Speeches, Messages and Other Writings of the Hon. Albert G. Brown

NEW MEXICO AND CALIFORNIA-Speech in House of Representatives

on the proposition of Mr. Preston, of Virginia, to admit New Mexico

and California as states

LOUIS KOSSUTH-Speech in House of Representatives, January 2, 1850, on

the reception of Louis Kossuth

161

162

THE SLAVE QUESTION-Speech in House of Representatives, January

30, 1850

SQUATTER SOVEREIGNTY-Speech in the House of Representatives,

February 12, 1850, dissenting from certain views presented to the

Senate by Mr. Cass

LETTER TO HIS CONSTITUENTS

ADMISSION OF CALIFORNIA-Speech in the House of Representatives,

June 13, 1850

DELEGATE FROM NEW MEXICO-Speech in the House of Representa-

tives, July 19, 1850, on the admission of the delegate from New Mexico

in advance of her territorial organization

HOMESTEADS-Speech in the House of Representatives, July 26, 1850

TEXAS AND NEW MEXICO-Speech in the House of Representatives,

August 8, 1850, on President Fillmore's message concerning the Texan

boundary

SLAVERY QUESTION-Speech in the House of Representatives, August 29,

1850

THE EWING INVESTIGATION-Speech in the House of Representatives,

September 11, 1850, on the report of the Select Committee appointed

April 22, 1850, to examine into certain official acts of Thomas Ewing,

late Secretary of the Interior

THE OTHER SIDE OF "THE TRUE ISSUE STATED"-A pamphlet

written by the Hon. Albert G. Brown upon the subject of the Compro-

mise Measures of 1850 .

SPEECH-Delivered at Ellwood Springs, near Port Gibson, Miss., November

2, 1850 .

THE SOUTHERN MOVEMENT-MISSISSIPPI POLITICS-Speech in

the House of Representatives, March 14, 1852, on the Southern Move-

ment and Mississippi politics

MISSISSIPPI POLITICS-Speech in reply to his colleague, Hon. John D.

Freeman, on the state of parties in Mississippi. Delivered in the

House of Representatives, March 30, 1852

PUBLIC PRINTING-Speech in the House of Representatives, April 13 and

14, 1852, on the subject of the public printing, and against the action

of the joint committee in taking it from the contractor and dividing it

between the "Union" and the "Republic" newspapers

HOMESTEADS-Speech in the House of Representatives, April 28, 1852,

on the Homestead bill, and in vindication of the policy of providing

homes for the homeless on the public lands

RIVERS AND HARBORS-Speech, under the five minute rule, in the House

of Representatives, July 23, 1852, on the subject of river and harbor

improvements

177

178

190

192

194

289

304

GENERAL COMMITTEE ON CLAIMS-Speech in the House of Represen-

tatives, December 20, 1852, on the proposition to establish a general

committee on claims

CUBA-Remarks in the House of Representatives, January 3, 1853, on the

Cuba question

NEBRASKA AND KANSAS-Speech in the Senate of the United States,

February 24, 1854, on bill to organize territories of

INDIGENT INSANE BILL-Speech in the United States Senate, March 2,

344

PRESIDENT PIERCE'S VETO MESSAGE OF THE INDIGENT INSANE

BILL-Speech delivered in the Senate of the United States, May 17,

1854, on the President's Veto Message, and in defence of the bill making

a grant of land to the several States for the benefit of the indigent insane 352

ALIEN SUFFRAGE-Speech in the Senate of the United States, May 25,

1854, on the question of alien suffrage, in connection with the Kansas-

Nebraska Bill

THE KANSAS BILL-Concluding Remarks on the Kansas Bill, in the

ALIEN SUFFRAGE--Speech in the Senate, July 10, 1854, on alien suffrage

GRADUATION BILL-Remarks in the Senate of the United States, July 20,

1854, on the Graduation Bill of Mr. Hunter of Virginia

JOINT COMMITTEE ON CLAIMS-Speech in the Senate of the United

States, December 19, 1854, on his proposition to establish a joint com-

mittee on claims

PRIVATEER BRIG GENERAL ARMSTRONG-Speech in the Senate of

the United States, January 26, 1855, on the claim of the owners of the

privateer brig General Armstrong, destroyed in the port of Fayal, Portu-

gal, in violation of the neutrality of that port

LETTER AGAINST KNOW-NOTHINGISM

383

392

NAVAL RETIRING BOARD-Speech in the Senate of the United States,

January 2, 1856, on the action of the Naval Retiring Board.

