The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-09-29
A BOLD, MANLY LETTER FROM
PRESIDENT POLK.
Let Every Lover of Truth Read 1t.

@~S -N~AJ AON~
The following is a true copy Of a let
ter addressed to the Atlanta Journal
by President Polk, and which is suffi-
GENTLY plain to be understood. The
Journal is not the only paper that could
profit by reading it, "Truth is mighty
and will prevail"
WASHINGTON, D. c., Sept. "a, 81.
EDITOR ATLANTA JOURNAL:-Return
ing from my trip West, | find that you
have produced in your columns the
slanderOus press dispatches from Kan
sas regarding me. AS you took the
pains to pa, AIDE these chargesin loaded
headlines and give them prominent
position in your paper, | trust, in the
interest Of justice, that you will allow
me space to refer to them.
You published that | was a brigadier-
general You failed to contradict it.
Did you believe it? You published
that l was in charge of the Confederate
prison at Salisbury, n. G.. Did you
believe it? You published that as
commandment of that prison [ was cruel
to Union soldiers. Did you believe it?
If not, why did you not denounce it in
the interest of fairness, honesty and
Justice?
Again, in your editorial, "President
Polk Latest, based on other Infamous
ly false dispatches, and which you as
sumo IRE true, you charge that in my
speeches in Kansas that | made the
most abject apologies for my cOnnec-
ton with the Southern COnfederacy,
and that | entered the Confederate ser
vice in the hope that | might do it
damage. That after grOvelling in the
dirt in this manner, that | proceeded
to discuss the threatened strike of farm
labOrers l II the South, and appeared to
be very happy at the prospect of such
q misfortune to the planters of this
section. Did you believe one word of
these base SANDERS? Has there been a
combination formed by which Radical
Republican tools of the North are to
manufacture lies against A~lliancemen.
III concentrated form, to be sent to
certain Democratic papers III the South
to be elaborated and favored for old
diseased and ~raVenOuS StOmarhS! Is
it fair, Is 1t honest, is it manly. is it
consistent for Democratic papers of
the South to assume hat the bitter as
saults made upon II Of your citizens
by radical Republicans are true, and
for you to rush to their support in such
articles as the editorial referred to?
You claim to be fair. A straightfOr-
ward, manly, honest answer to the
above questions viii go far towards re
mO> ing the impression made on the
public mind that in this matter. at
least, YOU have been anything Int fair.
And inasmuch aS you have labored
to s~ubstantiate these vile ISLANDERS. l
hope you will at least allow your read
erS to see the trUth.
In my speech 1t Wichita. referring
to the lie that | had mistreated Union
prisoners, [ said: Il wish to say in
reply to this charge, that in its concep-
ton and III It's ]uttCrance, it is a malic
iOuS, premeditated and base lie, and |
dare the man who SAID 50. to stand up
in this audience and repeat it" This
challenge was received with General
applause by the large audience. was
eve treated with more cordial and
uniform kindness and courtesy. and
was as safe in the city Of Wichita s |
would have been in the city of Atlanta.
The charge that ever, on any c
sion, at any time, or anywhere, uttered
a sentiment against the South, or the
Southern people; that [ ever, on any
OCCdSLOI, dG any CIIIle, OF anywhere,
apologized for ~espOusing the Southern
cause, IS q base and slUnderOus false
hood IN erery particular, as ever hon
est man and woman who ever heard
me speak, will witness. I have never
uttered a sentiment in Kansas or else
where that [ would not willingly and
readily repeat in any State in the South.
You say l was very happy in Kansas
over the prospect Of the misfortune to
befall my people through the cotton
plckers' strike. 1t may be unpleasant
to have all this beautiful plot of ma
IiciOus SANDER exposed and DESTROYED,
but truth and justice demand it. What
is the truth? knew absolutely nothing
of the alleged strike until my return to
Washington City, Cotton is already
selling at a price below the cost of pro
d%uctiOn, and to pay one dollar per hun
dred pounds for picking, would be an
additional and ruinous reduction of
three cents per pound more. Do you
believe that [ would thus favor the
ruin of the cotton farmers of the South?