The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-03-18
THE SITUATION IN THE SOUTH.

THE SITUATION IN THE SOUTH.
An Interesting Statement by Senator Cor
don: of Georgia.
Boston Advertiser. March 6.
Senator Gordon, of Georgia, and
Representative Lamar, of Mississippi,
arrived in this city last evening on
their way to New Hampshire, where
the former will speak in Concord, on
Monday evening, and the latter in
Manchester These gentlemen said,
in conversation with an Il duertiseT re-
porter last evening, that they came
with feelings very different from the
ordinary feelings of politicians. Their
people were too serious to think of
mere triumph of parties. They were
Just in that condition when they were
willing to embrace anything that
promised relief and good government.
The sum of all they wanted was hon.
esty in public officers. Speaking of
the condition of property in New Or
leans. Mr.. Gordon, quoting from.
letter of lady friend residing there,
said it cost more to pay the taxes than
could be obtained from rents. The
lady continued in the letter: We
are called company of murderers and
assassins. tell you that where one
white man can be found who has COM
mitted murder from any cause at all
1 will name to you two who have
committed suicide from sheer desper-
ation." This was simply a private
letter to friend, with no expectation
that it would be made public. She
subsequently gives long list of names
of prominent citizens Of New Orleans,
who had gone mad and taken their
own lives, cit is horrid state of
society and government" added Mr..
Gordon, "that drives people to that
sort Of resort" They had come, he
said, with the hope that by an honest,
plain representation, braccd by facts
and by the testimony which they pro-
pose to present, mostly from Republi-
can sources, they can show the people
Of the North the true condition of the
Southern States. They felt sure that
whenever we did understand, as a.
brave and generous people, with a
common history and q common desti-
ny with theirs, we would not tolerate
the abuses to which they were subject
ed; the interference of the Federal
Administration. OF course, if they
could not redeem themselves through
the bailot-box they must go on suffer-
ing, but they wanted the same rights
at the ballot-box that we had. They
did not want men forced upon them
by fraudulent elections, as was done
in Arkansas, as was done every year
in Mississippi, and as was done last
year in Louisiana. They had come
here not to make political speeches,
but merely to spread out before the
people their condition. Speaking of
the condition of affairs in Georgia, he
said there had not been life taken in
that State unless it was in an unfre-
quent drunken street row. The ne
groes lived happily and peaceably. He
suggested that it was not very good
argument for those who tried to make
it appear that the whites were hostile
to the negroes when in this State,
where the former race outnumbered
the latter four to one, quiet reigned.
He mentioned one significant fact, that
the Legislature appropriated the same
amount of money for the negro col
lege as for the college which was the,
pride of every Georgian. In all the
States the older citizens saw that the
negro, so far from being responsible,
was simply made the tool in the hands
of men who used him for their own
purposes. A bad government was the
continuous source of irritation. 1t
was perfectly impossible for anybody
to conceive OF race of intelligent men
who, knowing that their whole pros
perity, everything they had in the
world, depended on keeping the peace
between the races, should turn out and
kill the negroes Wholesale. For ex-
ample: His home was four miles in
the country from Atlanta. Everything
he had on earth in the way of house
keeping-his farm, mules, corn; fodder
hay, houses, everything was in the
hands of tho narrooe urh;lo ba woo n,
Washington, and not a white man up
on the place. lie knew the sentiment
of the Southerners upon the questions
of race and color, and he could affirm
that there was no hostility towards
the negro as man. Mrs. Gordon aud
himself had gone away from home and
left their entire family, their little
children, in the hands of negro serv-
ants, without white man anywhere
about. His children slept with their
colored nurse at night, and he had no
objection to the association, except as
it might influence their morality. The
danger of this was much gereater than
before the war. Then the negro was
in the control of his master. He was
told not to swear, not to drink, not to
use obscene language among children.
There was no such control over him
now, and not having any power to
control him in any way to prevent any
arts that would mislead him, he was
filled with apprehension. 1t was not
repugnance toward him, but dis
trust of him. The negroes on his place
worked his farm, and he divided its
products equally with them. Every
man voted against him every time,