The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-14

WASHINGTON, ID. O., March 4, 1879.
Editors Chronicle and CoDstitutionalist. Au-
gusta. Ga
letter over the signature of Mrs. w. IL
FELTON,. published in your paper Of the TWEEN
ty-third eltImo, came to my noticein the last
days OF tho expiring session, when my whole
time. night and day. was necessarily given to
public business. | wish 1t distinctly UNDER
stood that, IN my reply to the statements
contained In that extraordinary commuuica-
ton, nothing that / shall say IL applicable 70
Mrs. FELTON,, with whom | have and shall
have no controversy.
There s no longer any room for doubt that
DIR. VIM. ii. FELTON, II the author and circu-
latOr of the Calumnies which. insnuated by
him on tho stump, have been SO often re-
peated In bis organs In the Seventh Congress
SIGNAL District, and which Were so sgnally
rebuked by my almost unanimous reelection
to the United States Senate
DIR. FELTON, is the first Georgian and be-
ifeye the only American In any sphere Of life
who has shielded himself from responsibility
for his lalsehoods by taking shelter behind a
woman, and that woman his own wife and the
mother of his children.
Indeed, do not know that such an instance
was ever known In any civilized community
The common law, which on this subject la the
essence Of English sentiment and civilization
contemplated the man ms the outer picket
".
from rude contact with the world while she
In the delicate privacy of home. presided over
IL hallowed precincts, Hoftcning, sweetening
and sanctifying It's holy endearments. This
too, Is the spirit of the Christian Church In ali
the earth Religion, then. and civilization
and the common law, and manhood and
womanhood alike revolt at the wanton pro-
fanation OF the hoiest relations of life 1t
almost makes us lose sight of the sckening
spectacle of this minister Of the gospel bear.
lig false irtness dgdinst his neigHbo,
entered the canvass of the Seventh Con
gressional District rot from choice, but AT
the call OF the political organization Of which
/ am member. j made no assault upon DIR |
Felton's character during the entire canvass
l did not mention his name until his ISLANDERS
upon my character made II proper for me 20
repel them. This assault, therefore, ID abso-
lutely without excuse waIlton and reckless.
A few words will suffice to dispose of his |
effort to shamefully misrepresent my admin |
istration Of the Atlanta department of the |
Southern Life Insurance Company and my |
connection with a great and patriotic move
ment by the leading educators of the South to
rid the schools OF the country Of partisan text |
books. The insurance company failed from
no fault of mine When the two dreadful cpl !
denies Of the Mississippi valley and the gen |
eral financial panic In the country broke the |
parent company at Memphis, the books ofthe |
Atlanta department, over which presided, |
showed that every death loss 1t had incurred
had been paid, and the transmission 10 the
parent company at Memphis OF near 81 $780, |
600.
Az to the book enterprise was induced CO |
connect myself with il In obedience to the |
wishes and advice Of the best men of the |
South, among them Gen Lee himself No |
surprise ought TO be felt, since our failure in |
war, at the disposition OF DIR. FELTON, to Sian
der every cause and every man who had the |
confidence or friendship of that honored man |
Although this most needful schoo-book en- |
terprise has made no money. 1t has survived |
the panic. and Is still furnishing books of the /
highest order, by our ablest teachers, to |
Southern and Northern schools, despite the |
efforts Of wealthy rivals and the enemies OF |
the South to break 1t down.
j do not know to what DR.. FELTON, makes |
reference when he charges me with having |
grossly wronged some Southern bishop. 1t Is |
unqualfiedly false that ever borrowed, used |
or obtained in any way one dollar, or ever was |
under pecuniary obligation TO the extent of |
one farthng to any bishop, Northern or
Southern. except To n beloved and holy man
now dead, whose son served upon my staff,
and who sent me- near the close of the war
without any solicitation from me, about $500. |
rs well as can remember.
That debt was discharged, after the war, by
stocks, the best had, and In amount sulIi-
Gent, as believed, TO more than cancel IT,
say nothing in this connection of the appear
ance of u Representative of Georgia and n
member Of the American Congress, in tho
high and statesmanlike role OF hiring his
mtntons to uncover every private and husi-
ness transaction OF my life in frutlpsS effort
to find something to blur and stain my repu-
tation. ] invite his inspection and revela-
lions; and III he has discovered that these
stocks sold for less than the debt, let him and
every one interested know that stand ready
to make good every cent of loss If any oc-
CURED on that debt, not only with money but
with the gratitude due for an unsolicited and
unexpected kindness done me In the distress
ing hours Of the late revolution.
His reference TO my connection with the
lease of convicts under the laws of Georgia
is best answered by the records Of the State
and tho ppTrpSnpuIpDpn m ifG UInu
show that the law was passed by the chosen
Legislature OF our own people: that IL was
passed without my knowledge or agency;
that the bids were invited from all citizens i'm
accordance with law, by the Governor; that
whatever interest was secured by bid for nv
plantation, was rendered by me to the State
soon after the contract was signed and before
any of these prisoners came into possession
of Col Lockett, the president OF the company.
that this interest has always been subject to
any disposition the authorities of the State
might see fit to make Of it. My reasons for
wishing to be released from my obligations in
connection with this lease were given more
than two years ago, and are Il sufficient
answer to this strange effort of Dr.. FELTON, to
do me this additional wrong.
But not satisfied with these shameful per
versions of my private business affairs Dr.
FELTON, descends to the lowest OF all mean
ness, In seeking to create the impression that
he or any other man believed me capable of
corrupt practices as q Senator of the United
States | do not wish to do DR.. FELTON,
wrong, nor TO use language unbecoming my
self as man, or as Representatives Of
Georgia; but without fear OF damage from
him, hiding, as he does, behind his wife, his
gray hairs and the robes Of a minister Of
Christ, | ought to be pardoned for saying of
this effort that nothing worse was ever at !
tempted by any man. 1t is the very blazonry {
Of all that is base. false and fiendish DR.. ..
FELTON, seeks justification for this wckedness !
IN the idle gabble of the partisans of two |
great rival railroad schemes, who charge i'm
proper motives to men on either side Of the
controversy, who refuse to vote as their in :
terests demand, not one of whom will he or :
any otEer man dare to quote by name in |
such connection. He has not even the excuse !
OF n newspaper charge, such ~ that made by \
New FORK journal recently, charging bribery I
against many ST the purest and best men in I
public life from both sections Of the
Union. The gentlemen who are thus wan :
tonly assailed BY this New York paper voted ?