Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-05-31
REFUGEES OF LIES.


The following letter tells its own story:
NEW YORK, May 20, 1872.
Hon. John Scott, United States Senator
from Pennsylvania:
Shiny attention has been called to
some remarks made by you in the United
states Senate on Friday, the 18th inst, in
which you allege that " General j. B. Cor
uon, oI OeOfgla, was among the organizers
and earliest leaders" of the Ku-Klux.
Not satisfied with the prompt denial by
TWO OF your brother Senators, you sought,
IN furtherance of the political object which
IS apparent throughout your remarks, still
10 impress the idea that General Gordon
refused to tell all he knew upon the sub
lect, and you affect to believe that / had
concealed facts within my knowledge for
dishonest purposes.
IL is not for me to contrast my motives,
my honor OF integrity with yours, but your
persistent reiteratiOn in your place in the
council chamber Of the nation OF state
Inent already stamped as a falsehood de-
mands some notice from rae. You cannot
be ignorant Of the fact that | distinctly
stated in my testimony that L knew moth
Ing OF any such order as ''ku-Klux,' save
what had seen in the newspapers; that 1
lad belonged to an organization of gentle
men, the nature of which was that of Do
disorganized state Of our society; that there
was no political idea in it; that it had
never, within my knowledge, called a
meeting OF its members; that L had never
seen or heard OF disguise i'll Georgia ex-
cept those worn by two captured robbers,
who were members and fit representatives
of your own political party as it exists IN
many portions of the South, ami these
two, believe, are now i'll the Georgia
Penitentiary. This is my impression as
stated in my testimony before the Investi-
eating Committee in Washington.
If your vision, sir, had not been distorted
by prejudice, which l respectfully submit
is unworthy the high position you hold as
a representative of a great nation, you
would have seen upon your Southern tour
what every honorable Northern man who
goes amongst us sees, viz: That whatever
crimes have been committed in the South
arc the direct outgrowth Of the wrongs
perpetratcd by the Infamous State govern
ments you have set up over us.
L challenge your denial of the following
facts Whatever apprehCnsions were felt at
the cessation Of the war for the peace of
society and the safety of citizens, in conse-
quence of the overthrow of our local gov
ernments, the disbauding of an army sud
denly made paupers, and the emancipation
of whole race of slaves, these apprehen-
sions were all soon allayed.
The kindlieSt relations existed between
the two races; peace and an observance of
law were everywhere found. And never,
sir, until your carpet-bag governments,
through the fears and cupidity of the poor
deluded negro, and embittered him against
US, and by his aid and yours had robbed
our treasures, plundered our corporations,
blighted our agriculture, blasted our hopes,
and hung debt like mill stone about our
neCks-never until then, and until the ad-
ministration of law became a mockery and
political subserviency passport to Execu-
tive clemency for crime, was the peace in
the Sonth ever broken or i'll will engendered
between the races.
And it is this diaboliSm you would con-
tinue III the South. Like the tormentors
in the Spanish bull fights, you continually
fling the bloody flag in the {ace OF the ne
gro, and goad the white man to desperation
with the bayonet, that the inevitable con-
fiict may furnish the excuse for the perpe-
tration of your despotism. l pray that the
American people may rebuke this spirit in
the coming election, and let the reign OF
constitutional government be once more
inaugurated.
But be this as it may, l shall not permit
you by my silence to bolster up the for.
tunes of political party by thus dragging
my name into nOtoriety, without asking
you to carry also the responsibility of the
willful falsehood you have perpetrated il
| the effort.
[ am, sir,
Very respectfully, yours,
j. B. GORDON, of Georgia.