BADGER AMENDMENT-Speech in the Senate of the United States, March

20, 1854, on the Badger Amendment

AMERICAN FLAG IN MEXICO-Speech in the Senate of the United

States, January 7, 1856, on the claims of General John A. Quitman to

the honor of having raised the first American flag in Mexico

OUR RELATIONS WITH ENGLAND-Speech in the Senate, March 11,

1856

418

423

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-Speech in the Senate of the United States, April

25, 1856, on the jurisdiction of Congress over the District of Columbia. 451

ADMISSION OF KANSAS-Speech in the Senate of the United States, April

28, 1856

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS-Speech in the Senate, May 6, 1856, on the

subject of internal improvements by the general government

THE SLAVERY QUESTION--Speech delivered in the Senate of the United

States, December 22, 1856

THE RHODE ISLAND RESOLUTIONS ON THE SUMNER ASSAULT-

Speech in the Senate of the United States, June 16, 1856, on the resolu-

tions of the Legislature of Rhode Island, relative to the assault on Mr.

Sumner

PERSONAL EXPLANATION-Remarks in the Senate, March 20, 1858

COMMODORE PAULDING'S ARREST OF WALKER-Speech in the

Senate of the United States, January 7, 1858, on the President's Message

relative to the arrest of William Walker

INCREASE OF THE ARMY-Speech in the Senate of the United States,

February 1, 1855, in favor of an increase of the Military Department, to

put down Indian hostilities in the West

ADMISSION OF MINNESOTA-Speech in the Senate of the United States,

February 1, 1858, on the admission of Minnesota as a state

ADMISSION OF KANSAS-Speech in the Senate, February 3 and 4, 1858,

on the admission of Kansas under the Lecompton Constitution

MINNESOTA SENATORS-Speech in the Senate of the United States, Feb-

ruary 25, 1858, on the proposition to swear in Messrs. Shields and Rice,

senators from Minnesota, elected previous to her admission as a state

REPRESENTATION OF MINNESOTA-Speech in the Senate, March 29,

1858, on the representation of Minnesota in the Senate and House

ALIEN SUFFRAGE-Speeeh in the Senate of the United States, April 7,

1858, on Indian and alien suffrage in connection with the admission of

Minnesota

ENGLISH BILL-Speech in the Senate of the United States, April 29, 1858,

on what is commonly known as the English Bill, or the report of the

Committee of Conference on the disagreeing votes of the two houses on

the admission of Kansas into the Union

ADMISSION OF OREGON-Speech in the Senate, May 6, 1858, on the

admission of Oregon into the Union

INCREASE OF THE NAVY-Speech in the Senate of the United States,

June 7, 1858, on the increase of the Navy

FRANKING PRIVILEGE-Speech in the Senate of the United States, June

14, 1858, on the abolition of the franking privilege

SPEECH delivered at Hazlehurst, Miss., on the 11th of September, 1848

PACIFIC RAILROAD-Speech in the Senate of the United States, January

20, 1859, on the Pacific Railroad

GRANT OF LAND TO THE SEVERAL STATES FOR AGRICULTURAL

COLLEGES-Speech in the Senate of the United States, -

1859,

on the House Bill making grants of lands to the states for Agricultural

Colleges

SLAVERY IN THE TERRITORIES-Speech in the Senate, February 23,

1859, on the question of slavery in the territories

585

588

599

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.*

ALBERT G. BROWN was born in Chester District, S. C., May 31, 1813, and is the second son of Joseph Brown, a respectable planter, who settled in what is now Copiah county, in the state of Mississippi, in the winter of 1823. The country was then a wilderness. The white man had not yet taken possession of the "new purchase," and the fire of the red man was at that time smoking, so recent had been his exit from the country.

