The countryman. (Turnwold, Putnam County, Ga.) 1862-1866, August 23, 1864, Image 1

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o. CS THE GOTJNTRYMAN. By J. A. TURNER. INDEPESDENlf IN EVERYTHING—NEUTRAL IN NOTHING $5 for Three Mouths. VOL. XIX. TURNWOLD (NEAR EATONTON) GA., TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1864. NO. 34 Got. Brown’s Letter, “Atlanta, July 20th, 1864. “Hon. Richard M. Clarke— “Dear Sir :—As a lriend, you call my atten tion to the fact that my political enemies in south-western Georgia, not content with as sailing my acts, as a public officer, are de scending to personal abuse, and attacking my character for honesty; and that some of the as sailants are stimulated to greater bitterness, by my late proclamation, ordering them to thj front,to delend the State, and protect their own homes. With some, this is, no doubt, the great est sia of my life. In an emergency like this, when we must put forth every energy, and call into requisition all the manhood of the State, to check the advance of an enemy that threat ens the destruction of all our property, and all that is dear to us, 1 had hoped that even politi cal animosity would have been buried for a time, but it seems that partizan rancor and po litical hate never sleep. You say that it is insinuated, in such a man ner as to amount to charges— 1st. That I am part owner in a large whis key distillery, in Lee county. 2d. That I was, and perhaps now am, a part ner in an Atlanta trading house, which specu lated largely in the necessaries of life. 3d. That the money, with which I purchased lands in south-western Georgia, was made by me, in some illegal manner, by virtue of my of fice as governor. I reply: 1st. I have no interest in a distillery, in Lee county, or any other county, or place, and nev er had ill my life. I never made a gallon of whiskey in my life, in partnership, or other wise, and never bought and sold a gallon, or made one cent, by the sale of whiskey, or other liquors. §d. I am not, now, and never have been, a partner in any trading house in Atlanta, en gaged in speculating in the necessaries of life, or any' other matter, or thing,, I have not bought and sold, or in any way speculated in the necessaries of life, since the war began. Nor have Isold even the proceeds of my own farms,.to aDy considerable extent t but I have given to the Samilies of soldiers, without money and without price, much the larger portion o( all the supplies I could spare, and, indeed, all I could spare, except what I have let the gov ernment have, at its own price. The third charge is very indefinite. It is not said bow, or in what manner, by virtue of my office, I made the money to purchase lands. You, and every intelligent man know, that I do not handle, or control, a dollar of the public money, only as it is drawn from the Treasury, by executive warrant, under a legal appropria tion. The person entitled to it, or tbe officer in whose favor it is to be drawn, receives and receipts for the executive warrant, in the exec utive office. He takes this warrant to the Comptroller General’s office, where it is registered, and, with the Comptroller’s indorsement, he carries it to the Treasury, and the money is then paid to the holder of the warrant, by the Treasurer. I neither see nor handle it. All I do, is to draw the warrant upon the Treasury for it. As the country has really nothing to do with my private affairs, it is cot my babit to speak of them publicly,-but as my enemies strive to excite prejudice in the mines of honest, credu lous people, by vague insinuations that I did not have money to purchase southwestern lands, you will excuse me for informing you how I happened to have the money. ✓ At the commencement of the war, I had a handsome estate, with a competent income, which J had made by industry and energy in my profession, and, J trust, tolerably sound judgment in the purchase and sale of property, with what the world calls good luck, as by the purchase of a tract of land, at a very small price, for timber, upon which a mine was dis covered, which enabled me to sell it for $25,- 000. Since the war began, as the records of the country will show, I have inherited, in right of my wife and children, over $20,000 in gold, or its equivalent. This was invested in such securities as have, and would, command more than enough Confederate currency to pay for all the lands I have purchased anywhere else. A short calculation will show, that this $20,- 000, at twenty for one, is §400,000 in currency. Twenty thousand dollars, so invested as to be worth ten for one, is $200,000. The latter is nca ly double what I gave for southwestern lands. But as I did not choose to sell all my securities at the time, I ‘ borrowed $50,000 of the currency, which I gave lor these lands, and I regret to say; I still owe this sum. 1 have the consolation to know, however, that my creditors are not uneasy, and that I have property plenty to pay it, whenever I choose to put it in the market. No man ever sued me for money, and I do not recollect that a credi tor ever dunned me. I have made it a rule al ways to pay iny debts, when due, no matter what it cost me, unless the creditor informed me that he did not need, or want the money. In making this statement, I do not wish to be understood, that I have made no money since the war began. I have a large family, and the people of Georgia pay me $4,000 per annum, in curreucy, for my labor, and the re sponsibilities I have to meet. You know that this would not purchase even the most commou necessaries of life, for my family. My estate, well managed, naturally yields me considerable income, and I have made some money, by buying and selling railroad bonds, and other property, but not as much as I should have been glad to have made, and as I intend to try to make in future, if I can do it honestly. 1 have never dealt in the neces- saries of life, and never expect to, but, if, by the exercise of a sound judgment, I can pur chase of corporations, or money-dealera, stocks, or bonds, or other property, and by parting with them, at the proper time, can sell them at profit, and make money by it, I expect to do it. And, as I consider it nobody’s business, I am willing for him who is without sin, or for him who would not do the same thing, if he saw where he could do it honestly, and make it pay, to throw the first stone. If God has blessed me with good judgment, ae to theyalue of property, and with forecast enough to know when to buy, and when to sell to profit, I think my lamity entitled to the service of that gift, and I hope by it, and other honest employment, to be able to educate and give my children a reasonable advancement in life, and to have something to meet proper demands for the ex ercise of charity to the poor and afflicted, pro vided theeDemy does not take it all from me, If they do, it will be when I can no longer re sist, and it n-iy life is spared, I shall still do ali in my power to provide lor those dependent upon me. You are authorized to make such use of this letter as you may think proper. Very respectfully, JOSEPH E. BROWN. The New York Albion. We take the tallowing lrom the Charleston Courier : Cannot some friend favor the Courier with late issues of the New York Albion? It has, no doubt, been, latterly, unusually pungent, and pithy, and prolific in good things, on the right side, and for honesty, and decency, and truth. In proof of this assertion, we need —intelligent readers will need—no better testi mony than that giveu by the New York Herald;, of the 18th July—a journal whose abuse is Ute- surest guide, and index, to whatever ot decen cy and truth'is left in New York, in men or in stitutions. Tne Herald says; “The English Organ.—Among the various; organs that represent foreign interests, and ideas, in our midst, there is an English organ, conducted on the true English theory, that all. that is good, and admirable, is England, and the English, and that all that is not English* and is American, is contemptible and vile. It is the ostensible purpose <5f this journal to Hat ter the national vanity of its subscribers—En glishmen who have come here to make money —and it»does this, principally by decrying thia country in a very Euglish spirit—that is, in a spirit of bullying, ignorant, arrogant self-suf ficiency. English sentiments are, at any time,, sufficiently unpalatable to the American people** but this war has made them doubly so, now- England is against us openly, and with the. rebels; and the English organ, true to its mis sion, as an exponent of English opinion, here,, is thus more than usually offensive. It is a, secession organ, giving aid and comfort to the enemy, and since it seems to fancy that, as a consistent Euglish paper, it must oppose the. war, and favor the South, it ought to have- the decency to suspend publication, and so save trouble.” What he Called Her.—“A philosopher who married a vulgar, but amiable girl, used to call his wife ‘brown sugar,’ because, be said* she was sweet, but unrefined.’* LlL OtC'i