Speeches, congressional and political, and other writings, of ex-Governor Aaron V. Brown, of Tennessee

Front matter

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Part I. Congressional Speeches

Speech in reply to Mr. Bell, on the Bill to Secure the Freedom of

Elections, May 19th and 20th, 1810, 10

Speech on the Bill to Charter the Fiscal Bank of the United States,

Speech on remitting the fine on General Jackson, January 8th, 1844, 56 Speech on the correspondence of Mr. Webster with the British Minister, in re'ation to the Surrender of Alexander McLeod, July 9th

Speech on the Tariff, June, 1842, 81

Speech on Abolition Petitions, January, 1844, .... 106 Speech on the Right of Members Elected by General Ticket to their

Seats, February, 1844, -120

Speecli in reply to Mr. Adams on the Bill Establishing a Territorial

Government for Oregon, January 27th, 1845, ... . 138

Second reply to Mr. Adams on the same Bill, February 4th, - - 147

jch on the New Jersey Contested Election, March 17th. 1840, - 154

IV. CONTEXTS.

Part II. Political Speeches And Other Addresses

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PAGE

Speech, when a candidate for the office of Governor, delivered at Athens, East Tennessee, June 21st, 1845, ... - 185

Speech, when a candidate for the same office in 1847, - 204

Speech at Jonesboro', as one of the Democratic Electors for the State at large, in the Presidential election between General Cass and General Taylor, August 24th, 1848, 235

Speech in the Presidential election between General Pierce and

General Scott, at Columbia, August 6th, 1852, - - 254

Speech at Charleston, East Tennessee, in same election, October,

1852, 281

Lecture on the Progress of the United States and the Slavery Question, at Odd Fellows' Hall, Nashville, in 1850, - - - - 292

Letter to the Nashville Union, on the subject of the approaching

Southern Convention, - -- -----321

Letter to the Nashville Union, after the adjournment of the first

session of the Southern Convention, - - - - - 331

Speech at the second session of the Southern Convention, - - 307

The Tennessee Platform, written by Governor Brown, reported by Mr. Nicholson to the Delegates, and having been adopted, reported by their Chairman, General Pillow, to the Southern Convention, - 319

Address to the Law Class of the University at Lebanon, February

CONTENTS. v -

Part III. Messages, Reports, And Other Miscellaneous Documents

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Inaugural Address on his installation as Governor of Tennessee, in

1845,

Message to the General Assembly in 1845, - - 375

Proclamation for Volunteers in 1846, 388

Address to the First Regiment, transferring it to the United States, 394

Message of 1847, - 423

Resolutions of 1827, introduced into the Tennessee Legislature, in relation to the defeat of General Jackson, in the election of 1824, 427

Speech in support of the same, 435

Address of the Giles County Committee (prepared by Gov. Brown,) in the Presidential election of 1836, between Mr. Van Buren, Gen.

Harrison and Judge White, 443

Address to his constituents in 1842, reviewing the measures of the Whig party at the called session of 1841, and the regular session

Reply to Mr. Benton, on the True Origin of the Movement for the

Reply to Mr. Adams, complaining of the publication of General Jackson's letter in favor of the annexation of Texas, - - - 499

The same subject continued, -517

Speech in the Legislature of Tennessee against abolishing the Circuit and Supreme Courts, ^24

Speech to his constituents, on his return from the called session of the

Legislature of 1832, 633

Letter to the New Orleans Railroad Convention, - 544

Report in the Legislature of Tennessee on Free Persons of Color, - 549 Report against Capital Punishments, 557

Preface

The object of the present publication, is to collect, into one volume, the principal speeches and writings of Gov. Brown, for better preservation by his friends, and for more easy access by all who, at any time, may wish to make reference to them.

