Newspaper Page Text
The Gainesville Eagle.
Published Every Friday Morning.
B V .J . 12. REDWINE.
Rates of Subscription :
One copy cne year $2 00
One copy six months i 1
One copy three months 5()
EDITORIAL EAGLETS.
It has not yet come to light,
whether the committee of nine or
eleven as the case may be, adopted
the majority or two-thirds rule.
We now think that Georgia will
not need the services of a savior for
the present. The plain people have
decided to attend to the matter them
selves.
There are men who are ready to
plank down the ducats that Colquitt
willcarry Chatham, Norwood’s own
county, indignating Muscogee and
Fulton.
Os all the ill-advised and silly po
litical documents we have known the
“Convict Catechism’’ certainly takes
the lead. The negroes even are
making fun of it.
The crowd of hungry politicians
who are following Mr, Norwood in
hopes that something may turn up,
had bett< r be taking lessons from
Dr. Tanner. It’s a long ways over a
forty days fast.
Some men are born great, others
have greatness thrust upon them,
but it will be some time before Gen.
Lawton or any one of the other
eleven, will have Gov. Brown’s man
tle “Hung” at him, as it were.
After all it turns out that Mr.
Speer’s speech on Tallulah, Toccoa,
etc , etc., with which the ninth dis
trict was Hooded, was never deliv
ered, but simply printed in the record
—so the eloquent defense of the peo
ple oi the mountains vanishes into
thin air.
? f ■
Ex-Gov. Brown denies in the most
positive language the rumor that be
favored the sale of the State road.
The report was put in circulation for
political effect, but like the score of ,
other falsehoods that have been es- ,
fectually squelched, it turns out an
abortion.
ri
For the size of the procession there
are more curbstone and street-corner
politicians among Mr. Norwood’s fol
lowers than in any similar crowd we
have seen. If there was any possible
chance for him to succeed there
would then baa “kill-kenny” cat
fight among his followers.
Gov. Colquitt end Mr. Norwood *
closed their joint discussion at Co
lumbus the other right. the re
sult the Tinies says: .Iquitt’s 1
triumph was complete, and tiie mi- 1
nority candidate sustained a Water- 1
100 defeat. Norwood was answered 1
and beaten at every point.”
And so Gen. Lawton has been se
lected as the candidate of the Nor
woodites to boat Gov. Brown for the
United States senate. This fully
explains the general’s zeal in making 1
speeches for Mr. Norwood. Weil
genera), you had as well go foot now,
for we tell you the people will not
have it that way. 1
Mr. Norw od voted to raise th?
president’s salary to $50,000 per an
num, voted for ai d took the bacl
salary grab, and tried to lobby
through the legislature a measure to
pay the fraudulent bonds and in- 1
crease the burdens of the people, and 1
yet this is the sort of a reformer thi '
the committee of nine present to tin '
people of Georgia
It is getting to bo about time for
Mr. Speer, or his organs, to give an
other explanation of his absence' at
the time Gen. Phil Cook hurled back
the slanders on the people of this
district. Already we have had thret
or four explanations, but no two oi
them agree. This work should go
on until there be found two at least
that harmonize.
‘
Ex-Gov. Hendricks is stirring up
the republicans in Indiana with a
long pole. In his speeches he boldly
charges that Mr. Garfield,confronted 1
with his own record, was more re- '
sponsible for the great fraud of 1876 1
than any other living man, and ;
; proves his assertions beyond doubt i
or cavil. The ex-Governor by his
power and eloquence h-s electrified 1
his own party and filled the republi- '
cans with dismay. So crushing has
been the effect that the republicans 1
;are calling for John Sherman to ■
answer Mr Hendricks and check the >
current. •
♦ ♦ .
With Col. Bell in the house and ’
ex-Gov. Brown in the senate it would i
not be long before the bill to pension 1
the old soldiers of Mexican and Tn- ’
dian ware would become a law.
Both of these gentlemen have made
able speeches on the subject—they
are thoroughly in unison on the
measure, and with their ability and
energy combined and working to the
same end the bill would soon become
a law. It is such legislation as this
that the country demands, but to
secure the enactment of practical
laws the people must elect practical
men to represent them, which they
have determined to do.
The Gainesville Eagle
VOL. XIV.
A
DELIVERED BY A. GREAT MAN.
SPeech of Hen. John B. Gordon,
Delivered in the Opera House
ar Columbus. Ga , on
Friday Evening, Au
gust 27tli—A JNoble
Defense of Gov.
Colquitt.
Jfj/ "Friends and Fellow Countrymen'.
