Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-12-26
B. GRATz BROWN.

3. Gratz Brown, ex-governor of
Missouri, died OF pneumonia, at his
home IN Kirkwood, suburb of St.
Louis, Sunday, December Is. A brief
notice only appeared last week. lie
was one of the most prominent men,
bers of the liberal convention which
assembled in Cincinnati on the lst of
May, 1882. He was the leader in the
great Missouri campaign Of 1870.
which prepared the enunciation of
a national policy. He was born in
Lexington, Ky, i'll 1924, graduated at
1850. He studied law and Dracticed
with great success, but was elected to
the legislature in 1852. and remained
there for number of years by sue
cessive re- elections. lie entered pub
lie life as democrat and follower of
Benton; became identified at once with
the large German population OF st.
Louis, and during his whole career
has been put forward as their special
representative among the public men
Of American birth. Though south
erner by birth and extensive family as
sociations he proclaimed from the first
his free soil sympathie1. To him be-
longed the distinction Of making the
irst speech in behalf of emancipation
in southern legislature. The Ger
mans, who had settled in large num-
bers in St. Louis, rallied to the sup
port of Gratz Brown, and returned
him to the legislature, alter q bitter
contest. He founded the st. Lonis
Democrat as the organ of the free soil
ers, and as the editor OF the only anti
slavery journal in slave state, soon
won national reputation. In 1850 he
called the first republican convention
held in slave state, and in conjunc-
ton with the veteran Muench and
Emil Pretorius, the latter subsequently
associate editor with Carl Schurz in
the Westliche Post, organized the re-
publican party of Missouri. AT the
outbreak of the war he at once raised
a regiment, and with Blair aud Lyon
did efficient service in the Union cause.
He took decided ground for immediate
emancipation, and at once became the
acknowledged leader of the advanced
element of the republican party, in op-
position to the conservative element,
and was put forward as their candidate
for United States senator His health
declining, and large private interests
demanding his attention, he declined
in 1866 reelection; and until 1870.
though an interested observer, did not
actively participate in any of the poli.-
ical movements. The constitution ot
the state was intensely proscrlptive,
and, having opposed it in its inception,
his views, whenever occasion called for
their expression, were in opposition to
continuance of the policy which it
legallzed. The expressions under it
finally became uncomfortable, when the
lead of Brown and SchurZ, with the
same German element which had done
such service in the foundation of the
republican party, now demanded that
| the party recognize and declare the new
order of things, and remove all politi-
cal prescription from the law. The re-
suit is we'll known. Overpowered in a
packed convention, the liberals appeal
ed to the people, with Gratz Brown as
| their standard bearer. Never was a
campaign entered under more
unfavorable auspices. The whole
power OF the state and national admin
| istrations was invoked to crush the
liberal movement. The course of the
democrats, who were in a hopeless
minority, was for a long time undeci.
ded. But the federal interference only
strengthened the cause, and Governor
Brown was elected by the unpreceden-
ted majority of $4,000. Since his re-
tirement from politics Gov. Brown has
led qaiet life in the practice of his
profession. He was never money
getter and died comparatively poor
leaving wife and several children.
In his boyhood young Gratz was al
inmate of the household of Benjamin
Gratz, of Kentucky, with Frank Blair
and Gen. Jos. .. Shelby. In their
divergent walks in life t'ey have al
left their impress upon the history OF
Missouri. Gen. Shelby is the only one
of the trio left. The friends of his
boyhood days and the doughty oppo.
nents of the war period have preceded
him in rendering ALI account of theil
stewardship upon earth