The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-03-27
--HHHsHH. HHHar toommunicated.l
Letter from Gov. Bullock on Georgia
AHatrs.

|
wAsHtSGroN, D. c., March %, 1850
EDITOR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN I find
In your paper OF this date n communication
signed &C. X. osgood," In which such refer
ence Is made to myself as to compel de-
parture on my part from my prescribed rule
OF avoiding newspaper controversy. Nor
do Intend Mt this time TO be drawn beyond
a simple statement OF certain facts touching
the communication referred to, together with
q respectful reference to your Washington
correspondence under date Of 25th inst.
Concerning Mr.. Osgood's conversation
with myself, would invite attention TO the
following statement made by my secretary.
who was present ut the time OF tho interview
referred to by Mr.. Osgoodi
"Mr. Osgood having called upon Governor
Bullock and had some conversation with him
upon Indifferent topics, introduced the sub
ject of the fifteenth amendment by remark
ing that II was the special order for that
morning In the House Of Representatives,
and asked what the Governor thought about
IT, Gov. Bullock replied that the convcn-
tlon Of the Republican party Of the State
which met at Atlanta on the flfth Of March,
had, by resolution, pledged itself unequivo.
cally and positively to the ratification Of the
fifteenth amendment, when they should have
: a Legislature that would carry II out in
good faith.
"That resolution, he said, was pledge
for the party, and all true Republicans
would, and ought to, stand by their party
pledge, and should be bound by the action
OF the party convention. That action dis
tinctly implied that until the organization Of
q legal Legislature they-tho Republicans
would abstain from action on the fifteenth
amendment; and with equal distinctncss i'm
piled that If the Democrats In the General
Assembly desired, as an evidence of their
good faith and of their acceptance of the sit
uation, to ratlfy the amendment, they would
have an excellent opportunity Of doing 80, as
they controlled both Houses; that the clearly
implied intention of the State party convcn-
ton was, not that Republicans should vote
against ratification, but that IL a aiority of
the Democrats voting upon 1t desired to
ratify, they would have no difficulty In car
rying IT, and they did not need, the
Governor stated, to use the Republicans as
a cats-paw with which to pull Democratic
chcstnuts out OF the fire.
The Governor further remarked to Mr..
! Osgood, that the Democrats in the General
Assembly were Jubilaut over the idea which,
at the time, was widespread among their
class In both Houses, that II tho fifteenth
amendment were ratified by them, It would
be the realization of all their dearest wishes,
and that they would be then allowed to 20
on In the quiet and undisturbed possession
OF their seats, even In the face of their lille
gal and revolutionary expulsion Of the COL
ored members, and of the fact that q large
number of the sitting members were inel-
gible under the law. He added that all Re-
publicans who believed such Il cousumma-
ton to be uni ust should support the Repub-
lican platform as defined by the State con-
vcntion-thc course by them marked out
being, In his opinion, the only way In which |
the evils under which loyal men were suf-
ferlng could be removed"
The resolution of the State Republican |
convention, to which reference Is above |
made, Is as follows
" Resolrcd That We regard the fifteenth !
amendment to the Constitution of the Uni |
ted States, proposed by Republican Con-
gress, as measure of right aud Justice, and |
shall recommend Its adoption when we have |
Legislature that will In good faith pro- |
vide for Its enforcement"
reference to the proceedings of the State
Senate will develop the fact that the hftccnth |
amendment was not defeated by the vote of |
Its president, the honorable Benjamin COnley. |
motion TO postpone having received n tic |
vote, was carried in the affirmative by the
presidents casting vote. This vote upon hi.
part was strictly In accordance with the in
structions Of the Republican State conven-
ton, to which reference has already been |
made, and OF which he was himself the |
president. On the following morning, how
ever, this vote was reconsdered by the same |
Senate, and a resolution ratifying the amend
ment put direct upon its passage. This
resolution received only four Democratic
votes, and was not adopted.
The statement which Is frequently made,
to the effect that the Senate of Georgia is a
Republican body, or has a Republican ma.
jorlty, cannot be sustained by any cita-
tion of the action of that body since the cx-
pulsion of the colored Senator's and, as evil
dencc Of the disposition OF that Senate, it is
only necessary to refer to the fact that at or
about the time In which the fifteenth amend
ment was under consideration an attempt
was made TO pass over my veto bill lncor- |
poratlng municipal government, within |
whose Jurisdiction no person was allowed |
ether 10 r0te or hold office unless he was the |
owner OF a town lot-a provision which would |
have excluded nearly every colored citizen
within Its limits. Upon the question whether
this bill should pass over the Executive veto.
q majority of the Senators voted Gave"
Under our constitution, however, a two
thirds vote was necessary to carry it, and the |
bill therefore failed to become a law. If |
such Senate can be called u Republican |
body, 1t Is of that character of Repu6licanism |
which Is antagonistic to the principles of the |
fifteenth amendment.
Mr.. OsgoOd has done me q kindness In re- |
producing the following extract from nv |
amendment to the General Assembly:
The ratification of this amendment by |
your honorable body, and u recognition of |
Its requirements as here indicated, together |
with those Of the fourteenth amendment |
uhich are as yet disrcgdrdcd-will,I sincerely |
hope and confidently believe, secure for us |
full and complete recognition as u State, |
dchnitlycly settle our political differences, |
and set at rest, finally and forever, the feel |
lug OF uncertainty and Insecurity which now |
excite and disturb large portion of our |
people"
Both my publicly expressed desire and |
my private wishes" are fully set forth In
the above quotation. have neither public
nor private "wishcs" which do not accord
with the sentiments there expressed. A
recognition Of the requirements of the III
tenth amendment, as indicated In that
communication, together with those of the
fourteenth amendment, "rhiCh are as net dis |
regarded" Is oil that the loyal Republicans
OF the party OF the State, and of the nation,
demand. Such recognition would rest ore
the expelled cOlorcd Republicans TO their
seats and exclude persons who are ineligible |
under the fourteenth amendment to the |
Constitution.
1t lshopcd that may be excused for further |
trcspassing upon your space by reference |
toyour Washington correspondence, In which |
II Is stated that There is an apparent deter
h''hhti'h VI hOt u lew Vi lutbt BCutltulCl 10 |
permit no native Republican to hold prom |
incnt positions In the party organizations" |
and that 'lt Is alleged from Georgia that |
this spirit was at the bottom Of Governor |
Bullock srccent defeat ofthc fifteenth amend |
ment OF the CONSTITUTIONS and, again, that
Those making these statements insist that
he could have but the motive of prolonging |
the existing condition ofafiairs there by which |
the Republican party of the State is confined
to the colored population and handful of
oflce-holding and Offlcc-scCkng whites in
the ring with him, "&c.
From whom these allegations from
Georgia" come can only determine by the |
known fact that the small clique of persons
who favor submission to the revolutionary
action of that party which permitted the .
seating IN the General Assembly of persons |
Ineligible, under the fourteenth amendment, |
and the expulsion thcrcfrom Of eligible Re |
puGllcans solely on account of color, and In
violation of the constitution, have lately |
selected myself as a target for their defama-
ton, denunciaton, and Misrepresentation.
AT the state convention of the Republican