Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-12-22
SAMUEL ". THAYER.
Surgeon General

How SHALL TIE SoUrH BE Treated Hon.
I. L. Clingham of North Carolina. formerly
United States Senator and since then a gen
eral in the rebel army, writes long and in
terestlns letter to the New York Times,
which closes as follows
The great practical question now presents il
self. What ought to be the action Of the United
States toward the South | an not mistaken
when say that in North Carolina the determin-
alton TO support the constitution and obey the
laws Of the United States Is universal. There
sre 10 be found here and there, perhaps, indl-
yiiuals in the State who will assert the contrary.
They are, however, men without consideration
or character, who have been disappointed IN
their attempts to get office, and WHO charge the
people with being disloyal because they will not
vote for them. No man living in the State be-
Heves there is at present dislOyalty there. The
late elections have betn decided by personal
prejudice, aided somewhat by old party associa-
tions. Our people think that when they
have complied with all the requisitions
Of III President, they have right to
choose their Representatives. l know
no man in the State. however, that believe can
take what is commonly called the " test oath
without perjury, If this be insisted on, cur
l State will have only nominal or cOuHterteHrep-
| resentatives Sooner than have such many
think II as well 10 have no representatives, az all
/ II the men chosen are true to the constitution,
the more talent and consideration they have the
better for the government When an army sur
renders, IT is done by It's officers in command,
and not by men taken from the guardhouse or
the rear, because Of their inefhciency. SO Is It
not better that the public Of the South should
come in with their representative men? In this
manner the government and the administration
will obtain the entire political and moral sup
port Of the States.
II is obvious that there are IN the North per-
sons who still desire to keep up quasi war on
the South. Some Of these men expect pecunia-
/ ~ advantages in the form of places, contracts
and Jobs. Another class Of men seek political
stsength by appealing TO the hostile feeling Of
the masses who have not yet cooled down. They
persist in regarding the South as still an enemy,
and desire BY continued attacks to make it so.
Should the government yield to the views, it
will infhct injury both on the South, and itself,
with no corresponding advantage. The Govern
ment OF the United States can have the entire
South loyal and true to it by accepting them as
such; and it Will be difficult to make the people
there actively hostile at this time. If desire
for vengeance exists IN the minds Of any persons
Southern States have suffered more severely
than any community in modern times. Besides
the loss Of so many Of their best men, probably
two-thirls Of their property : gone The four
millions Of slaves, estimated according to then
value in 1860, constituted one .thrrd of their
wealth, and the depreciation in the value Of land
and losses Of personal property, are fully slua
to another third. BY now keeping them undei
= military rule, for which no reason exists what
ever, feelings of disaiection may be produced
and the expenditures Of the government incTea
sed without public necessity. On the contrary
the Government of the United States eau hav
all the Southern States again its friends by al
lowing them when they have complied with th
s requisitous Of the President, to exercise tn
/. privileges which belong, according to the Cons
! titution, to all the States Of the Union.
Very respectfully yours, Sc.
e 1. L. CLISGNAS.