In indigent circumstances, Joseph Brown had sought this forest home, contented to brave its hardships, in the hope of rearing his children to better fortune than his own. His two sons, Edwin and Albert, then small boys, performed such labor in opening the farm as they were able to endure. Albert, then ten years of age, was a sort of man of all work. It was his business to mind the stock, work a little on the farm, go to mill on Saturday, and attend school occasionally when there was nothing else to do.

If it should be thought by any that this was an indifferent method of opening the way to the boy's fortune, it must be borne in mind that the family was surrounded by the most trying circumstances, and the future promised nothing but what industry, honesty, and the most rigid economy might yield. Pitching his tent in the unbroken woods, not a tree missing from the dense forest, far from the settled parts of the country, without provisions, and almost without money, and not an acquaintance or a friend on whom he could call for help-it will be readily seen that the whole business and cares of the elder Mr. Brown's life were founded on the single word "bread."

After the first two or three years, thanks to industry, economy, and a fertile soil, hard fortune began to relax her iron grasp. Well-stored granaries, sleek herds of cattle, fat hogs and horses, attested the thrift which followed on the heels of retreating poverty. About this time. attention was given to Albert's strong inclination for books, and he was kept pretty steadily at such inferior neighborhood schools as may be found in a frontier country—that is, barring the interruptions which

* This biographical sketch was published in the Democratic Review in 1849, with the exception of the record of his life since that time, it being from the pen of the editor of this compilation.

going to mill and working on the farm in times of great need would occasionally interpose.

In February, 1829, having made tolerable proficiency in the rudiments of an English education, and given evidence of sprightliness, his father consented, with as much readiness as was consistent with his limited means, to send him to Mississippi College, then a respectable school, under the management of that excellent man and pure Christian, the Rev. D. Comfort. Here he remained three years, endearing himself to a large circle of class and school mates, almost all of whom have since been his fastest and truest friends, and winning the confidence and affection of his venerable teacher, who still survives to witness the success of his pupil, and to enjoy the happy consciousness that his parental cares and sage counsel have lifted a poor boy to distinction, and placed him on the highway to fame and fortune. The writer has often heard the subject of this notice confess with deep emotion his gratitude to his old preceptor, and declare that to him he owed, in a great measure, whatever of success had attended him through life. From Mr. Comfort's school, young Brown was transferred, in the winter of 1832, to Jefferson College, where he remained six months-when, becoming dissatisfied with the institution, he left it and went home, under a partial promise from his father to send him for a regular collegiate course to Princeton or Yale. But, after counting the cost, and making allowance for the care of a then rather numerous family of sons and daughters, Mr. Brown (the father) concluded that he should be unable to send his son to college. Thus closed the school-boy days of Albert G. Brown. With an education very imperfect, suddenly disappointed in his cherished hope of prosecuting his studies in one of the old schools, he was, at the early age of nineteen years, left to select his future course. This was a critical period, and few young men thus suddenly crossed and thrown back upon their own resources would have behaved better. Mr. Brown, not entirely desponding, but greatly chagrined at being thus cut off with an education scarcely commenced, went of his own choice to the county village, Gallatin, entered into an arrangement with a lawyer of high standing (E. G. Peyton, Esq.), and the next day began the study of the law. In less than a year, he was examined before the Supreme Court of Mississippi, and admitted to the bar, with appropriate evidences of his qualifications. Though closely pursuing his studies, Mr. Brown found ample time in his hours of recreation to extend his acquaintance among the people, and by his bland and courteous deportment to lay deep and solid the foundation. of that singular personal popularity, which no change of parties or political convulsion has ever shaken.

During his six months' stay at Jefferson College, previously mentioned, he underwent a course of military training; and, recommended by this circumstance, the people of his county attested their confidence

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Speeches, Messages and Other Writings of the Hon. Albert G. Brown: A Senator ...