The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-06-11
and all other things acceptable, but negro


all dire things that could be devised by
kul1lux khan and similar associations. All
my efforts to put the matter before the
people were futile. The press was closed
against me- and amidst the tempest Of
passion the still, small voice of truth and
reason was drowned, and even the very
newspaper that insisted it my duty
to advise our people denounced a
'deserter for doing the very thing it urged
me to do. Following its lead and initiative,
others took up the change, exaggerated and
disseminated it broadcast, but they
were careful to publish my
letter. and suppressed the very paper upon
WI ich they predcated such severe accusa-
tons: all his in the face OF the fact of
my loyalty to the best interests OF our
people. Governor Joseph e. Brown, with
t S nsp ol Sod gdGmsn ea4 TO recog
after held {erthrow of our state autonomy
and tected signment of military governors
confined to should be remembered that hat
we ates TO paroles OF honor at the capitu-
Iat;Caoton opDomattox courthouse under
peGnaced inpbey and respect the laws of
conDmlnated construction or observance OF
whciyans 70 my being pilioried.
on recelltion of things at the time I
Wrotb. w. nluch-m misunderstood letter Of
1867 il ana described by Judge John /.
period: Ito
Bu ~ " persons were then able to rise
above . ! passions of the times and look
TO the good Of the whole country. The man
who had presided in the councils of the
government just when ali his great and
noble qualities appeared to find the largest
opportunity for their exercise, was taken
away by the assassin and, 50 far as we could
then see or know, humanity had lost it's
most powerful friend when Lincoln fell.
AT that time two classe OF men stepped
into view. One sought to press the situation
to what was supposed to be its logical con-
clus!on, that was 10 complete the work of
the sword. The other to hold matters where
they were until passion could sUbstde and
reason appear The latter was the nobier
and more difficult task. To restrain ard
hold and wait required the courage Of the
patriot
1t was with this class I identified myself.
1t would have been much more comfortable
to me to have kept silent and pursued the
even tenor Of my way hut [ felt 1 owed
duty to the brave and gallant men with
whom | had fought for four years.
Iha minute men who, in $780, wore the
cochades ard Wanted that one southern
soldier could whip five yankees and the
war on, were almost difficult to find at
the front as Il drop Of water spilled in the
desert Of Sahara in the time OF the ccusad-
1867 as tfey had been invisible in war and
inyincjble in peace and these were the men
who primarily led the assault me III 1867
and poisoned the minds of many good men
against me for years. Il these men are sin
cara in their professions, they approve Of
and advocate today what they maligned
me for favoring in 1867 Many of these men
are supporters of Governor Joseph e.
Brown, who was a delegate to the conven-
cd
presidency on a platform that went far be
You'd my letter Of 1867. We honestly believed
it would agSr2Vate our existing difficulties
to reject the proffered terms OF the Shella-
barger bill; and / thought it better ana far
wiser Tor cur civil institutions to be in
friendly hands than entrusted to strangers
and alien agencies. We would then have
retained the machinery Of government to
which had been accustomed. ana been
red much OF the suffering and pTivatiOns
" cen passion and prejudice ruled the day.
cour would have strengthened and held Up
A-@lr GLANDS Of magnanimous men at the
[ariett like Grant, Seward and others, VIII
carrarey desired to make easy the novel
ut 3Cess OF reconstruction The best terms
n, 1.-The conQueror are usually offered FIRST,
nd the rejection Of the first offer l adj
vhed our people 10 accept, provoked still
harsher conditions that We're later forced
upon us, embarrassing and eflDittering our
c1ts,aff1i,
.,. 49,, ,.o.o,,,4,.,,,,t+,, ,,o,e.,,,.o-
MY part J" 1ii9 i0Soi''7'i O''''0l' '' 80
was taken ana ehGed IN the early months
of 1857 under the circumstances herein re
lated Two wears thereafter General Grant
vas ;nano.,,.a+ad ae ,,raeit.art of t,e United
e,41 ~ a., Xxx ! ,,,c,+ -, l,45 ,r
3CS''o2 ~ a. '"e 'iiii0 = 80 -'.' [r,
as INDICATED 1t seemed the CoAihaht parry
would nominate Salmon 2. Chase, Charles
Sumner Horace Greeley benjamin Wade,
"a, some such nar+,- ,nanaoal, AVID there
, iI>'- - ,.l ,,T i, ~
was IoC Iol co''u tne.e He1N9 pe1l "AS a.
terror motive nor tacit UNDERSTANDING D.
tween General Grant and myself as 10 OF
flee being an inducement to my writing
tba letter, reforrad to General Grant was
oI-<,.a e,a,, ,I3t,., o~,-i,;,l,., +io;, l,o,,I1
oNIi t'1'iS I'7 - ,l
nave Instantly rejected @ao feSeAteu Such
All approach, ana the subject Was too mo-
menuOua. Yet when President Grant sent
my name to the senate Tor
AZ NV OrIeanS the f.t.1,.n4 ,,.n,<T r0Irn
a; aIfe5L Oh me new allaj&1n1eht, alie6ina
~ M ,,t,,, I,i|',, So 80 ,i'-t ,1t
n '1I' |'ili' w. ~
biiit,) Nv urtOj.ss 81, IA. in mo +u.1Ir,. -
10 De w4oily ooy ond reach Inhuenca for
political reasons: VITA the prcac-encc TO
lcoA so l51i anead ano tae 7&GacIty to WORK