New-York tribune., 1870-05-26
THE GEORGIA QUESTION.
GOV. BULLOCK IN REPLY TO MR.. FERRY.

GOV. BULLOCK IN REPLY TO MR. FERRY.
10 u, Res1an "ators and RprtaHes 4" coHgTss' rAo
GENTLEMEN /: | regret that duty TO myself
personally and TO my official position, requires that
should address myself in this to those with whom
am politically associated My for doing ara
found In the following extract from speech made By
the honorable Senator from Connecticut, Mr. Perry on
| the nth inst:
But say that had Georgia the last two year,
been In the hands Of men Of high patriotism II It had
fare OF the nation instead Of their pccunlary All.
vance %yaneemgent we might have different state Of thing,
clusion arrived At by four Repubicans and one Demo
cratic member Of me Judiciary Committee o the senate
ce bills ~ rendered for printing pamphlets extracts and
speeches on the Georgia question, did "use Improper
means to influence the vote Of Senators upon the Ge0ra
| question:"
Were these the production Of Democrats. neither nv
voice nor my pen would be raised TO notice thcm com
ing from Republican sources they worthy of notice
In noticing first the allegation Of Senator Ferry that
had Georgia for the last years been the hands of
men Of high patriotism, If 1t lad been in the hands Of
men who looking 10 the welfare Of the nation In
| stead Of their own pecuniary advancement We might
have had different state Of things there from what
lists to-day" would say that from my .tandp point
fully with the Senator in this statement from the
fact that for the last years at least until the goth
Of January last, Georgia has been in the hands Of
Rebel Democratic legislative organization But az tho
remark ia evidently intended 10 apply tOthe Repubcas
of that state, and TO myself the head Of the state
Government, shall refer 10 few historical facts for
the purpose Of establishing the injustice 10 use the mild
est form OF expression, which IL done by the Senator u
the Republicans Of our State and to myself by his re-
| mark
| ORGANIZATION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY GEORGIA.
On the 4th day OF July 1867, Convention met In A.
anta to organize Republican party in our state, IN
opposition that kind Of Repubicansm which claimed
Andrew johnson its chief That Convention resolved
TO sustain the reconstruction acts Of Congress- and "
endeavOr to establish Government for the state nnder
| O
and the who participated In that Organization were
surrounded by all the malignity Of Rebel hate named
and embttered by the Endorsement OF the Convention m
favor of the enranchisement Of the oored men go lately
their slaves And the little band who thus brayey met
threatened on all sides, and their lives were by no
means secure In November Of the year an election
had TO decide by vote whether convention under
the reconstruction acts should be called ana AT the same
s shosd Gi it, |S call be- afed In M election the Republican:
| Of the State were successful, Inc CONVENTION
called and during the Winter OF 1878 constitution
framed in which there no sign OF prescription no
test oath no disfranchsement All men OF sound mind;
years OF age and residents Of the state, are under u en-
titled to vote and to hold office In April ls the Coh'
time, under an ordinance OF the Sonyent2n' an
Constitution, Governor and members OF the General
Assembly who by virtue Of the ordinance were declared
eCmPaBGer 60 Of the district were to enter upon the
charge Of their duties as such and were 70 continue pro
vsonal until the State was restored 70 the Union shc
they would enter upon their terms OF ONCE as presence
in the Constitution. This campaign resulted In the rat
hcaton Of the Constitution and IN the election OF inysen
and General Assembly, whose ne4Dersl as eleouu'
|
the party favoring the Reconstruction acts and tho
Democratic party, the party opposing those acts A.,
General Assembly convened the 4th Of July Of tho
same year Among those elected by he opposite party
the act Of June 25, and by previous acts IRON nodhs
FoTftedRh Amendment This fact was earnestly pressed
upon the attention the Commanding General by my
military S S sommanders and of the Judiciary Committee
the Senate Notwithstanding this presentation OF facts
make no objection to those members retaining their seats
the thus ts d4m o. IN adUSn the OF t@e
dton then requiredin the acts
thus established In September OF the same year this
legislative organization excluded from their seats some
| o. of its members, who OF African descent At
this point the contest originating from the enranehise
men OF the eo9red men was renewed % Win an @ s p ha
considered by the Legislature, in an official c.mnuh
which was capable Of using, the great wrong which
about to be perpetrated and, OF course, thereby
appeals were made to by frightened and dsconrg gsd
Republicans to aequesce in this outrage, and offers OF
| high political preerment and advancement were indl-
ree rendered to me by the opposite Pg pa to eeSt Ies
that would be visited upon me II dld not accept ther
| terms. ,,,s
ato from Connecticut and the Republicans OF Con
gress who have sustained the Reconstruction policy as
to whether high patriotism" and the welfare OF tho
naton," or my "own pecuniary adyancement" wero
the moving causes in this political situation NGthTth
ture persisted in maintaining the expulsion OF the col
ored members. And information OF the fact that tho
Reconstruction acts had been dsre egarded in the organ
ization of the Legislature by allowing thirty or more
disqualified members to be seated, and the evil results
which had followed this failure execute the law in the
expulsion of the coored members from the organization
was transmitted by myself in formal manner to Senat
Morgan and Representative schenck, in whose hands
was question OF session OF Congress between
its adjournment in July and It's regular assembling IN
December with the request that should session IN the
mean time be had, the matter should be aid before
Congress. As Is well known, session took place. bg
the assembling Of Congress In December formal =
that hour until, upon the recommendation OF or firm
and patriotic President, the act OF Dec. y Nss
laws rebuked and the outrages perpetuated undtr
of redre have been instant in season aId
power control to bring facts bearing upon the matter
| To the attention OF Congress.
During this terrible struggle OF nearly two ycsrs
when delegations OF men from Georgia who had ecu
true to the Union, men native and 10 the manor Lor
the feet Of Congress- surrounded they at hone
by threats of vengeance and of violence, their ASA
nation publicly recommended in the neWspapers; th9
hope published that they might perish by the WaySd
and that Georgia should be no more cursed Dy tn'i.
murder Of several OF them they passed on tlo
way from the railroad station 10 their own hfeslGet.et
tcut if thigh patriotism or looking 10 the Nelai' ~ 81
the nation" would have caused me 10 bSS Would NJ
! whether my "pecuniary advancement "Vul' D., y
| have been largely secured by surrendeflhg 70 .uI
enemiesi No gentlemen the Senator but repeats tie
sanders and msreprcsentaons which have Teen healei
upon myself aud the Republicans OF u,oIs,a ~ a.
Senator has been miSled by these misrepresentation
But be assured there is "pecunlary adNahcemehl IN
the lire of strict adherence 10 republican princpe ah
the measures involved in the reconstruction Pohc3
Congress in Georgia. Fortunate indeed is he who s' &
his life though he lose that when tiyy 10 ag-
should be dearCr than lfe deartr thai Pea. ont an
vancement-his good name and fame ,hreat@n2d i'm his
the confines Of civilization settler & r. tr"ons are e
cabin 10y the prowling bands OF lhi'n, ,eut and ta
once moved money IS InN'h sor hs protcetion; but.
on the other hand il white and biheE M snHs RE- M Or NC
,n hands of disguised KukuX, the President Is IRE.
vented from granting proecIiOh wv dia,s @ core ~
the Capital from me soI baste s made made m pnt them md
| > he T.