The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-02-11
Ex-GoV. NEIL S. GROWN.
Giles County Pays Feeling Tribute to the
Memory of Her Great Son.


In response to the call published
last week, the people of Giles coun
: " assembled at The court hous,
last Saturday to pay tribute to uh'
memory of Elk Gov. Neil S Brown
, Hon. Thos. NJ. Jones presided ant
: Hon. Flournoy Rivers was secreta-
ry. Col. Scion K. Rose, as chair
man of the committee hitherto az
: pointed, offered the following
RESOLUTIONS:
Gov. Neil Smith Brown, to com
merorate whose death we have as
sembled, was born in Giles county,
r tennessee, April 18th, 1910, and
f was the thirteenth governor of the
state. and died in Nashville, Tenn
Jan. 80, 1886, in the 10th year of
his age. His parents were of Scot
fish descent and of Presby erian
faith, and emigrated from North
Carolina to this portion of Tennes-
see in the early years of the century.
Gov. Brown descended from a
race celebrated for its heroes, ora
tors and poets and no less noted
for the stern and sterling virtues
that mark the progress of freedom
and civilization. His early years
were devoted to manual labor to as
sist his parents who were poor but
highly honored by all who knew
them. His early education was &C
quired at home by the aid of his
perents after the toll, of the day
was ended. His first schooling was
as the pupil of James McCallum-a
relative-who survives him, loved
and honored as model IN all the
relations of life. Young Brown af-
forwards entered jackson College
at Columbia, Tenn, an institution
much celebrated at that time, hay-
ing taught school to enable him to
do so. Here he completed his edu-
cation and again taught school un-
til he became a law student under
the late ChancellorBramlette at Pu-
laski. He tried his fortunes in
Texas in 1884, Texas being then a
province of Mexico and in an un-
settled condition and upon the verge
of revolution, but he soon became
dissatisfied and returned to Pulaski
and pursued his profession until
IS47 with success. In 1886 he en-
listed as volunteer in the Florida
war and was appointed sergeant
major of his regiment. AS SOL
der he was active, faithful and
courageous. His high manhood
was manifest in his intercourse with
his fellow-soldiers, loanlng his
horse to the soldiers and sharing
with them the burdens of camp and
march. Before the expiration of
the campaign he, with Archibald
Wright, was called by the district
conventions to represent their re- !
spective parties as presidential cleo
tors and in that caucus young
Brown won q reputation as an ora {
cor and politician that made him s
favorite of his party. He was elect t
ed and cast his vote for Hugh l..
White, the wing candidate for pres {
ident. He VAS a member OF the t
house of representatives of Tennes- i
see in 1897 and was then associated g
with many members who afterwards '
became distinguished lawyers or t
statesmen, among whom were John t
Terry H. Cahal, VIM. E. G
Anderson, Joseph G. Guild, Alex i
ander B. Bradford (who was his C
colonel in the Florida war;, A. o.
P. Nicholson, Meredith P. Gentry, /
George w. Jones and others. In C
1910 he was an active participant O
in the canvass that secured the b
election of Gen. Harrison to the il
of the United States, and q
in 1871 Gov. James G. Jones made C
him ajutsnt-general of the state. Il
His contest with Aaron v Brown b
for congress in 1943 was one OF the i
most exciting and memorable in the k
political history of Tennessee, made
so by the brilliant oratory of Neil 0
5. Brown and the fearful odds Il
against him, 1t was Folks old dis II
trict and had been represented by q u
Aaron V. Brown for four years.
Neil Brown was defeated but he re C.
iuced the majority against him a
from 1000 to 400 votes. o
Again in 1914 he was upon the J..
electoral ticket and bore the banner n
Of Henry Clay with knightly devo- 6,
ion. In IS47 he was the WING C,
for governor against his n
I'D antagonist, Aaron V. Brown, a
Who was probably the most gifted q
md experienced leader of his party Il
n the state-eloquent, persuasive f
md adroit. The veteran had learn S
ID be had a formidable foe, one
worthy of his steel.'' The contest p
soon ceased to be the measured p
read of battle, but the close firing L
leath struggle for victory, and the P
,oung and ardent Neil S. Brown, te
With the dash of knight Grant, =
,ame out victorious and was inau- N
yurated governor in the 38th year g
If his age, In the next contest for j
governor he was defeated by Gen'l I
rrousdale after a brilliant cam =,
,aign. He submitted to this defeat "
With the placid dignity that marks
he great man in victory or defeat. u
He was appointed in 1850 by ..
President Taylor minister TO Rus "
ia to represent this country at the
,roudest and most despotic court
n Europe. In republican simplici- I'll
y he represented at St. Petersburg
he American idea of the "rights of sc
nan" and our stern love of liberty l
n bold contrast to the "divine hi
lights of kings" After his return oil
rom Russia he settled in Nashville lie
md represented Davidson county n,
n 1856 and was made speaker of W
he house of representatives.. He fir
the state in 1856 at the q
lead of the Fillmore ticket as the W
of Gov. Isham G. Har- ST
is. After the Baltimore conven CT
ion in 1860 (of which he was a eC
nember) that nominated Hon. John CT
Bell candidate for'the presidency, Fl
he canvassed the state at the earn Il