atlanta, has been a mem
Der Of the board of trustees for twent.
years, and is president of the Southern
railway and steamship association
which embraces steams nip lines iron
New York, the railroads from Vir
ginia to Mississippi and from Nashvilll
to Atlanta. Besides these importan
interests, he has two large farms.
In 1868, when Georgia was con
sidered as reconstructed, his nam
was put in nomination for Unitet
States senator by the reconstruction
party. On account of his course il
regard the reconstruction measure
most of the democratic leaders tough
him with great energy and bitterness
and took up Hon. Joshua Hill, VIII.
was a reconstructionist and republi
can. The reconstruction party AM
whole democratic strength voted 70
Hill. When the result was announc
ed Hill was only one vote ahead 0
him. That was the only defeat of hi
life. He never was defeated befor
the people. His friends wanted hin
to contest the election, but he refuse,
TO do 50. He afterwards wrote Hill
who, for some time, was not admitte,
to a seat in the senate, a letter. au
t%hOrizing him to show it to Presiden
Grant and the republican senators, re
fusing to contest for the seat.