It is my proud privilege to thus ad
dress you. You are my friends, I
trust, as well as my countrymen. I
know of no act, no word, no thought
of mine which should debar me from
the privilege of claiming the citizens
of Columbus as my friends. lam
here at the invitation of some of
your citizens toaddress yon; but it
is to address you as friends. I am
here to speak, not in my own cause,
but in the cause of truth and justice,
of harmony and unity, and of that
great State to whese welfare, honor
and glory, we owe as cnizeus, oir
best and most unselfish services.
Like old Paul to his brethren at Cor
inth, lam here to deprecate dissec
tions and bid you, my brethren oi
the same household of faith,be recon
ciled one to another. [Applause,!
In respect to national politics, it is
a matter of sincere congratulation
that we are practically united; audit
will ba useless to detain you in the
the discussion of national issues.
Suffice it to say that the nomination
of Hancock was the naming of tht
next president. [Applause.] Could
you have witnessed as I did at Cin
cinnati the enthusiasm which his
nomination evoked, you would have
seen in it the certain presage of the
coming victory. [Applause.] As
soon as it was demonstrated that
Hancock was the choice of the ma
jority of the convention, delegation
after delegation fell into line; the
banners of the States were borne tc
the front; the great brass instru
ments at one end of the mammoth
hail pealed forth in inspiring strains
that grind anfbtm, “Should old ac
quaintance be forgot,’’ the great or
gan answered back in grandest melo
dy and the whole audienc?, repre
sentatives and people, on floor and
galleries, rose as by a common im
pulse and mingled their voices in the
swelling chorus until the very walk
and arches of that democratic tem
ple seemed to tremble with the iin
pulse that moved the vast concourst
of people. [Applause.] Nothing
ever surpassed that demonstration.
Nothing can ever surpass it in the
future. Yes, I mistake, there is om
scene, in store for us, which will
eclipse it. It will occur when Han
cock is elected. [Applause. | It will
occur when that true American jubi
lee shall come—when sectional ani
mosities and dissensions ehall give
place io sectional concord and unity;
when the north and east and south
and west shall cease to hate ano
learn to love; [applause;] when al)
sections, all classes, ail creeds, ah
colors of American citizens, inspired
by a common love t f country shall
recognize a common interest in f
common constitution; when the die
banded soldiers of the south and the
disbanded soldiers of the north shall
rally to the same flag, and with fi
delity to the union of equal State*
which it emblems, shall swear tha
in this American brotherhood wai
and bloodshed, oppression, wrorq
and strife, shall be no more. [Lone
cheering.] But as I said at the out
set, it is useless to discuss belon
this audience national politics about
which we are practically united.
I must turn, therefore, to anothe;
field of discussion in which I air,
grieved to know we are not unit :d.
I allude of course to the State can
vass for governor. I approach tbit
discussion with great reluctance, foi
having retired myself from office, J
had hoped the time would nevei
come when I should find mysell
again in controversy with any citizer
of Georgia. I had hoped that in my
retirement I should carry with mt
the good will and friendship of all
my countrymen. Outside ot my own
State, north and south, I believe 1
can truly say my hopes in this re
spect have been abundantly realized.
But strange it is that :n my own
State there are a few mer— very few
I am glad to know —who have never
seen any thing worthy of commenda
tion in any act of mine or in the motive
which prompted it. One ot this class
of gentleman has recently made pub
be in your city the animosity toward
me which he has long cherished.
That man was Governor James M.
Smitn. New I never assail a man
until he assails me; but then I make
it a rule to go fur him. [Applause.]
Governor Smith sought this city to
throw off the bile that has long lain
heavily upon his stomach. His ani
mosity toward me of which I have
long been apprised, is without the
slightest provocation and absolutely
without excuse. Not satisfied with
disparagement upon the street cor
ners while I was in office, he assails
in a public assembly of the people
my motive in retiring from office.
Ex-Governor Smith in his public
speech delivered in this hall a few
nights since wishes to know why I
should want to retire from “one of
GAINESVILLE, GA., FRIDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 17, 1880.
the most elevated offices to which a
citizen can aspire.” He does not
comprehend how any man could get
his consent to retire voluntarily from
an office. Os course Governor Smith
would never have resigned. He has
just announced that he never does
intend to get out of the office he now
holds—that is, he says he don’t in
tend to go cut of it until Norwood
is elected, and that amounts to the
same thing. [Laughter, cheers and
hisses.] Well, I shall not quarrel
with Governor Smith about Ids ina
bility to appreciate such an act. I
Perhaps if I had been a long time i
trying to get to the senate without
being able to do so I might also bo j
annoyed that any man would be will-.
ing to give it up. [Laughter.] It !
is always puzzling to a hungry man :
to see another person refuse to eat.