They cover a space of many years, and embrace all the controverted questions of public policy, State and national, from the first canvass of General Jackson for the Presidency, to the present time. Their publication, we believe, will present the most condensed and accurate record of the party struggles of this State, any where to be met with, and must, therefore, prove an acceptable work to the public at large. To the younger politicians of both parties, who desire to be familiar with the past, as well as the present political history of the State, it must be invaluable.

THE EDITORS.

Aaron V. Brown, late Governor of Tennessee, was born on the 15th of August, 1795, in the county of Brunswick, Virginia. His father, the Rev. Aaron Brown., enlisted, when not yet of lawful age, for three years in the Revolutionary army. He was in the battle of Trenton, and participated in that ever-memorable march through the Jerseys, where the course of the American army was known to the enemy by the blood of its bare-footed soldiery. He was also one of the sufferers in the encampment, at Valley Forge, during the severe winter of 1777-8, where disease, and famine, and nakedness, so often drew tears from the illustrious Washington. At the close of his term of service, he returned to the county of Brunswick, where he continued to reside for nearly forty years in the midst of those who had witnessed his early and patriotic career, respected and beloved by all as a faithful and useful minister of the gospel, of the Methodist persuasion ; an upright civil magistrate, a staunch republican of the old Jefferson school, and an honest man. The subject of this memoir was the issue of his second marriage, with Elizabeth Melton, (corrupted from Milton,) of Northampton county, in the State of North Carolina.

Except in the simplest elements, Gov. Brown was educated in the last-mentioned State. He was sent when very young to Westrayville Academy, in the county of Nash, in order to be placed under the care of Mr. John Bobbitt, one of the best scholars and teachers of the time. After continuing here for two years, he was transferred, in the year 1812, to the University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill. He graduated in this institution, in 1814, in a large class, of which Senator Mangum and ex-Governor Mauley, of North Carolina were also members. The duty was assigned to him by the faculty, and confirmed by the trustees, of delivering the valedictory oration on commencement day. and the service was performed in a manner which produced the most striking impression on the large assembly then in attendance. The collegiate career of but few young men is marked by incidents of sufficient importance to be recited in a notice like this. Industry in preparing for and punctuality in attending at the hour of recitation, as well as the most cheerful conformity to the rules of the institution, were the most striking characteristics of his educational course.

Having finished his educational course, Gov. Brown returned to his parents, who in the previous year, had removed to the county of Giles, in the State of Tennessee. About the beginning of the year 1815, he commenced the study of law in the office of the late Judge Trimble, in the town of Nashville. With this gentleman he continued to read for two years, and now often refers to him as one of the most systematic, able and upright men he ever knew. Having obtained a license, he opened an office in Nashville, and commenced practice in that city with the most flattering prospects of success. About this time, however, Alfred M. Harris, who was engaged in a very extensive practice in nearly all the southern counties of Middle Tennessee, accepted a place on the bench, and solicited Gov. Brown to remove to the county of Giles and close up his extensive business for him. The opportunity was inviting, and that being the residence of his now aged parents, he determined to settle in that county. Taking charge at once of an extensive practice, both civil and criminal, including the land litigation, then an important and almost distinctive branch of the profession, Gov. Brown found all the resources of his mind brought into immediate requisition. No time was to be lost in idleness —none to be devoted to pleasure. We remember that one of his maxims about this period was, " Always to be first at court, and never to leave it until the adjourning order was made. " Under such habits it was no matter of surprise to those who observed them, that there were but few causes of importance in the counties in which he practised, in which he was not engaged.

In a few years after Gov. Brown commenced his career in Giles, the late President Polk commenced his in Columbia, in the adjoining county of Maury. They soon formed a partnership in their profession, thereby extending the field of their professional labors into more counties than they could have done without that arrangement. This partnership continued for several years, and until Mr. Polk engaged in his congressional career. Its dissolution brought no termination to that cordial friendship, personal and political, in which it had commenced, and which continued unabated until the death of the late lamented president. Gov. Brown continued engaged in his profession until the year 1839, when, having been elected to Congress, he gave it up altogether. Much of the time in which he was in regular and full practice he was also a member of one branch or the other of the state legislature. This service being near home, and the counties he represented being those in which he practised, produced no material impediment to the progress of his professional business. But the case was different in the distant service in the Congress of the United States.

