American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-10-25
Reconstruction.

ihDefai anu Writer on the Scieuce Vi ooN-
ernment, has addressed tee following let
ter to friend in this city:
AvIGNoN, May II, 1865.
DEAR SrR: had scarcely received
your note Of April s, so full of calm joy
in the splendid prospect now opening to
your country, and through it to the world,
when the news came that an atrocious
crime had struck down the great citizen
who had afforded so noble an example of
the qualities beftting the first magistrate
of free people, and who, in the most
trying circumstances, had gradually won
not only the admiration but almost the
personal affection ofall who love freedom
or appreciate simplicity and uprghtness.
But the loss is ours, not his. 1t was inn
possible to have wished him better end
than the crown of martyrdom to his 9TH
er honors, and to live in the.memory ofa
great nation as those only live who have
not only labored for their country but
died for it. And he did live to see the
cause triumphant and the contest yirtu-
ally oveo. How different would our feel
iugs now be if this fate had oyertaken
him, as it might SO easily have done, a
month sooner!
In England, horror of the crime and
sympathy with your loss seem to be al
most universal, even among those who
have disgraced their country by wishing
success to the slaveholderf | hope the
manifestations which were. instantaneous
ly made there in almost every quarter
may be received in America as some kind
of atonement or peace-ofering. | Lave
never believed that there was any real
danger of quarrel between tho two
countries; but it is of immense import
ance that we should be firm friends; and
this is onr natural state, for, though there
is portion of the higher and middle
classes of Great Britain who so dread and
hate democracy that they cannot wish
prosperity and power to democratic peo-
pie, sincerely believe that this feeling
not general, even in our privileged class
es. Most of the dis ike and suspicion
which have existed toward 70 United
States were the effect of pure ignorance;
ignorance of your history, and ignorance
Of your feeling and disposition as peo-
| pie. 1t is difficult for you to believe that
this Ignorance could be as dense as it re-
ally was. But the late events have begun
to dissipate it; and if your Government
and people act as / fully believe they will
in regard to the important questions which
now await them, there will be no fear of
their being ever again so grossly misun-
derstcod, at least in the liAes of the pres
ent generation.
As to the mode of dealing with these
great questions, it does not become for
eigner to advise those who know the ex-
igencies of the case so much better than
he does. But as so many Of my country
men are volunteering advice to you at
this crisis, perhaps may be forgiven if l
offer mine the contrary way. Every one
is eagerly intoxicating gentleness, and on
ly gentleness, as if you had shown any
signs of disposition to take savage re
venge. | have always been afraid of one
thing only-that you would be too gen
tle I should be sorry to see my life ta-
ken after the war is over Except those Of
the assassin), or any evil inflicted in mere
vengeance; but one thing hope will be
considered absolutely necessary: to break
altogether the power Of the slaveholding
caste. Unless this is done, the abolition
of Slavery will be merely nominal. Ifan
aristocracy ofex Shareholders remain mas
tiers of the State legislatures, they will be
able effectually to nullify great part of
the result which has been so dearly bought
by the blood of the Free States They
and their dependents must be effectually
outnumbered at the polling places; which
can only be effected by the concession of
full equality of political rights to negroes
and by large immigration of settlers
| from the North; both of them being m ade
independent by the ownership of land
With these things, in addition to the
Constitutional Amendment (Which will
enable the Supreme Court to set aside any
State Legislation tending to bring back
Slavery in disguise), the cause of Free
dom is safe, and the opening words of the
Declaration of Independence will cease
to be reproach to the nation founded by
by its authors =
l am, dear sir, yours very truly,
1