The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1863-04-21
NO.s59.
Intercepted Letter from Jefferson
Davis TO Fernando Wood. "a

RIcHMoND, Feb. I 1868.
DEAR SrR-I have read attentiveIy your
favor asking bpon what terms We of ths South
will consent to reconstruction Of the Union,
while greatly pleased with the fresh proofs
you have given Of your fidelity to the cause,
am pained to soc that you but partly COM
prebend our motives. ~ Dot n
What could we gain by o reconciliation Of
the Union? You offer us new Constitutional
guarantees for slavery. But how could We
enforce themi Your Northern public senti-
mont could not be controlled forever. Sooner
or later 1t would again attack our institutions.
The sons Of the men who thirty years ago en-
deavored to hang Garrison have made Lincoln
President. ,AnDihate your whole brood OF
Abolition vipers, and another even more ven-
omous would take it's place. In bringing on
this revolution We have only assumed CON
fiict, which would otherwise have desclved
upon our children. Were the Union to be re-
stored, with all its wounds healed TO the light,
the poison of aboltionism would still Turk 10
its veins, and il not in our day, ia that Of our
sons, the amputating knife, seccssiQp, would
again be necessary. BY no rec6hstructiou
could slavery be extended through the North;
The laws Of soil and climate woiid forbid that,
We must abide, therefore, 10 the path which
we are treading. s'N -
But could we be fully assured that slavery
would be unmolested in all States adapted to
slave labor, we would mover conseut to . re-
construction Of the Union. We ale in arms,
not merely in defense of our rights to hold
slaves forever, and without stint; but to demA
onstrate to the world the glory and stability
Of republic based upon slavery. 'aA
In seeding from the Federal Union and
forming tl9 o06kderate States, we acted up.
on the deliberate, mature conviction that
slavery is the essential basis Of every perna.
nent Republic. Had the Union been based
upon slavery it might have oversprsad the
continent and endured forever. But the
Northern States had not this firm Foundation.
They were based upon the lie Of Jefferson
" that all men were created equal" Hence
universal suffrage; hence free schools; hence
abolitionism a. the inevitable elimination.
We firmly believe that civilization has high
er development in South Carolina than In
Massachusetts, in Mississippi than in New
York, and solely because South Carolina and
Mississippi have slavery, while Massachusetts,
and New York have not. 49,
We feel assured that we shall win our inde.
pendence. Our free population is essentially
walliks; yours is peaceful and cowardly: We
are careless Of money; you Of the North wor-
ship " the almighty dollar" Almost our sole
laboring element is our slaves. Our entire
white population then is available for military
service; the war takes nothing from our pro.
duction. FOUR Northern armies must be re-
cruited entirely from your laboring classes,
and the war detracts Immediately from yodr
productive industry. Our female SLAVES work
10 our. fields, while the wives Of your North
ern farmers are indoors ministefine 10 the
comfort Of their families, and their children
are at school-a total waste Of their labor IN
military view. Thus, as producers, our
three millions Of slaves are an Offset to six mil.
lions Of your farming population. You can.
not, therefore, maintain larger army than
we are able to oppose you, without such
derangement Of your industry as will serious
ly threaten revolution at the North. To
these considerations add the wonderful fitness
Of our soil and climate for defensive warfare
and it is military impossibiity that We can
be subdued by force Of less than twice the
size Of ours. Such force we feel certain
your Government can never raise.
Mark, then, another very remarkable I'D.
vantage which slavery gives us as military
people-ane which proves that il We are fight
ing for slavery, it is no less true that slavery
fights for us. aaf sg b
Tho hardships which our slaves endure in
consequences of the war are scarcely greater
than those to which they have been accustom-
ed. Our slaves get everything they use as
the hands of their masters, and let prices be
high or low, they do not feel the difference.
Your Northern mudsills have their luxuriss;
they carpet their houses; they have their vi
ands; they drink their tea and cofeei they
dress according TO the fashion; the war doubles
the prices of most articles consumed BY them.
trsbles the prices Of others, and they pay for
all these things, while receiving no correspond
ing increase in their incomes; thus general
dissatisfaction with the men exists at the
Moth, which only requires to be skilfully
nursed by our friends and agents, to compel
your Government, before the close of this year,
to make peace with US on any terms as We
shall dictate. be sf1 p vs. I'D *
Surely, then, with all these circumstances
10 our favor, We should be false to ourselves,
to our posterity, and to the world, should we
accept less than independence. l,s 'ie'a''eH
With the highest esteem, ao'rof7Es
CO. "a fao am, most truly yours, $50
tl fis s'et'a JEFFERSON DAVIS.