The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1912-04-11

And by the aid of this service we
had our first and only Democrat in
the presidential chair since 1861.
Now I believe it was Col. Harvey's
earnest purpose to do like magnifi-
cent service to his country by assist
ing in electing to that highest office
of this reunited nation not only a
Democrat but Southerner; and a
Southerner whose character, talents
and scholarship were calculated to
bring marked credit to the section
from which he came, and thereby
contribute much and speedily to the
complete restoration Of the South
to the confidence and good will Of
those sections with which it had so
long been at strife. 1t was a noble
and highly commendable work that
was arrested, I trust only temporar-
lily, by the inconsiderate manner of
Gov. Wilson in dealing with an
exceedingly delicate matter. Sim
cerely do / hope that Gov. Wilson
will come out of all his troubles and
trials as successfully as he has come
out of this and will not lose, but
gain, by the hard questions he may
sometimes have put 70 him for
pointed and plain replies.
Then will you kindly allow me to
ask him one through your columns
that he may answer through the
same medium, and satisfy a large
number of the members of the legis-'
1ature and the members of the COM
mission appointed by the Legislature
to have painted and placed in the
State house a portrait of John
Laurens. I would like to ask that
he give specifically his reasons for
declining the invitation extended to
him by the commission and legisla-
ture to make an address at the
unwilling of this portrait of Laurens
last winter. l understand his reply
to this Invitation was as laconic as
well-trained Spartan of old could
have made it, and we did SO much
wish that if he could not possibly
come at all on any day-for he was
allowed to select his day-that he
would at least write a letter to be
read on the occasion, telling some
thing Of the splendid career Of Lau-
rens, who is known in history as
1.-THE Chevalier Bayard of the Amer
lean Revolution" We felt particu-
larly anxious for Gov. Wilson to do
this as we had read his George
Washington" and in all the pages Of
that beautifully written book, 80 full
of good words for many others, we
did not find one allusion to John
Laurens, and the oversight was so
remarkable under all the circum-
stances, Laurens being particularly
beloved and favored by Washington
and so often trusted with matters of
the greatest consequence to the cause
of American independence, and per-
formed his work so admirably as to
bring the highest praise from many
quarters, and at last in the darkest
hour Of the struggle, being selected
by Washington over all others, even
over Alexander Hamilton, whose
name was pressed for the place, to
go to France as special envoy and
save the American cause and save
Washington from defeat and capture,
and he did what he was sent to do
with so much celebrity and thorough
ness as to excite wonder and admira-
tion everywhere. Washington's> let
tiers, official and personal, and other
records, easily accessible, show all
this. Will Gov. Wilson please let us
South Carolinians know why he
failed to mention the name of John
Laurens, under such circumstances,
in his life of George Washington and
I nok Rr.1 70 To