Year: 1875

interviewed by a reporter of the Atlanta
Herald. in the course of which he ex-
pressed himself in regard to the following
among other topics


Mr. Greeley, Carl Schurz, Gratz Brown
and Governor Curtin, representing dis
organized and scattered army, proposed a
platform at Cincinnati, on which it was
thought all the elements of opposition to
the corrupt administration might be unit
ed. The movement failed lust then; not
because the liberals and conservatives did
not do their part but because there was
not sufficient time allowed to bring the
Democratic party to believe that the move
ment was sincere and honest effort tor
reconciliation and restoration.


The elections OF last fall were the legit-
innate and the necessary results of that
coalition. Something like the Greeley
movement was absolutely necessary. The
northern people had become incrustated
with granite formation of.passon, pre-
,judice and hate beneath which their mel
1t seemed impossible to break through this
| horrid easement that had cotfined the kind
| ly northern and western heart No plea
could penetrate it; no outrage could shiver
it, no argument could phase it. 1t was a
solid, unfeeling mass, against which all
impulses fell impotent But Horace Gree
ley, with ore stroke of his pen, as with q
wand, shattered this miserable shell and
threw the words Of truth and right and
Justice, like sunbeams, in upon the soul
and the brain and the heart of the people
10 use his own expression, "A chasm
V1yTnnd hnt hn l., 3 4,
lie, that must be closed or filed" Like
another Curtius, with as heroic heart
and as high purpose, | am sure, as moved
the ancient Roman, he flung himself as a
sacrifice into the abyss He gave his pen,
Cancellation. And he did not give them
in vain. Through his sacrifice the chasm
was closed, and his people stand ovel his
grave united and victorious.


| opposed the Greeley movement at
first, but | am not one of those who insist
HOW that it was a mistake. think that it
was the Wisest political movement in our
political history 1t was the CARRYING out
OF the policy shadowed in Lincoln's men,
orable words-"We have conquered them
by arms; let us win them by magnanim-
ty.n heard Senator Bayard, who, you
VIII remember, opposed the coalition bit
terlv and denounced it on the floor Of the
Baltimore convention, say in the executive
session Of the Senate, just a few days ago,
that after seeing its fruits he estimated the
Greeley movement as a wise, polite and
patriotic movement. 1t gave the South
the ear Of the North and West. This was
all we wanted. We did not need argu-
ments, We only lacked an audience


Reporter-Do you think that we should
make the next national campaign on the
Cincinnati platform?


General Gordon-I think that we should
hazard nothing on account Of prejudice or
partisan opinion, tor | believe that the
pcrpetuation Of our free institutions de-
peuds on the issue Of the next national
campaign. On its result hangs, in my
opinion, the safety Of the republic, which
should be more estimable than any mere
party triumph should be. There are four
leading ideas that should enter into the
Democratic platform tor 1876. These four
cardinal principles should be put in our
platform to insure success, and then adj
hered to by our party to ensure peace
The first point is, that we shall have econ
omy, purity, and fidelity in the admins
traton OF the government. All these
elements may be included under the one
head of honesty. II there is anything
that the people Of this country-the whole
people, without distinction Of party-de-
sire, it is an honest party; o party that
will oppose fraud and corruptiOn that
will throttle rings and cliques; that will
denounce and dethrone even its own lead
ers when they become corrupt that will
command the confidence of home tax
payers and retrieve our reputation abroad,
The first and leading principle, then, in
the platform should be promise made
not idly, but earnestly, and as a guarantee
that we will reform the abuses of the
present party and fairly and honestly run
the government and dispose of its rev
cnueS.


The second point that should be incor-
porated into the platform should be a
restoration Of concord" We must have
an equilibrium restored between the sec
tions We must have thorough good
will and harmony. We must learn all
men to love the national flag, to guard
the national honor, and to further the
national prosperity. We can solve no
question satisfactorily while we are di-
vided. While sectional prejudice and pas
sion rule men il is Of no use to address
them with arguments on public policy, or
public polity it is Of no use to talk to
them of injustice or dishonesty; you can
not penetrate their preiudices; they are
swept along by passion almost in spite of
themselves. But let them drop and forget
all these questions let them come to-
gethcr as brothers and stand face to face,
and looking each other fairly in the eyes,
seek tor the true and the good and the
wise, and You will see what, in view OF
our miserable hide bound past, may be
esteemed a political millennium. There
must be unity--a oneness of feeling and
OF purpose-an assertion that the people
Of this republic seeking q common end,
defending a common right, building up a
common country, shall move onward in
harmony and peace


The third point in the platform should
be, / think, a definite and unmistakabe
pledge, that we, the people of the South,
will protect the negro in all his rights OF
freedom and franchise. Strange as it may
seem to us, who year after year have seen
the white employer and his negro e,u-
ployee voting against each other in peace
and kindness, It is believed by a great
many people in the North that the first





ocratic reascendency would be to deprive
the negro not only Of his right to vote,
but his freedom also; that at any rate we
would reduce him to condition of quasi
slavery. They are exceedingly jealous,
and naturally so, about the perpetuation
of what they call 'the results OF the war"
They are afraid to trust the Democratic
party with power again on the sole ac-
count that they fear reactionary legisla-
tion Let US convince them that we ac-
cept as final the abolition of slavery and
the franchise OF the negro, and will defend
them rs such, and we will have done very
much toward removing the only obstacle
that stands between the Democratic party
and an overwhelming national triumph


The fourth point Of cardinal importance
that should put in the platform is re-
turn to the constitutional methods of gov
ernment, both in the state and in the ma
ton. While we must weld to the general
government all the rights it has, or all