[Laughter.J But be says I did it so
“clandestinely”—not a suspicion ex
isted’ that 1 would resign. Well,
Governor Smith is mistaken about
that also. It is true that Governor
Smith didn’t know -anything aboui
my purpose; for not having gone j
into office without his consent, I did |
not think it incumbent on me to get j
his permission to go out of it. j
Laughter.] But there were very 1
many men in Georgia, and out of it,
as patriotic and as incorruptible as
Governor Smith, who have known
for a very long time, of my purpose
to retire from public life, who ad
vised that course and applauded that
purpose. Does Governor Smith
know the Hon. Martin J. Crawford,
your own distil townsman
and incorruptible jurist? If he will
ask Judge Crawford, he will learn
from him that more than twelve
months ago I told him my purpose
to resign, and received from him the
encouragement of a friend to do so.
Has be ever heard of the Hon. Sam
Barnett, one of the railroad commis
sioners of Georgia, or of Judge
Bleckley, who also recently resigned
very suddenly, and I presume Gov
ernor Smith would say “clandestine
ly,” as Judge Bleckley did not con
sult him as to what he should do. If
Governor Smith thinks it his special
prerogative to take care of my con
science and inquire into my motives
and if he will consult either of those
gentlemen or a good many others,
be might have his great grief on ac
count of General Gordan Eomewbai
assuaged. [Great laughter, appiauer
and hisses.
But Governor Smith says I ought
to have told the people kindly why 1
found it necessary to resign. Well ,
I thought I had told them kindly,
very plainly, in my letter of resigna
tion. I don’t think there is anything
very olscure or very unkind in that
letter. Let us see. Here it is and 1
will read it.
[Copy of letter of resignation.]
Senate Chamber, Washington, D.
0, May 1-1, 1880.—To Hie Excel
lency, Governor A. H. Colquitt, At
lanta, Ga. —Sir: I hereby tender my
resignation as United States eenatoi
from Georgia.
In taking this step, lam simply
carrying out a long cherished desire
to retire from public life. I have
h therto subordinated that desire tc
a sense of duty, and to a reluctance
to leave the service of a generous
and liable people who have honored
me with the most exalted station
and supported me in the discharge
of its duties with the most qnswerv
ing confidence.
Since April, 1861, for nearly twenty
years,my life has been one of incessant
anxiety and labor. More than one
half of that long period has been de
voted to what I conceived to be the
welfare of the south, and the best
interests of the whole country.
And now that the restoration oi
South Carolina and Louisiana to the
rights of self-government secures to
the whole south, her full and rightful
representation in the legislative de
partment of the federal government,it
leaves me free to conduit my inclina
tions and the. imperative duties of
my family, without detriment to the
public service. I give way to some
successor who, 1 trust, may serve the
country with greater ability, but who
i am sure cannot, do so witn greater
devotion nor purer motives. I am,
with great respect, your obedient
servant, J. B. Gordon.
Ido not think there is anything
obscure or unkind in that letter. It
contains the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth. But this
does not satisfy Governor Smith.
Fellow-citizens, do you think that it
would have been quite so hard to
satisfy Governor Smith about my
resignation if Governor Colquitt had
appointed him to the vacancy i
[Laughter.]., Do you think if Gov
ernor Smith had been appointed
United States senator ha would have
ever complained of my reasons for
resigning or have- ever made the
harsh, unjust and unwarranted as
saults to which you listened a few
nights since? I leave you to an
swer. But he says I resigned only a
short time before the end of the
session, and he docs not understand
tbeL No, it does not suit his pur
pose to understand it; and I want to
whisper it to you, that it is a matter
of the most perfect indifference to
me whether he understands it or not.
[Applause.] But to you fellow-eiti
zens, who are not angry because the
senatorial lightning failed to strike
you, to you who did not expect to bp
i senators, a d are therefore not dis
t appointed, to you who are ready to
. listen to reason and want to do jus
, tioe, lam glad of an opportunity tc
i; again tell you, as I have already done
11 in a published speech months ago,
1 i why I resigned only a short while
i before the end of the session.
I [General Gordon here related the '
I circumstances of his resignation and '
' purpose to accept an arrangement in ;
. Oregon, the reason why it became 1
’necessary for him to iecide upon the |
; matter just when he did, bis resigna
i tion in fionsequei.ee thereof, and the
’ changes made iii his . laafter bis
! resignation - bich enabled him to re
! main in Georgia. He -e.i pr >ceed
i ed as follows:]
There are one or two other points
! in Governor Smith’s assault tc which !
I call your attention.
