The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-05-19
THE THIRD STORRS LECTURE
HON JoSEPHE BROWN, SUBJECT
OF JUDGE SPEER'S LECTURE

War Governor of GeOrgia-A Long,
Brilliant and Useful Life.
Yesterday afternoon at o'clock in
Hendrie hall the Hon. Emory Speer
gave the third Of the Storr's lectures
upon "a Southern Yale Law School
Man Of the Forties." The subject OF
his address proved to be the Hon. Jo-
seph Emerson Brown, who won his DE-
gree from the Yale Law school IN lo4b.
The speaker was for many years MS
intimate friend, and in a most power
full and eloquent address, filled Win
pathos and enthusiasm, and otten
eliciting appreciative applause, ne tola
of the life work and achievements OF
this Yale man in the south, as lawyer,
Judge, war governor of Georgia. anu
United States senator.
The usual large audience Of students
and of representative ladies and gentle-
men of New Haven were present
This morning at 1880 he will speak IN
Hendrie hall on Robert e. Lee" ana
next Monday afternoon at o:So oclocK
on presidential Office"
Judge Emory Speer spoke In part as
follows:
Joseph Emerson Brown was the ED
est OF eleven children, born IN the state
OF South Carolina on April 10, lS1A.
When boy he cultivated hill lot
with q pair of bull calves, and took the
products of his labor to the city near
by for sale. ,ao
His early education was not eXten-
sive. but was that usual In the country
districts Of those days,
Az nineteen he went to Calhoun aoa s1
denny in South Carolina, where ne solu
his two oxen for enough to pay lor
i've months board.
an january IS, 1874. at the age OF
TWENTY-FIVE, he opened an academy IN
Ms avn town with few students put
before the year was over he mad SIX
ty. ...,,o .v-
August, 1S45, after an exhaustive eA-
,,,~,o+ion he was admitted to the bar
Of the superior court.
October, 1S45, he matriculateo IN tne
law school of Yale college. Tnen the
soboops curriculum comprised a twc
yaarsr course. But he, with character
ssfio vigor and hard work, completed II
A. one wear; after which he settled II
canton, Ga, making $1,000 in the prac'
tica az the law during his first year
which was a remarkable record. In lof
he married Elizabeth Gresham, the
daughter of a Baptist minister fol
MANY years she was his amanuensls
whose handwriting was clear and iegl
nile while his was almost illegiDle H'
follnd in his wife, as Euripides said
that a mans rarest possession Is
sympathetic wife.
In 1S49 his earnest political careel
began in being elected a democratic
state senator. In 1855 he was elected
Judge Of the superior court in the Blu
Ridge district Of Georgia. He proved
10 be of greatability as a judge, ant
conducted the proceedings Of his cour
with dispatch and dignity.
June 10, 1857; when thirty-six year
of age, he received the nomination TO
governor Of Georgia on the democratic
ticket. m the campaign he spoke II
a clear and simple style; while his op
ponent was an orator Of great ability
ard man of considerably more expe1
fence.
IT confess" he said, that m" oppo
nent speaks with great oratorical abil
ity. but he lacks Judgment" putting
the accent upon the second syllable o
the last word, as was the custom In tn
local dialect. This expression of hi
used many times during the campaign
undoubtedly a great deal to do wit
his election.
After serving one term with grea
success and distinction, he was unani
mously nominated to succeed himself
and was reelected by double the ma
1ority he had received upon his frs
election. During the campaign som
opponent used as an argument agains
him that he showed decided favoritisl
to his brother BapttstS in his appoint
ments to office. At once some zealou
Baptist supporter, expert at statistic
collected the evidence in favor of GOV
ernor Brown, showing his opponents
religion to be: Lutheran, Episcopa
ians, Is Catholics, As Presbyterians,
Methodists and n Baptists.
April 1862, the CONSUMPTION act wa
very unwisely enacted, exempting thos
men owning at least twenty negroe
Thus arose the cry that the Civil we
was the rich mans war and the poo
mans fight. But this act need not hav
been passed for Georgia, for GovernC
Brown had raised 10000 armed troop
which was more than any other stat
in the south sent to the war.
In 1861, he was nominated for a THU
term and elected, receiving twice &
many votes as one of his opponent
and three times as many as his otht
opponent.
He aided In 1862 in the Baptist cor
yention in Geogia, and helped in II
distribution of religious tracts of III
bending orthodoxy.
After the surrender of Lee to Gran
the Georgia troops surrendered und
the direction of Governor Brown. Co
ernor Brown now contended that II
state had not lost its place nor the II
habitants theircitizenship. Thus on M
%, 1854 he convened the state legi
lature as had been his habit.
But, much to the discontinue Of Il
legislators, the executive mansion w
surrounded by troops, and Govern
Brown was fastened to Washingt'
and incarcerated. But soon he secure
.i,,+o,,,yiavty with President JOhnsO