The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-11-13
SENATOR GORDON on THE LATE
ELECTIONS.

In the course OF an interview between Ueu.
Gordon Senator from Georgia. and a reporter
of the Charleston Neocs and Courier, the fol-
lowing dialogue occurred
Reporter-Gen. Gordon, shall be very glad
to have your views as to tbs causes which
have checked what we call the Democratic
I" Tidal Wave?" Has the currency question
served to defeat the Democrats at the North :!
Gen Gordon-Well, sir, in one sense 1t
has, In another sense, the currency question
has had nothiog to do with it. LIST me ex-
plain what I mean. If you intend by your
inquiry to ask if the platform on currency
adopted by Ohio and Pennsylvania defeated
the Democrats in those States, l an
swer, no. They would have lost those
States upon a hard-money or con-
traction platform just as surely, and
perhaps, by larger majoriiies. You see,
in New York, on hard money platform, the
Democrats, while they have carried the State,
have in truth lost far grea'er strength, as COM
pared with the last vote, than have the Demo-
Gratis of Ohio and Pennsy lvania on green
back platform. So that the currency question,
either because the ole side or the other was
popular or unpopular, right or wrong, has had
nothing to do with the defeat of the Northern
Democracy.
keporter-In what sense, then, has this
currency question aided in this defeat?
Gen. Gordon-Why, sir, in the sense hat
it served to direct the public attention from
the corruptions and mal-admnistration OF
the party in power. II the Democratic party
had absolutely united either upon the one
side or the other of tbs currency question,
and had made it leading issue in these Cam
paigns, We should still have been defeated;
for the Democratic party of the Union. upon
9th tbnGn have mentioned
the corruptions and NAL admins ration of
the Republican party-fight at great dsad-
vantage. They go 10 war upon new issues OIL
which the public mind is not made up, with
strong party backed by all the power of
all the departments of the administra-
ton, and with which the majority of
the Northern people have long been
acting In other words, when we contine
ourselves to the work of exposing the extrav-
agance, the prohgacy. the gigantic fluids,
the Southern policy of the Republican party
and its Efforts to keep alive, for its own pur-
poses, sectional alterations, then We have, on
these issues, furnished good reasons to the
people for abandoning that party. Then we
have. I sincerely believe, the honest men of
all parties with us, aud upon these issues, and
these alone, the Democrats would, in my
Judgment, have carried DO h Ohio and Penn
sylvania, and the State of New York would
not have lost it's fifty thousand Democratic
majority. Any other question which served
to divert public attention from the true
grounds upon which the people ought to be
asked to expel from power the Republican
party would have been just as disastrous to
the Democrats as this currency question.
Reporter should now like to ask, Gen
eral, whether in your Judgment the Southe IN
States ought to take part in the Centennial
celebration next year?
Gen. Gordon -Unquestionably. If the
memories of '76 belong peculiarly to any peo-
pie, they unquestonably do to the South; and
if any people are to gain by reviving their re-
collections, and making popular again the
principles of '76 we of the South, who need
only these to be restored to all our rights, are
the people to be thus benefited.
Reporter-Do you see anything humlliatlng
to the South in thlt celebration?
Gen. Gordon-Nothing whatever. If we
were required to repudiate our honest convic-
tions in any manner or form. should unhes-
itatingly advise every Southern man to stay
at home, no matter who called him away.
Reporter-Wlll the participation of the
Southern States in the Centennial celebration
teud to confirm the good feeling OF those of
the North and West who desire to see the
South restored
Gen. Gordon-Most undoubtedly it will.
The South in going to Philadelphia only
helps to celebrate her own grand record in
the Revolution. There is no humiliation or
degradation in that. If any Southern man
bushes for the record made blythe South an
terror to the Revolution, in connection with
the Declaration of Independence and the war
which made it success, he should not 60 to
Philadelphia. If any Southern man objects
to seeing the principles embodied in the
Declaration. or Of the Confederated Govern
ment of 1857, which was the consequence OF
it, again re-established, as the permanent
policy of this government, he ought to stay
away from Philadelphia. OF course, you will
understand that l would not advise any
Southern man to go to Philadelphia if he had
to abate one iota of his convictions or senti-
ments. Nor does the North ask for it or ex-
pect it.
At this point the interesting conversation
so far as it related to public matters came to
a close, and an hour later Gen. Gordon started
for Atlanta, bearing with him many pleasant
recollections of his brief visit, and leaving be.
hind him many words of encouragement and
good cheer for South Carolina, for which he
sees in the near future an era OF freedom, Sc.
curity and good government.
Reporter General, you do not con-
slider the elections as so discouraglng to Dem.
ocratic prospects in 1876?
Gen. Gordon-No, 1 do not. OF course il
would have been more satisfactory to me to
have seen the Democrats successful in al
these States; but if the reserves serve to sci
aside this question of finance, and, sir, every
other question which distracts public atten
ton from the exposures which we have already
made, and may yet make of Radical corrup.
TONS what we consider reverses NAV prove
beneficial to the Democratic party in the end.
Reporter-Th you think the Republican.
would be very glad to have new issues intro
duced.
Gen. Gordon-Ofcourse they would, and it
does not matter with them much what these
new issues are; whether they be the currency
the acquisition of Cubl, or war with The
Pope-anything rather than their own re-
cord. They know very we'll that the people
are against their Credit Mobiliers theil
Indian, their railroad. and their Wash
ington City government rings, and on
these would vote them out O