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THE COUNTRYMAN
191
Gov. Brown, of Georgia.—“The
Mobile Advertiser, always right, gives
Gov. Brown some telling blows, and
good advice to him, and his constitu
ents :
We do not, remember ever to have
vfritn'eised a paialleMo the almost uni
versal astonishment, and indignation
which has been produced by Gove-
nor Brown’s message to the Georgia
legislature. Cui bono ? everybody
asks. What good, honest, and patri
otic purpose could Gov. Brown expect
to subserve, by throwing this bundle
of fire-brands into the arena of this
great fight for national existence ?
Admit that he is right, in all his views
of the confederate war policy, is this
a time to raise the flood-gates of do
mestic dissension, while the common
enemy is thundering at the gate, and
threatening destruction, both to
Brownites, and Davisites 1 Gover
nor Brown’s hatred of Mr. Davis
amounts to insanity. It makes him
oblivious of Sherman, and his rava
ges t it carries him to the mad ex
treme of proposing a fresh revolution,
ripping up the confederate govern
ment, deposing the president, and
placing the power in other hands—
those of Gov. Brown, we suppose.
While in the very crisis of the strug
gle with the yankee foe, and in a cam
paign that must be decided for weal,
or for woe, in a few short weeks—
while every true patriot would urge
harmony in council, and union in
arms, tor the public safety, this pas
sionate governor declares open war
upon every measure of the govern
ment, and tells the people that they
are being piloted to ruin, and nothing
but a revolutionary change will save
them. Cooler men will decide that
we have about as much revolution on
our hands, now, as we can well man
age, and it would be wiser to pipe all
hands to save the ship, and stand by
the captain, and officers, than throw
them overboard, and to try new ones.
If Gov. Brown is right, the ship, and
all on board, are about to be lost, and
all that is left is to fall down and pray,
01 break into the spirit room, and
meet death jolly drunk, according to
the tastes of the passengers. But
Gov. Brown does not look at the
situation With a clear vision. Like the
* Chourineur,’ be ‘sees red,’ and views
every act of the president’s adminis
tration through the jaundiced media
of his own passions, of hate, and am
bition. And what a time he has cho
sen fpr this unsee nly display of
spleen ! Just at the moment when
the friends of the counfry were earn
estly hoping, and striving for a revi
val of the courage of the people ; |
when public meetings were springing
up, all over the land, and all the signs
were propitious for a new era of war
feeling, and energy, and of consenta
neous action, to save the people from
the terrible fate to which Lincoln has
Consigned them—-just when hope was
being reanimated, and confidence re
stored, Gov. Brown opens bis Pan
dora box, and attempts to flood the
land with distracting issues, and dis
sension^. Time was when we admir
ed ‘Joe Brown’ for his energy, and
his rough, and homely independence.
But this last freak has brought down
his reputation, as the sailors say, ‘with
a run,’ and ho stands now in one of
two attitudes : We are forced to regard
him either as an infuriated dema
gogue, reckless of the public safetys or
as a man devoid of discretion, and
wisdom. In either event, he occu
pies a ‘bad eminence,’ and holds a
power dangerous to the success of this
struggle, and the liberties of this peo
ple. We would not, therefore, follow
his pernicious example, aud recom
mend that he be deposed by revolu
tion, but we appeal, in the name of
every sound and rational friend of
confederate independence, to the peo
ple of Georgia, to save the country
from the disastrous effects of bis mad
ness, and to elect, as his successor,
one who will devote himself to the
great duty of fighting the yankee en
emy, and not to making war on our
own government.”
ImfressIqns of a Yankee “Com
missioner” in Richmond.—“ The
New York Tribune has a letter from
William C!ornell Jewett, giving the
substance of a conversation with Gen.
Singleton, of Illinois, who has just
returned from Richmond, and the im
pressions of that gentleman, while in
the confederate capital. The impres
sions are given as follows :
1. The southern people are all anx
ious for peace—not because they are
exhausted, or doubt their ability to
continue the war successfully 7 , but to
spare non -combatants, women and
children, the privations, and sufferings
its continuance must multiply.
2. He thinks it in the power of the
north to reconstruct, by an offer of
1^1 pfal terms—to be considered, and
acted upon during an armistice of six
ty 7 days.
3. The south will not consent to
reconstruction upon any other basis
than the clearest recognition of the
rights of the states, respectively, to
determine, each for itself, all ques
tions of local, and domestic govern
ment, slavery included.
4. They will not permit slavery to
stand in the way of independence—
to that it would be promptly surren
dered, but to nothing else—unless it
should be a fair compensation, cou“
pled with other liberal terms of fn*
construction, secured by constitution
al amendments.
5. He thinks they can prosecute
the wav indefinitely, but not without
great sacrifice, which they are pre
pared to make, rather than submit to
any terms that do not recognize their
perfect equality, and are alike honor
able to both sections.
6. He says he never lived better
than he did in Richmond, so far as the
substantial are concerned ; that he
found everything necessary for a state
dinner, except wine; that he was treat
ed with marked attention, and liber
ality, by everybody. When he in
quired for his hotel bill> lie was in
formed that it had been settled. He
thinks even the women of the south
would fight, sooner than see their
husbands, sons, and brothers submit
to dishonorable relations, or. disgrace
ful, and unequal terms of J-econcilia.
tion. jap _ . ■ .
7. He had an interview with Presi
dent Davis, and all the members of
his cabinet, also with Gen. Lee ; that
he never heard a word of defiance, or
reproach* or crimination, from any one
of them, of any other person in Rich
mond.
8. That Gen. Lee impressed him,
at once, with the idea that he^waa in
the presence of a man whose soul
was filled with every sentiment of
honor, religion, and patriotism. The
subject of the war was barely alluded
to, and, in connection with which the
old man, with great earnestness, and
feeling, remarked that he did not
W'ant to leave so cruel a legacy 7 as the
war to his children ; and while his
affection for his old comrades, and
friends had not abated, in any degree,
lie had but a plain duty 7 , under the
providence of God, to perform, and
would be glad to be spared such a
necessity, by a permanent peace, not
only between the sections, but with
all mankind.
His appointment as generalissimo
has united the people, and inspired
new confidence, and life among the
army, and people ; and he really be
lieves that, such is the devotion of
the people to Lee, every man, woman,
and child in the confederacy would
follow him into the Gulf of Mexico,
as a religious duty, if he required it
of them.”