State

Bedford Brown, of Caswell From a political standpoint he led a turbu¬ lent life and had many enemies, bnt he was conscientious in his service to both the state and the nation. I KNOW of no career which illus¬ trates quite so well the uncer¬ tainties and vicissitudes of politics and political life quite so well as that of United States Senator Bedford Brown of Caswell, who attained the topmost round of the political ladder only to bo hurled therefrom by the success of his political adversaries; hut who then rose phocnix-likc from the ashes of his defeat and again be¬ came a power in the political life of the land. lie exi»erieneod both con¬ ditions of war and peace in the life of the nation, hut his own life was a constant warfare with his political foes. lie passed his boyhood in the countryside of Caswell where lie was horn in 1795. He attended the Uni¬ versity for two sessions, after which he was admitted to the bar, where lie immediately began that public career which was to include so many offices, under such varying conditions as to furnish a remarkable illustration of the weal and woe of political fortunes. Started Early in Politics When only twenty-two he began his public career as a member of the Houso of Commons, his colleague being Romulus M. Saunders, who Inter in life became distinguished as a •fudge, member of Congress, Minister to Spain, and who held other out¬ standing offices. At that time tho two representatives from Caswell were fast friends, but later in life political differences were to be the cause of bitter enmity between tho two. Brown served a number of terms in both branches of the legislature, and in 1829 being a member of the Senate, ho was elected ns Speaker of that hotly. From his first entry upon the political stage, he was an ardent ad¬ mirer and supporter of Andrew Jack- son as against Henry Clay, and he played nn important part in giving the vote of this state in favor of Jackson for President. In 1829, John Branch having re¬ signed his seat in the United States Senate to accept an appointment in Jackson’s cabinet as Secretary of the By It. C. LAWRENCE Navy (becoming the first cabinet officer from this state), there was a spirited controversy for his vacant seat in the Senate; and there were many candidates and fourteen ballots were necessary before there was afi election. Finally on the fourteenth ballot Mr. Brown, who was then Speaker of the Senate, received one vote more than a majority and was therefore declared elected to fill the vacancy. Upon taking his sent in the Sen¬ ate, he became immediately nn anient supporter of the policies of Presi¬ dent Jackson and ho resolutely ad¬ hered to that position throughout his tenure of office ns Senator. Notwith¬ standing Senator Brown was a strong supporter of the doctrine of state’s rights, he none the less supported President Jackson in his stand against the Nullification Acts adopted bv the legislature of South Carolina ; and on this account he alienated the sup¬ port of that wing of his party which favored the policy of John C. Cal¬ houn. Notwithstanding this intra- party difference, the friends of Presi¬ dent Jackson were still strong enough to dominate the majority in this state, and upon the completion of Senator Brown’s term he was reelected to the Senate. Obeying the People’s Mandates Croat changes occurred in political affiliations after the holding of the Constitutional Convention of 1835. On the issue of Internal Improvements the Whigs became the dominant party Let us write your Book Club Papers THE BOOK CLUB SERVICE 2012 Hillsboro Street Raleigh, N. C. in tho state and having secured a ma¬ jority in the General Assembly, they secured the adoption of a resolution in favor of re-chartering the Bank of the United Stutcs, and the passage of a resolution instructing Senator Brown anil his colleague, .Judge Rob¬ ert Strange, to vote in its favor, this being then the supreme issue before the nation. In that day it was the accepted political theory that the leg¬ islature had the right to instruct United States Senators how to vote on any question before the Senate; whereupon it was the duty of the Senators to either obey their instruc¬ tions or else resign. Both North Caro¬ lina Senators refused to obey the in¬ structions and tendered their resig¬ nations. Returns Home Senator Brown returned to his home in Caswell, where his own county immediately displayed its ap¬ proval of his course by again electing him ns a member of the General Assembly. It so happened that this particular legislature was Democratic and that party could therefore expect to elect the Senator. But there were a number of candidates and much feeling was aroused, especially be¬ tween the friends of Judge Saunders and those of Senator Brown, both of whom were aspirants for the nomina¬ tion. The result of these factional troubles was to prevent the election of either one, and to give the nomina¬ tion to William II. Haywood, Jr., who was finally elected ns a com¬ promise candidate. Caswell again returned Senator Brown to the State Senate in 1858; and he was reelected in 1S60, where he led the forces which successfully opposed tho secession of the state. While lie was an ardent advocate of the doctrine of state’s rights, he be¬ lieved that such rights could bo had within the Union, and that a satis- factor}* solution of the existing prob¬ lems between the North and South would ultimately be found. But after the war actually began with the taking of Fort Sumter, and when the President called upon our ( Continued on page thirty )