The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-03-16
THE COLOR LINE.
SOUTHERN AFFAIRS,

THE VIEWS OF SENATOR GORDON, OF GEORGIA
HE AND REPRESENTATIVE LAMAR VISIT
NEW ENGLAND-THE FEELING BETWEEN
THE TWO RACES IN THE soUrH-THE IN
JUST ADMINISTRATION OF THE SOUTH.
The Boston Advertiser, of the 9th inst,
visit of Senator Gordon to New England,
concerning the present condition of the two
races in the South: Senator Gordon, of Geor-
gia, and Representative Lamar, OF Missis-
sippi, 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 Advertiser reporter 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 10
embrace anything that promised relief
and good government. The sum of all
they wanted was honesty in their public off,
GERS Speaking of the condition of property
in New Orleans, Mr.. Gordon. quoting from
a letter of lady friend residing there, said
il cost more to pay the taxes than could be
obtained from rents. The lady continued
in the letter: 1--WE are called company Of
murderers and assasins. l tell you that
where one white man can be found who has
committed murder, for any cause at all,
will nam to you two who have committed
suicide from sheer desperation" This was
simply private letter written to a friend,
with no expectation that it would be made
public. She subsequently, gives a long
list of names of prominent citizens of New
Orleans who bad gone mad and taken their
own lives. cit is horrid state of society
and government" added Mr. Gordon, ''that
driv fn haf Snrt of
had come, he said, with the hope that by an
honest, plain representation, braced by facts
and by the testimony which they propose to
present, mostly from republican 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 brave and generous people, with COM
mon history and a common destiny with
theirs, we would not tolerate the abuses to
which they We're subjected, the interference
of the federal administration. OF course, if
they could not redeem themselves
THROUGH THE BALLor-BoX
they must go on suffering, 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 Missis-
sippi, and as was done last year in Louisi-
ana. They had come here not to make po-
litical speeches, but merely to spread out
before the people their condition.
Speaking of the condition of af-
fairs in Georgia. be said there
that state, unless il was in an infrequent
drunken street row. The negroes lived
happily and peaceably. He suggested that
it was not very good argument for those
who tried to make il appear that the whites
were hostile to the negroes, when in this
G W ON trarrr Oo- n
the latter four to one, quiet reigned. He
mentioned, as one significant fact that the
Legislature appropriate ed the same amount of
money for the negro college az for the col
lege which was the pride of every Georgian.
In all the states the older citizens saw
responsible, was simply made the tool in
the hands of men who used him tor their
own purposes. a bad government was the
continuous source OF irritation. 1t was per-
fectly impossible for anybody TO conceive
OF q race of intelligent men. who, knowing
that their own prosperity, 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 housekeeping, his farm,
mules, corn, fodder, hay, houses. every
thing was in the hands of negroes while
he was in Washington, and not ~ hite man
upon the place. He knew the sentiment of
the Southerners upon the questions of race
and color and he could affirm that there was
no hostility toward the negro man.
Mrs. Gordon and himself had gone away
from home and left their entire family, their
little children, in The hands OF negro ser
wants, with not 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 influ-
ence their morality. The danger of this was
much greater 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 the child
rem. There was no such control over him
now and not having any power to control
him in any way TO prevent any arts that