He says I was in the face of .be;
enemy and he asks why did I lay 1
down my “commission and retite
from the contest before the bat tie I
closed ?” Now fellow-citizens, before i
answering that question I wish to ask ;
, you one. Don’t you think if you hao .
j laid down a commission in the pres- j
] sfice of areal enemy with guns ir.
' their hands, say about 1863, in ordei
: to find a bombproof place in I -.e con
federate congress, you would bavt
been a little cautious how you assail
ed other men for laying down civil
commissions? [Cheers, laughter and
hisses.]
Nov/, I have nothing io say about
Governor Smith’s going to congrtse
in order to get out of the army. It
was very natural for him to want to
go there. Congress was a much safer
olace to be in about 1863 or ’64 and
’65. There was more money in con
gress, more food, more comfort and
a great deal less danger. [Laughter.]
I do not say this to excite indigna
tion toward Governor Smith, but only
to caution people who five in very
thin glass Louses not tc be throwing
stones around promiscuously. [Great
laughter and cneering ]
Now, you are all my witnesses that
I have never made any reference to
my service in the army so long as
I was a candidate. I never spoke of
my record in order to get votes, and
I would not refer to it now but for
the inexcusable warfare which Gov
ernor Smith has seen fit to make upoi
me. But as he has called in ques
tion my patriotism and sought u.
prejudice me before the country by
reference to my laying down a civil
commission, I may be permitted tc
say that whatever other commission:
I have surrended I never laid dcwi
the one which called me to your de
fense from 1861 to 1865. I did not
lay that down in 1863, “bes re the
battle had ended.” [Geat laugh tei
and cheers. That is one of the com
sions which not even a seat in the
confederate congress could tempt mt
to lay down. [Great laughter.] That
commission was given me by a strug
gling government, and it was utvu
laid down until that young republic
tself went down in gloom ami glory.
[Loud cheering. |
But why should I not have lain
down my civil commire or just v. >eu
I did? Can any man give a -em-eo '<
reason why? Was there any strug
gling country which specially ne-.- .’ec ,
my services iu ifiose two weeks? i
What great public measure was tc
be settled in those two weeks? What
danger confronted you in those iw.
weeks? Was nob every southern j
state restored to the union? Was re
the autonomy of ali these common
wealths perfect? Did not peace reign |
!in all our borders? Was not tic
power of the senat-3 and the power o’ j
the house pledge - :’to your protection?,
I grant you that no s outhern repre- ]
sentative in whom the people had j
special confidence, could with pro- ]
pifiety resign as long cs the soul 1. was
still in the agony oi reconstruction.
Bui such was not the situation when
I resigned. The southern states Lad
ail passed from beneath the yoke.
Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee,
cne after another they were all re
lieved until at last the shackles fell
from the links of Louisiana and South
Carolina. [Cheers.] And the whole
southern sisterhood was raised from
the its ashes, clothed with sovereign
ty and seated at liberty’s feet, prouß
grand and free. [Loud cheers.] T1 en
why should I have remained two
weeks longer without any possibility
of doing a service to you, and with ]
great loss and inconvenience to me?
There is no reason for it. Toon wLy '
all this bellowing and bluster ? Why !
all this effort to misrepresent me be
fore the country for whose interests
and honor and liberty I nave watch
ed for nuerly a quarter of a century ?
[Applause,] I repeat that I only ;
make reference to these personal mat
ters because of t‘he unprecedented
and unpardonable warfare made upon
me by Governor Smith and a few .
others, But let him do his worst. ■
He will not succeed in creating a :
prejudice against me among th-s;
people; for and God are;
my witnesses that from the time I.
enlisted in 1861 till I retired in 1880,'
I have labored with all the powers ■
which God has given me for the pro
tection, the peace and freedom of
-
•I these southern States. [Great ap
'•; plause and hisses,]
[At this point the disturbance
, which had repeatedly been made was
so great that it drowned the speaker’s
voice. Mayer Wilkins arose and re
quested the audience to allow the
speaker to proceed* He said that
General Gordon was a gentleman,and
had been invited here by citizens of
Columbus, and he hoped there would
be no further disturbance. We re
gret to say that Mayor Wilkin’s re
quest was not complied with, though
it had a good tffeci in stopping it to
some extent. The .speaker thanked
the Mayor, and proces-ded as rollu ft :]
1 come now to a question of great
, .I.terest to us all. What is your duty
i and mine iu the‘coming election for
i 4 .
