Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-12-21
GENERAL GORDON AT HONE
What He Says Of His Trip 90
EurOpe-His Future Move
ments Here.

General John Is. Gordon reached
Atlanta on Friday, with Mrs. Gordon,
on their return from Europe.
A representative OF the Coustitu
tioD met the General yesterday, and
had a short talk with him.
II am very glad to get back home.
After all, this is the best country in
the world. In a material waF | be-
iieve it Is going to develop into the
richest section on the globe. 10 a
social way | find more individuality
OF character anda more marked orig.
inality here in one day than you can
find in Europe in a month. This is
perhaps natural, because ours is a new
country, and every man who is intel
ligent and active is himself a force in
its development and must be reliant
and aggressive, so to speak, to hold
his own. He builds up his own bust
ness aud is the architect of his own
fortune. In England everything, on
toe contrary, is conservative. A man
inherits his business from his father
and conducts it just as it had
been carried on generations be-
fore him. There is little to
breed originality or make salient
points OF character. You find, there
fore, that our people are brighter,
more original and stronger in their
personal characteristics than the Eng
fish or continental people. 1t is quite
q relief to me to get back"
You come back prouder Of your
country than ever?"
Yes, and loving it better. 1t is
enough to make an American proud
to ride through the streets OF London
with its civilization OF two thousand
years, and see American implements
American sewing machines, American
tools and American goods displayed
on every hand, and know that Ameri.
eau watches are being sold in the
stores, and American fields are feed
ing the English people, and American
factories beginning to clothe them. 1t
is strange, too, how being 10 England
wipes out all sectional pride that the
Southern man, the Northern man, OF
the Western mar may have. In New
York you are introduced to a stranger
as a gentleman from the South; 0
ChicagOan is introduced in
Boston as from the West. In
England you are introduced
universally as an American and before
you know it you have forgotten al
sectional p%rejudices or sentiment and
involve the whole republic in your
affection and pride. An American
never understands what a great coun-
try We have and what a work it is
doing until he goes three thousand
miles away from it and can contem
plate it all amidst a people who know
nothing of its interior %prejudices, but
who consider it simply as one grand
republic. l foTnd, however, that in
intelligent circles there was special
interest 10 the South. 1t is generally
believed in Europe among the best
thinkers on social and financial topic.
that the South will become
THE RICHEST PART OF THE COUNTRY.
They are beginning to investigate
thoroughly our wonderful material and
agricultural resources, to wonder a
our development, and to inquire aitel
Southern investment. The Investment
of Sir Edward Reed in Florida, anC
the establishment OF Rugby colony il
Tennessee, the heavy investments il
Mississippivalley land by English com
panies, aud the heavy purchases O
Southern State and railroad bondl
are but hints of the interest tina.
the Englishman is beginning L
feel in the South. Their
is a general disposition to send tht
young men of rich families to Ameri
ca, where the younger sons portions
are ample for large purchases of land.
Lor investments in new enterprises
Heretofore they have mostly gont
West, but hereafter they will begiI
to come South. Already Texas il
filling up with young EngliShmen o
good education and family. and
number have settled in Tennessee
Kentucky and still more, perhaps, il
Virginia. Some that | know Of hav,
settled in Georgia They are fndinl
out very rapidly that their small cap
ital will 60 further in the South ant
command a higher premium than i
will in any other section OF the coun
try, and that the North and West ar
flooded with capital pretty much a
England is-tltat men Of small for
tunes are beginning to be crOWde,
out"
Did you hear cotton m~anufacturiD
discussed very much2"
Yes; | talked with a great man.
capitalists who are interested in cottor
spinning. They were emphatic in tn.
statement that they expected to Sc
the time when the South would man
ufacture the bulk of the cotton grow
in the South. They say that this is tn
natural tendency Of things, aud tina
they cannot hope 10 put of the da
very long when the South will be abb
to drive English cotton goods out O
the worlds market. They had hope
that the disOrganized ignorance tina
prevails in India and Egypt, and tn.
lack Of enterprise which make ]
impossible for those countries to man
ufacture their cotton crops, woul,