GENERAL COMMITTEE ON CLAIMS-Speech in the House of Represen- tatives, December 20, 1852, on the proposition to establish a general CUBA-Remarks in the House of Representatives, January 3, 1853, on the NEBRASKA AND KANSAS-Speech in the Senate of the United States, INDIGENT INSANE BILL-Speech in the United States Senate, March 2, 318 321 329 344 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- 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- 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- 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 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-Speech in the Senate of the United States, April 25, 1856, on the jurisdiction of Congress over the District of Columbía. 451 ADMISSION OF KANSAS-Speech in the Senate of the United States, April 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 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. 528 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 570 571 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 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 SPEECH delivered at Hazlehurst, Miss., on the 11th of September, 1848 PACIFIC RAILROAD-Speech in the Senate of the United States, January on the House Bill making grants of lands to the states for Agricultural SLAVERY IN THE TERRITORIES-Speech in the Senate, February 23, 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 in him by electing him a colonel of militia before he was nineteen years old. This was the first office he ever held. The next year he was chosen a brigadier-general of militia. Mr. Brown was scarcely twenty years of age when he applied for admission to the bar, and the writer has heard him speak of his extreme anxiety, lest the usual question (where there can be any doubt)-" are you twenty-one?" should be propounded. This was the only question to which he could not have given a satisfactory answer, and by singular good fortune (for him) it was not asked. His He began the practice of his profession in the autumn of 1833, and succeeded at once. He took rank with the oldest and most distinguished professional gentlemen at the bar where he practised. business steadily and rapidly increased to 1839, when he withdrew from the profession to accept a seat in Congress, in the enjoyment of the fullest and most lucrative practice, being professionally employed in nearly five hundred causes during the year in which he retired from the bar. In October, 1835, Mr. Brown (or General Brown, by which title he was then better known) was married to Elizabeth Frances Taliaferro, a Virginia lady of accomplishments, of great personal worth, and of excellent family. She survived the marriage only about five months. Her family have subsequently been among the most steadfast of General Brown's numerous friends and supporters. In this year, 1835, began the political career of General Brown. At the November election, he was chosen a representative to the State Legislature, to fill the first vacancy occurring after he was twenty-one years old. It was an interesting period in the legislation of Mississippi, and there was great competition for the seats. In 1835, Copiah, the county of Mr. Brown's residence, was entitled to three representatives, and he was one of nine candidates, nearly all Democrats, or, as they were called, "Jackson men." Great pains were taken to defeat him, as the aspiring and ambitious thought he would be in their way on future occasions. Some maintained that he was too young, but the great bulk of the opposition rested upon an alleged unsoundness in hist political views. For this charge there was no better foundation than that General Brown's father was a Whig, or, as he was not ashamed to call himself, a Federalist of the old school. The election transpired, and General Brown was successful, being the second successful candidate, and leading his next highest competitor about seventy-five votes. His representative duties were discharged with marked fidelity, and so entirely to the satisfaction of his constituents, that at the next election he was returned without a struggle, the opposition being only nominal. He took an active and leading part in the debates, and in all the business of legislation; and before the expiration of his first term, the speakership having been vacated by the indisposition of the presiding officer of the house, he was chosen speaker pro tem., by acclamation. It is to be |