I governor? [A voice, v ate for Nor
; wood,] My opinion s that it is your
i .My to your >. ivce imd to your State
•uU ult> fur Aific-l li. Uclquiti. j_tip j
■ flatuo But ar y. u iffki with me, j
■ < - reason tog- or i • friends. Let
prejudice fox Uc ime o-iieh. Let |
pas i. 1 i\ di.? and i;v «. Lei
.1.1 of x.r angtiikb pa t. lism pre-j
i over am de' ? f; 'i •. nj.and le'.pt x- 1
■ if.n-d animoritiec be banished in order i
j - ..a! justice may be done. [Applause j j
i Why abound you not vole for Alfred
H. Colquitt? You say because he j
paid the Alston fee. Why is it called
■'he Alston ice ? Colonel Alston was
but one of the many lawyers employ
ed in the ease. Some of the best in
Georgia were associated as counsel.
Among them were General Garling
*on and General Henry R Jackson,
of the firm oi Lawton, Jackson &
Bassinger, of the city of Savannah.
■3 it to be supposed that such illus
trious citizens and upright men
would have accepted tb<> payment of
this money it it ware a wrong or
fraudulent fee ? Such a suppos.tion
wc <iid be mom “• a: But why call
it the Ah.ton fee ? Is it because Col
onel Alston is de.,d and iris tongue
cannot spak? There ia no man liv
ing who knows any more, if as much
as i do abotr this entire caai. I
wrote and introduced the bill to pay
back to Georgia u portion of tue
money which had been collected by
the United States government
from Georgia after the war
for We uceof the Western and Atlan
ic railroad and the sale of cars and
mg'ines. I was a member of the
military committee to which it was
referred. In connection with Colonel
Alston I induced that committee io
rtcocunend its passage' X fought
for it _m the floor of the senate and
followed it to the house of represen
tatives. I lemained in Washington
■liter its passage laboring with the
war and treasury departments to in
duce them to pay the money. And
in answer to the charge that Colonel
Alston did but little service, I tel) you
that but for hie persistent and long
continued efforts that bill would
never have become a law. There was
not a member of the congress who
believed that the government of the
United States could ever be induced
to reopen an account on which they !
i.i I received the money and given I
receipts, and readjust the accounts j
and return the money to Georgia. If I
suy lawyer in Ibi city thinks the lee
of 25 per cent, agreed on by Gover
ror Smith and the attorneys, was an
I sxtavagant one, let him undex’tak: to
! get through coucret-s similar one,
i for other railroads
[A voice—lt was pel cent.]
co, sir, it was oot 12A per cent. The |
.tec ft i k Governor Smith was j
t com . : ions ■ < >e > ■ xof '
c ex; ed 25 per cent. There are a i
•ion/*, r of other r. ilrcaihi in Georgi -
villi similai claims. If you t nnk 25
per ct-nb- agreed on By Governor
SmHh aod paid by G< ver act Colq lilt
was too much, undertake a similar
L .'i at that rale. Try it. Pay your
jwb expenses in M'aG.ingtoa until
you get the bill through, and you will
wi-h that you had continued your
practice in Georgia Bat Governor
Colqu’tt’a enemies charge that the
money should have gone into the
treasury and have remained there
until the legislature met and appro
priated it. Such i 3 not theia‘w. E.ery
attorney is entitled to h,s ice first,
and after deducting his fee, the re
mainer belongs to hi; client. But
this whole is so plainly and i illy
stated by Governor Colquitt himself,
in his address to the people, that 1
need not dwed any longer upon it. j
j I come next to the iadoreement of;
: the Northeastern railroad bonds. ,
j Governor Smith severely criticises!
Governor Colqadt for this act. But!
in doing so he is .n conflict with ■
General Toombs, General Lawion, |
Hon. A. 0. Bacon, speaker of the
; house of represent - lives at the time
the resolution upon whicn Governor
Colquit relied passed tho legislature.
Governor Smith is also in conflict
i -.vita T. J. Simmons, of the superior
; ecu- and at the time the resolution
i was passed presided over the senate,
■ and also in conflict with nearly every
; lawyer of prominence who was con
i suited ou the subject. But Governor
I Smith places his chief objection to
; Colquitt s indorsement on the ground
i that Hammond,
i the formers attorney-general of the
State, had advised against the in
dorsement. Well, if Attorney Ham
mond’s opinion ought to have con
trolled Governor Colquitt, who did
not appoint him to office, it certainly
! ought to have controlled Governor
! Smith, who did appoint him to of
fice. Mr. Hammond was Governor
Smith’s legal adviser when he was in
! the executive chair. Mr. Hammond
! was not Governor Colqnitt’s legal
I -xdviser, since he occupied that chair.
