The daily gazette., 1876-11-04
Letter from Senator Gordon.
THE CONTRAST BETWEEN GEORGIA AND
.. SOUTH CAROLINA.

t..- SOUTH CAROLlNA.
The Hon. John B. Gordon, United
States Senator from Georgia, in a letter
to the New York Tribune, corrccts the
misrepresentation of q correspondent of
that paper in regard to Gen, Hampton
and the white people of South Car oiina.
He denies, as charged by this correspond
emf, that Gen. Hampton was o " fre-eater
of fire eaters" On the contrary, Senator
Gordon shows that he was one of the few
men in South Carolina who opposed to
the very last committing the destinies of
his State to secession. He was notorious
ly an antagonist of that movement; spoke
and voted in the South Carolina Senate
against the ordinance of secession, and
has been universally recognized since the
war as one of the most moderate men in
any Southern State.
He was also the first Southern man after
the war to advocate the citizenship of the
colored race. Mr.. Gordon also asserts
from personal observation that more or
derly, peaceful political meetings were
never held in any State of the Union
than those being held by Gen. Hampton,
and contends that whatever may have
been the mistakes the follies, or even the
isolated crimes of few individuals it
will scarcely be denied that the people of
South Carolina have exhibited spirit of
most commendable forbearance, under
provocations most harassing, financial
distresscs most poignant, and political
wrong most intolerable, at the hands of a
State government the worst perhaps that
has ever been imposed upon any people
in civilized or barbaric history. Mr.
Gordon concludes his letter by drawing
| the following contrast between Georgia
and South Carolina:
"No people were ever so misunder
stood as the people of these Southern
States. Nothing could be more foreign
| to their purpose, more averse to their
sentiments, nor more in conflict with
their interest, than the oppression of the
colored race, upon whose good behavior
and labor their peace and prosperity
depend. 1t is to them most strange that
they are charged with so suicidal q policy,
even if they were, as republican leaders
affect to believe, lost to every impulse OF
humanity. 1t is to them most strange
that the respective conditions of Georgia
and South Carolina, with nothing but the
narrow Savannah between them, should
be no vindication of the Southern people
and no evidence of the unwisdom of fore
ing upon the State by acknowledgements
rulers who have no local interests outside
of the offices they hold. The credit OF
South Carolina is ruined, her taxes are
lconfscatory, her institutions of learning
q byword and reproach, her population
i
Georgia are nearly on q par with United
States securities; her taxes scarcely ap-
(preciable; her colofed institutions of
learning supported by state contributions
and in most flourishing condition, with
absolute peace, harmony and good will
between the races reignlng undisturbed
Throughout her borders. There is moi
one right conferred upon the white mar
by the State of Georgia which is no
equally secured to the black man. TIL,
annual appropriation made to the color
ed college in the city of Atlanta; the so,
600 colored childrenin our public schools
while that race pays but one fiftieth o
the taxation; the rapidly increasing pro
perty, both real and personal, in th'
hands of black men, the almost partia
Justice shown them in contests witt
white men before our courts; the freedom
from disturbance, restraint, or intimida
ton at election, are facts which can be
established on the testimony of fair-mind.
ed black and white republicans in this
State, verified by any unprejudiced re.
publican from the North who will visit
us, and should be potential in silencini
the partisan appeals to the North for un
necessary protection to the colored, ant
unnatural animosity to the white race"