, 1865-08-11
LETTER FROM JUDGE KELLEY.
His Regrets at the Failure Of the Re.
bel}iou.
PHILADELPHIA, Aug, 8, 1865.
Editor Philadelphia 1pq1Irer:

PInLADE1PHrA, Aug, 8, 1sG5.
Editor Philadelphia Inquirer:
Permit me TO thank you for the tllustra+
items Of the temper OF the Southern neo,
ple,", CONTAINED fn the telegraphlc and edi.
tor'al columns OF 5ou. paper Of this date.
1erest IN unders' audEDg this question. First.
and most numerous, those who have uoth.nc
but their labor to depend on, and who wiaR
to preserve our whole country as a field far
themselves and poaterity and Eec,nd, those
Who hold Government securities.
NO one who has the Held before him !or OBJ
| servntion can doubt the fact that the South
Elm leaders mean to ayeDse their supposed
wrcnge. and accomplish politically what th-v
have failed to effect By war. Be- ASSURED.
dear sir, that prccfpltate reconstruction viii
eecu1o the dee1adat1on Of labor over the
rhole sontb, AID ons of these alternatives,
the repnd!atlon Of the national debt or tie
assumption Of that Of the Confcderacg. II
support Of these views will you not permit
me 10 lay before your readers another iIfuq-
tEaton Of the unionism Of free Lon ii ina,
The 1ouritr ef tae 1tehe, Of the 18th ult pnt::
ltshed At st. Martins Lou'elana, contains as
its leading feature tha address to the people
now Of the loyal Home Gua1d), A. De Biapc.
In Introducing the address, the editor says
.feace Is not even mere word, It Is farce.
II ls crEel Irony spu1teI, In o the face Of ali
Southrons." But le: the Colonel or tie io,tI
Home Guard speak 70. himself.
Fel1ow-cttizenso Of the parish ofst. Martins.
The cause Of the Confederate Suites, tust
and sacred cause, has been defeated. rha
hope NC entertained of. creating IN inde-
pendent nationality Is Lost, and that forever.
J, Ehen it waa yet In its c1adle, hailed and
defended that GAUGE. and when 1t fell 1 was
no more, and, remaining within Its tezritoy-
tal limits, VIC must yield to the only Govern
mint which, right or wrong, stands now su-
pretne On the bloody and ulustrlous ruins of
our departed Confederacy. This submissicp,
however. is not one Of choice. but one OF M
the untted States We will ftankly yield,
when the pticv Of that allegiance shall nor
be the de leIatIon of our race. j
\ proclamation. called tbs "Amnesty
PEoclanatiep,n has been stnt forth by the
President cf the United States, offering to q
o.utton pardon for what he considers as
treason against the Government; the condi-
ticne of that pardon are that the alleged
traitors must swear to support the Constitu-
tton Of the United Btates, and swear, BE-
s!dce. 10 support the LAYS and proclama'1ans
relative to the Emancipation Of those we
held os s!ayts. That is ntisher jus: nor ex-
pedlent. Net Just. for the laws md proela-
nations are violation Of the Constitution
l.sG1t, and to take that cath is to bind our
selEts expressly to disregard that ConstitQ.
tfon which. ut the same time, We expressly |
swear to support. It IL not e1p-d1eut. for
the Immediate abolition Of slavery Is nothing
lCss than the complete abolition Of labor.
ard Will ce1t9inly convert oar 1abosers into |
hordes OF vaRabouds, useless to themselves, |
their families and the State.
We should we do? We have surrendered |
to the military authorities of the United |
States, and our first duty Js to abide strictly |
by and to respect, however harsh they be, |
the stipulated conditions Of our surrender.
But, thou7h conquered. we still have those
i5destructlb1e rights which ne held from our
God. and those rights we must have the
manl!ness to c1aiu even from those who
have the power, and who may have. dispo-
sltirn to disregard and Violate them. am
fully aware that among many, we slave own
ers arc couaIdered as ty1an's, and our slaves
as our victims. Many, again, would be will
ing to extend to those pretended victims of
cur tJranny those privileges which, every
. here, are denied to the white 1aborer aud
denied even 10 the soldier who has fought
nrds r the banner Of his country. But there
are those, TOO, who have not tclgntten thst
.se are their equals, Who should blush at the
thought o W1estiIg from US those great pre-
negatives which others claim for our SLAVES !
md should not consent to disgrace tbeir
name, their victory, their epaulets and thcir
swords In petEecuting tbs 'ynnouIshed-
those Tho are under the protection Of the
:olaiel's parole and the nation's honor,
That our States ware Eoyercigns, no one.
here or In Europe. could successfully attemnt
o coptroYess} they we're, NC had the risht