* Governor Colquitt’s legal adviser
((Major Ely) did not advise against
Governor Colquitt’s i dorsement of
I the Northeastern railroad bonds, and
. Governor Colquitt therefore, with the
! advice of the ablest counsel gave the
i Indorsement. Governor Smith's legal
adviser did advise him not to indorse
’be bonds‘of the North and South
railroad, but Governor Smith turned
a deaf ear to his legal adviser and in
! >orss-' them notwithstanding. Gov
ernor Colquitt, with the advice cf
ible lawyers, indorsed for a broad
j gauge road at the la’e of SG,OOO per
r;ile. Governor Smith, contrary io
he adv ce of his own attorney-gene
al, indorsed for a narrow gauge
road to the amount of $12,000 a mile.
-Governor Colquitt’s indorsement
never cost the State one dollar in
money. Governor Smith’s indorse
ment cost the State the loss of nearly
or quite u half million dollars. [Cries
of “give it to him.’’ “Hurrah for
Gordon.’’ “Hurrah for Smith.”
Laughter and hisses.] Governor
Smith endorsed for the North and
South road to the extent of $240,000
in all. Two hundred thousand of
this was lost as principal besides the
interest for twenty years on the bonds
which you are bound to pav. But
this is not all. Governor Smith in
' orsed, againet the advice cf the at
terney general, for another railroad, i
narrow gauge at that, called the Mem !
I bis branch up here at Rome, and he, j
lost the State nearly every dollar of;
that money. [Laughter.] Tnis rail
road has long since gone “where the
uoodbtne twineth ’ [Great laughter,
cheers and hisses.] It is among the
things that were. [Liughter.] There
i not a car, nor engine, nor bar of
iron, nor cross tie left to mark the
place where it once was. [Laughter.]
Colquitt, according to Governor
Smith, is a vary weak governor Well.
I am glad he has left no monument
oi strength at this. [Applause ] 1
rejoice that he was not strong enough
to brave the advice of bis own attor
ney general and pocket such a loss
for Georgia. [Great applause.] Oh,
my countrymen, what do you think
of this warfare made upon Governor
Colquitt by an ex-governor, who in
dorses one narrow gauge railroad for
$240,000 and then buys it in for
$40,000, [cheers and hisses] and who
indorses for another narrow gauge
road and loses it all except the pit
tance for which the iron and cars
sold, leaving nothing else save the
bare and gullied earth were it once
was. [Loud cheering.]
But another reason essigned by
Governor Smith for assailing Gover
nor Colquitt, is what he calls the
abuses of the convict system. Now
Governor Smith is as unfortunate in
his refer-.nco to this, as he was the
irdcreeiuent of railroads; for be is
h-mself the high priest of the whole
system. [Laughter.] Now, inas
much as Governor Smith endeavored
capture the colored vote by this
attack upon Governor Colquitt, I am
resolved that these colored people
shall know the truth about thi mat
ter. [Cries of “that’s what we want
to hear,.’ from the colored gaiiery.]
i bw glad to see you here, my color
ed friends: for as this matter was in
troduced hero by ex-Gov. Smith, I
war-t you to know upon whom the
responsibility for the law and the con
tracts under it rests. Didn’t you
think the other night when Governor
Smith was speaking that this respon
sibility rested on Colquitt? Cries of
“yes” and “no.”] Well lam here to
prove to you that Governor Colquitt
had no more to do with the passage
or the signtng of that law, no with
contracts made under it than one of
these colored men in the gallery.
[Cries of “who did sign it ?” | James
Milton Smith approved the law and
made the contracts. [Great ap
plause.] Here is the book which
contains the law. I want you to get
I this book, laws, for 1876 and on
| pages 40, 41, 12, 13, 44 and 45,—0n
I (he last page you will find the words
I “approved February 25, 1876.” This
! you know was nearly a year be fore !
I Colquitt became governor, and you!
! know also fl at tb<- name of the gen-'
■ tieman who was governor before Col !
' quitt, was Smith. Gu-at laughter.] |
: You know another thing, that this ,
■ Governor Smith could have vetoed '
that law if he had not approved it.
I (“That's so’’from the colored gal-'
j lery ) Now I repeat that I should
never have referred to this matter,but
■ for the effort of Governor Smith to
! prejudice, by his own reference to it;
] these white people and these intel
! ligent colored people, [great laughter]
; against Colquitt. Well my white
: friends do I need to apologize to
: you for not refering to you as intelli
igent? Is it necessary for me to use
!an adjective in speaking of this peo-
ple whose culture, high beeding and
and refinement is known whether
the name of Columbus is known?
[Loud applause]
But, says Governor Smith, if there
are abuses Colquitt is responsible for
them. Well let us see about that.
Here are the documents, the public
records. They tell the whole story;
and that story is that the death rate
has decreased under Colquitt nearly
one-half; that more deaths occurred
in every hundred of the convicts in
the best years of Smith’s administra
tion than occurred under the worst
years of Colquitt’s administration.
