I^^9/ LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 014 418 851 2 HoUinger pH 8 J MtU Run R)3.2193 P 291 .B89 Copy 1 ! COL. J. E. BRYANT i 1 OF G-EOPIOIA., 1 ,^N1> j The Washington Chronicle. (?0L. BkYANT was assailed in the ClIKONICLl-:, AND Col. Foeney eefused to publish A Card in keply. WASHING TUX, 1'. r. 1870. .13 sq •z^^^i WAS IT HONORABLE'? The following article uppoared in tlie Alornhuj Chronicle on i^ronda}', tlio Ttli instant : APilUN'AL OF THE GEORGIA DELEGATION. llou. Foster Blodgett, of Georgia, accompanied by three judges of the Superior Court and two Republican member.s of the Legislature of ihat State, arrived in this city on Friday night for the purpose of laying before the President and CongreiBS official communications from Gov- ernor Bullock announcing that the State Legislature had properly organized under the act of Congress of December 22 last, and had adopted the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments to the Constitution. General Terr}', commander of the military district of Georgia, is also expected to arrive here this morning, and will probably accompany the delegation on the occasion of an expected call upon the President to-day or to-morrow. Should Congress take the necessary steps looking to the admission of the State, both houses of the Legislature will, at their meeting, on the 14th or 15th instant, hold a joint convention for the election of Senators. The Republicans have a majority of thirty-five on a joint ballot, and will undoubtedly elect their candidates, one of whom is Mr. Blodgett. Another delegation, headed by one Bryant, a renegade Republican, is also in town, and will endeavor to impede the restoration of the State to the Union. Bryant was formerly in the Republican ranks, but fail- ing in his aspirations for nomination for one of the Seuatorships, deserted to the Democracy, and is now the head of a faction in the State familiarly known as the "Bryant Democracy" — a faction which is despised by the true Republicans, and which receives little countenance from the simon-pure Democrats. A dispatch from Atlanta, published in yesterday's issue, states that a staunch Democratic journal of that place denomuos Bryant and those with him ns a self-constituted party, and also deuouuccs his motives in atteuiptiug to iuteifore with the rccogni- ^ tion of the Statf legi^hifnri' ami the admihsinu of the State to its place pj in the Union. *^ I requested the editor to piiLlisli the Ibllowiiig reply, which 'n:;^ he refused to do. I ask fair-miuded men^ was it honorable to assail a man thus and refuse to jmhlish his reply? J. E. BRYANT. WABHiN<;i()\. D. ('.. Fehraani 3, 1870. A CAllD. Editor Moi'iiiiuj Chroniclr : Sill — I read with sur|)risc and regret au editorial in your paper of this morning, in which you speak of myself as a ^'renegade Republican/" and state that, ^'failing in his aspirations for nomination for one of the Seuatorships, de- serted to the Democracy, and is now the head of a faction in the State fsimilia-rly known as the ^ Biyant Democracy.'" I was a Union soldier ; I w^ent to Georgia in 1865, and in 1866 commenced the publication of the "Loyal Georgian," one of the first papers in the South that advocated the equal political rights of all men. I was a delegate to the conven- tion of ''Southern Loyalists" that met in Philadelphia in the fall of 1866, and, as a member of the Committee on Reso- lutions, earnestly advocated the adoption of a resolution favoring universal suffrage. I assisted in organizing the Republican party of Georgia, and organized the party in the 5tli Congressional district. I was the only white man who canvassed that district in the gubernatorial campaign. The district gave Governor Bullock eight thousand majority, and he had but seven thousand majority in the State ; thus it will be seen that he was elected by the vote of the 5th district. I was secretary of the State Central Committee during the two first political campaigns, and chairman of the Executive Committee during the Presidential campaign. I was also a member of the Constitutional Convention ; was the Repub- lican candidate for Elector in the fifth Congressional dis- 4 LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 014 418 851 2 trict during- the late rresideutial caiupaigu, aiul am n^.s ;i member of the General Assembly. During all this time 1 have been an cmtspolcen Republican, and am to-day. I am not a leader of any Democratic organization, but am chair- man of the Executive Committee of '•' The National Repub- lican Club," a Eepublican organization in Georgia, which numbers among its members some of tlio ablest ReiAiblicans * . . . . in Georgia. I am also at tins time tiio editor of the Georgia Repuhlican , an outsj^olcen Rc^jirililican ])a]H.M\ ])nblisbod nt Augusta, Georgia. I ask, injustice to myselt", that nou will give tliis card as conspicuous a jdaco in your ]ia])er as you did tiie article at- tacking me. A^M'y ies])ectt'nlly, J. K. 1511 V A NT. \^'ASnrN(;rt)N, 1). ('., FiJiruiirii 1. 1870. As members ot the delegation of iiepublicans from Geor- gia, wlio are opposed to tbe course pursued by Governor Bullock, Ave feel it our iluty to add a note to tlic card of Colonel Bryant. Inste.id of coming to Washington " to impede the restoration of fhe State to the Union," we have come to secure that rcstornrion at the earliest possible day, in strict accordance with, the late act of Congress for thf promotion of reconstruct ion in Georgia. We know no man on our line who has deserted to the Democracy, or in the slightest degree departed from his i-ocord as a true Repub- lican. J. 11. CALDWELJ.. Meiii/j'.r NdlionuL Republican Convention, iDiil Rpiinblican Mcmher Georgia Leyislalv.m. C. K. OSGOOD, A. J. WILLIAMS, Rc'/'ublir/tn Members of Geor(/i re . J. BOWLES, * L'-rff T.I. r,,]. r. s. \W/x. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS lillllilliiilllMllllilll 014 418 851 2 A HoUinger pH 8 J MiU Rim F03-2193