Gov. Brown served as a senator, from the counties of Lincoln and Giles, at all the sessions of the legislature, regular and called, from 1821 to 1827, inclusive, except the session of 1825, when he was not a candidate. In the session of 1831 and 1832, he was the representative of the county of Giles in the other branch of the general assembly. His course was distinguished at all times, as a legislator for the state, for his determination to sustain an independent and able judiciary, and to build up an enlightened, liberal, aud impartial system of jurisprudence in the state ; and, we hazard nothing in saying, that, in searching through the statutes, one will find more laws of a general and permanent nature which emanated from him than from any one of the other public men of the state. He was longer in that service, and, by professional experience, may be presumed to have understood the defects of existing laws, and how to remedy them. Throughout his service in the legislature he evinced a strong disposition to diminish the number of offences which should be capitally punished. He did not propose or wish to abolish such punishments altogether, but only to reduce and limit them down to the smallest possible number of cases, consistent with the necessary self-defence of society against the aggressions of the lawless and abandoned. At the session of 1831-32, by the order of the judiciary committee, he prepared an elaborate and able report, which he submitted to the house, on the subject of capital punishments, which attracted great attention throughout the Union.

Gov. Brown first became a candidate for Congress in 1839. At two former elections the whigs had carried his district by majorities ranging from eleven to twelve hundred votes. His competitor, the Hon. E. J. Shields, had served in the two preceding Congresses. He was a gentleman of fine talents, and one of the most plausible and handsome debaters of his party. When the election came off, however, Gov. Brown was found not only to have overcome the large party majority against him, but to have overcome it by the immense majority of sixteen hundred and one votes. He was re-elected for the called session of Congress in 1841, without having any opposition. In 1843, the congressional district was altered so as greatly to diminish the democratic majority by which Gov. Brown had been usually elected in the old district. This induced hopes that he might possibly be beaten in the new one, and all the regular steps were taken to present a competitor in the person of the Hon. N. S Brown, now minister to Russia. The result, however, demonstrated that the. democracy of the new district, although not in so large a majority as in the old one, was nevertheless equally invincible.

During the period of his congressional service, beginning in 1839 and ending in 1845, Gov. Brown seems to have been an active member, taking a part in nearly all the great questions which came up during that eventful portion of our political history.

In May, 1840, he delivered a speech in reply to Mr. Bell, on the bill introduced by that gentleman, " to secure the freedom of elections. " He also made a speech on the celebrated New-Jersey case, having been a member of the committee which reported on the same. His speech on the burning of the Caroline, to be found in the Congressional Globe and appendix of 1841, was listened to by the house with profound attention and emotion, and is regarded by his friends as one of his ablest efforts in Congress. He was a member of the committee which framed the tariff of 1842, and united with the minority in presenting a report against the principles and details of that measure. When the bill came up for discussion, Gov. Brown made a clear and powerful argument against it, opening the debate on the democratic side of the house. On the 4th of August, 1841, he delivered a speech against the fiscal bank bill, which occupied so large a portion of public solicitude at that time. He made speeches in 1844 on the remission of the fine imposed on Gen. Jackson at New-Orleans. and against receiving and reporting on abolition petitions ; also, on the right of members elected by general ticket to their seats.

It was in December, 1844, that Gov. Brown found it necessary to reply to sundry speeches of Mr. Adams, made in Massachusetts, in relation to the negotiation of the Florida treaty. That reply having a direct reference to incidents occurring in the congressional career of Gov. Brown, may be seen in the Daily Globe of December 14, 1844. A reply to Mr. Adams, on the Oregon bill, may be seen in the " Constitution " of January 29, 1845, and also a reply to another speech of Mr. Adams may be seen in the National Intelligencer of February 3, 18 15.