(Loud appiau e and hisses.) My
friends, your hisses will not avail yon.
They are not half go dangerous as
the hissing of minnie balls (great ap
plause) and I intend to get the faett
before these people, if I have to stand
here all night. (Applause.) Besides,
your hisses will not change the re
co? Is of the overwhelming vndica
t;on t'r y furnkl. o" Alfred Colquitt;
and I n j )ice that the evidence of bis
integrity anck efficiency ana wisdom
is not the ‘ iixit cf myself or o!
any otbci man, lat that evidence, it
furnished in tb-j r. cord:
of his State. (L.>‘ I cheers and hur
rahs for Colquitt.]
Bat Governor Smith m»kes hi
climax against the prer.cn admiuis
tratiou, when he charges that Gover
nor Colquitt does not j reach
to the convicts. (Laughter and -q
plause.) Os all the marvek-us hsDgs
which have transpired in inis marvel
ous campaign, the most remarkable
and farcical is the spectacle of James
Milton Smith lecturing Alfred H.
Colquitt upon his duty as a Christian.
(Great laughter and cheering.) Why,
1 thought the charge against Colquitt
was that he spent too much time
running around t ■ Sunday-schofth
aud was negieedng gu this nccouiit
his duty as governor; but it seems
that this was a’- a -d .hat
the teal complaint is 11 .. t : he bd nut
do enough mimit,.. ab.;tit daugh
ter.) Fellow-citizene, it would take
forty of the best lawyers in Georgia
to tell what Governor Colquit A op
ponents would Live him hi do. In
one breath he s wasting too much
lime on religion, and •. ihe next he
13 not wasting enough. (Laughter
and applause.) Well, that is about
on a parallel with another criticism
made by Governor Smith ou .\ifrtd
Colquitt. He says in one portion of
bis speech that Colquitt is “very
weak.” He says in another that
Gordon and Colquitt went about the
State making speeches, and that, they
thus secured a majority of the con
vention. He then adds that the won
der is that the convention was not
unanimous—that we did not get
everybody. Now, does it not occui
to you, my friends, that by Governor
Smith’s own statement, he is making
of this "weak” governor about the
strongest one that, ever appeared be
fore the people? (Applause.)
But there is one thing which Gov
eraor Smith says occurred in this re
cent campaign before tbe people tc
which he especial y seems to object.
He tays that I spoke of Colquitt as
“floating tbe banner of the King of
Kings” and as being at Olustee. Well,
I did not make any such reference in
the connection in which he puts it,
but I suppose that is a matter of no
consequence to Governor Smith
(Laughter.) I did refer to Governor
Colquitt as a Christian and a soldier;
but J. did not intend by that refer
ence to make any reflections upon
Governor Smith. (Great laughter.y
[ did refer to Governor Colquitt as a
Christian. I did say, and I repeat it
here, that I did no. think it was evi
dence of weakness in any executive
to seek strength and wisdom in the
government of a great common wealth
from the source of a'] strength and
of all wisdom. (Applause. > I did
say, and I repeat it, that I believe the
patriotic people of Georgia, whether
professors of religion or not, would
join in the expression of the hope
that the day was far distant when it
should be thought inconsistent for
the occupant of any, the most exalt
ed, political station to recognize his
duty to God. fLoul applause.)
I did not say that Governor Col
quitt, was at Olustee. I did say that
he was tne hero of that great battle,
and that notwithstanding the shots
fired at him then an 1 the hot shots of
this political warfare the hero of
Olustee still lives. Grt d cheering
i 1 said then’, and I repeat here, that:
i from every drop of blood drawn from '
■ his veins in thia political wurf u - there
! would sp! ing a champion -nr ng,bol< , *
invincible. (Cheers.;
i But, fellow citiz.-ns, • cannot follow |
i Governor Smith through ail bis i
I charges against Gov< r ,or Colquitt,
nor is it at all necessary. They are
the sama charges that were made and j
met before the people prior to the
j late eleclion for ; eicgatiS. Besides,
i they have been abundantly refu'ed in
’ the address of Gover or Colquitt to
the people just published. Suffice it
to say, that there is not an act of his
administration which submitted to
fair and unprejudiced discussion for
which he can be held justly responsi
ble, that does not merit your ap-
A d. vortiwing H. a tea-
Legal advertisements charged »eventy-ave cents
per hundred words or fraction thereof each inser
tion for tbe first four insertion*, and thirty-five
vents for ur.cii subsequent insertion.
Transient advertising will be charged $1 per inch
for the first, and fifty cents for each subsequent
insertion. Advertisers desiring larger space for a
longer time than one month will receive a libera 1
deduction fr'c‘l rftguUt rates.
