Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-06-01
GENERAL JOHN b. GORDON.
Why He Resigned at the Begin.
Mug of HIS Second Term
in the Senate-ThePo.
IiticaI Situation
In the South.
N. Y. Herald. 18th ult.l

N. Y. Herald, 18th ult.l
The resignation on the heel of a SEES
| sion Of a senator of the United States,
who had just entered upon his second
term, was a surprise to everybody who
had not been made acquainted with
the motives that led to an act so ex-
traordinary, Senator Gordon, of
Georgia, came to this city Immediately
after his successor had been sworn in
as a senator. In the st. James hotel
last evening he said:-
Seven or eight years ago | had an
income that enabled me to live com
fortably, in my modest way, and to
accumulate something for my chill.
dren;; but after / entered tia senate
my plantation and mining property
became unproductive, mainly through
my inability to give that property the
attention l could have given it but for
my public duties as a senator. |
could have paid my way and educated
my children on my salary as a senator,
but only a man with a heart of stone
could resist the appeals of the manned
men who we're once my soldiers, and
of the orphans Of men who once
fought on my side. l soon found
myself unable to live in Wash
ington city. l had to borrow
money to get out of that
city. The truth is | was driven from
public life by a consciousness of grow
ing older year after year, and yet be-
coming poorer after the meridian Of
life and when entering upon years in
which | shall be less able to earn
something to leave for my children.
Yet, even at the sacrifice of what |
might accumulate for my family, |
would have remained in the senate
had the interests of the south or of the
country required it; but l can do as
much in private life as | could in the
senate toward uniting the south and
the north and making a perfectly
cemented union, and for that end |
shall work in the future"
General Gordon went on to say that
after he had made up his mind that
his duty to his family required him to
resign a seat that threatened to i'm
pOverish them, he had tempting offers
from two concerns-one in Boston
and one in 0regon-both demanding
an answer. either yes or no, without
delay, and that the offers were so lib.
eral that he felt constrained to &C.
cept. Thereupon he sent his resigna-
ton to Governor Colquitt and waited
for the appearance of his successor in
the senate chamber. Meantime other
Aattering offers were made him
among them the position Of counsel fol
a railroad, and already he sees
the way open for improving his
fortunes considerably and rapidly.
He will hereafter spend a part Of his
time in Oregon and a part in Georgia.
and his plantation and mining prop.
erty will again have that attention
which is necessary to make any ven
ture profitable. Of his sheep raising
he spoke as an experiment. His
~partner-a New Workers. testing
it, how successfully the genera
doesn't know.
The general was rather disinclinec
to dwell upon political topics, but he
was willing to express his belief thai
all the delegates from the south will
60 to Cincinnati ~unpledged and with
out predictions for any one man, bui
ready to support any candidate whC
may seem to be the one to best bea.
General Grant, whose nomination h,
views as inevitable.