On the 12th March, 1844, Gov. Brown, as chairman of the committee on territories, reported a bill to extend the civil and criminal jurisdiction of the several courts of the territory of Iowa over the territory of Oregon, and for other purposes. At the next session he reported another bill, organizing a territorial government for Oregon, which passed the house by a large majority, but was lost in the senate.

Governor Brown's service in Congress ended with the commencement of President Polk's administration. He declined any office under the administration, and determined to return home and devote himself to the education of his children and the management of his own private affairs. Before he reached home, however, he was nominated by the democratic party as its candidate for governor. He met the news of this nomination at Pittsburg, and hesitated many days whether he would accept it or not. It conflicted with all his purposes to retire to private life to accept it, and opened a wide field of labor with but little prospect of success. Mr. Polk had failed twice for the same office, and could not carry the state in his presidential race, under all the zeal and excitement which it created. Besides this, Mr. Polk, in organizing his administration, and selecting his friends for different offices, had withdrawn from the state some of the most influential and powerful members of the party. He himself, was gone, Hon. Cave Johnson was gone, General Robert Armstrong was gone, and several others whose weight had been always felt in state elections. Discouraging, however, as were the prospects, he finally determined to take the field against Col. Foster, a late senator, and one of the most popular and able men of the whig party. The discussion of the canvass turned chief! y on the tariff, the Texas and Oregon questions.

In this canvass Gov. Brown was elected by a majority of one thousand five hundred or one thousand six hundred ; but in that of 1847, he was defeated by about half that number. For the last twelve years parties have been so nearly balanced in Tennessee that they have carried the state alternately against each other. The one last defeated brings to the polls at the next election a little more zeal and determination to retrieve their last misfortune, and are therefore very apt to prove triumphant.

In the next year, 1848, Gov. Brown was a candidate for elector for the state at large, and canvassed it with great vigor, sustaining and even surpassing the :■ •pur.it ion which he had previously acquired.

li, 1850, lu- wasa member of the Southern Convention held at Nashville. • !-• concurred fully in the resolutions passed at the first session of that body. but dissented from and protested against the address. At the second session of body in November following. Gov. Brown dissented altogether from the report submitted by the committee on resolutions; and, to exhibit his own views and those of the democracy of the state, prepared what 'was called and known as the Tennessee Platform, which, after being submitted to the delegation of the state and being approved by them, was by their order submitted by General Pillow to the convention. His whole course at both sessions was eminently conservative. At neither session, and at no stage of the slavery agitation, would he hear or think of a dissolution of the Union. He considered secession or a dissolution of the Union as no remedy for alleged grievances. — His favorite remedy against the whole series of aggressions was retaliation, as set forth in the Tennessee Platform. This he believed would soon exhibit to the North a greater power to injure them than they have had to injure the South ; and that, upon the simple principle of self-interest, both sections would presently cease the profitless controversy.

The last public station which Gov. Brown has occupied was that of a delegate from the state at large in the late Baltimore convention. He introduced a very important resolution into that body, raising a committee of one from each state, to be appointed by the delegates from each state, to whom all resolutions relative to the principles or platform of the democratic party should be referred without debate. The importance of such a reference, without debate, was instantly perceived, and the resolution was adopted. He was unanimously appointed the chairman, and subsequently reported the platform, which has given such general satisfaction to his party in every portion of the United States. Gov. Brown has reason to be proud of the concurrence of his party in the platforms which, at different times, he has prepared for them. He was the author of the Tennessee platform in the Southern Convention. He prepared and presented the platform which was unanimously sanctioned in the convention at Nashville, on which the last gubernatorial battle was fought in Tennessee ; and that he had the honor assigned to him of reporting the national platform of democratic principles at the late convention was highly gratifying to his numerous friends.