Ail bills due upon the first appearance of the ad -
vertisement, and will be presented at the pleasure
of the proprietor. Transient advertisements from
unknown parties must be paid for in advance.
NO. 4
proval. Ona or two general observa
tions, and I close.
One is that this ought to be called
the campaign against “motives.” It
is the first campaign I have ever
heard or read of in this country in
which the unfounded suspicion of
bad motives for good acts furnished
one of the prime reasons for con
demning. I do not object to the
most critical scrutiny into the public
acts of public men. That is proper
and essential to the preservation of
liberty; but whenever the doctrines
of this campaign become the estab
lished political methods under this
government it will be a dark day for
America.
Os all the black and bloody chapters
in his 4 ory the blackest and bloodiest
of all the ages, civilized or barbaric,
ar« those which record tho condemna
tion of men upon causeless suspicion.
Et was this which at one period filled
France and England with prisons,
arrests, convictions, death and ter
ror. Os course I do not fear that
any such experience is ever to be
ours; but I do say that such a doc
trine is abhorrent to every instinct of
American manhood, to every lesson
of Holy Writ and to the genius of our
free institutions. (Great applause.)
No hyperbole can exaggerate the
folly cf introducing such methods
into our politics and no condemna
lion by the people can be too swift
mu overwhelming. (Cheers.)
My countrymen, this war upon
Governor Colquitt is all wrong. It
is a wrong to tbe state, it is a wrong
to you, a wrong to our politics and
form of government.; for to teach the
young men of the countrv that such
methods are justifiable in political
contests is to the public service, to
drive the best men from public life,
to bi ing disrepute on popular gov
ernment and thus to stab popular
liber-y.. [Groat applause.]
But who is your executive that he
should be thus pursued and persecu
ted? You have known him from his
b lyhood. In his youth he was held
up as an example for young men.
In bis early manhood he was obeying
the call of his country and following
its flag in Mexico as it floated over
Monterey, Chepnltepec and Cheru
busco. (Cheers) Where was be
next ? Sent to congress from south
west Georgia almost before he was
-Id enough to take his seat. Where
next? Leaving congress with one of
the best records ever made by one of
bis age, he declined a nomination
tendered by acclamation. Where
next ? Again at the front when the
war of 1861 came. Yes, Alfred Col
quitt was at the front from 1861 to
to 1865, where bullets flew and
biocd flowed (cheers), and where
proud patriotism made her monu
ments in the bodies of her dead he
roes. (cheers)
Where next? At the head of the
agricultural society, giving his time,
talents and energies to the develop
ment of that great interest upon
which all others depend. (Ap
plause.)
Where next ? Chosen by the unan
mous voice of the representatives of
the people to be your governor, and
elected by an unprecedented majori
ty. What of his administration ?
Lock at the results. Your floating
dtbt paid off, your standing debt de
creased, your taxes greatly reduced,
your credit at a higher point than
has ever been reached since Georgia
was a colony, (Loud cheering)
What think you, my countrymen, of
the warfare made upon such a man ?
What think you of the effort to stain
the reputation of such a citizen?
(Cries of hurrah for Colquitt.)
Fellow citizens, the war did not
leave us much. It left us the bare
soil, the balmy air and the blue skies
which a benignant God stll bends
ibove us; but it left us little else than
these heaven given blessings and
nntarnished honor. (Loudapplause.)
Will you seek to rob Alfred Colquitt
of that priceless boon of an honora
ble name which is above price, high
er than office, better than property,
dearer than life? (Cheers and his
ses—a voice—he has brought it on
aim seif.) Sir, you are not the man
to whom I addressed the question.
I am talking to these men who have
characters to lose and who know
what character is worth.
laughter and cheers.) Ye men of
Muscogee county, are yen going to
lend yourselves to such a crusade as
this? Ido not believe it. I cannot
believe it. Bring this question home
to your own hearts and hearthstones.
Thinks of it as you look into the
faces of your wives and children. I
know not now others may feel; but
as for me, God grant that this right
arm may wither in its socket and
tnis tongue ixcome palsied and
speechless rather than I should be
come a party to an unjust warfare
upon any man. iCheers.( God
grant that at leas* I may never con
tril ute to the pulling down of the
reputation of any one of those bravj
men who were ready to give proper
ty and life s for conscience and country.
(Loud cheers.)
But, fellow-citizens, I have done.
May these unfortunate dissensions
not break the friendships which have
existed among you. May better and
wiser counsels prevail. May peace
and prosperity be the lasting heritage
of tach and all of you, and may
Alfred Colquitt be’ elected by 50,000
majority. (Laud and prolonged
cheer ng and hurras for Colquitt and .
Norwood.)