Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-08-02
3elmunt Chronicle.
ST. CLAIRSvILLE, O.:
Thursday, August 3, 1865,
The Situation at the South.


Gen. Ganut, of Arkansas, has written a
letter to Hon. w. d. Kelley, of Philadel-
pbia,' in which he takes strong ground
against the expedcncy OF holding the Phil
adelphia Conservative" Convention
Gen. Gaunt begins by showing that the
South has been treated far better than it
had reason to hope, and arguing that it
would be for its interest to accept through
its delegates to Philadelphia the conditions
of reconstruction offered by Congress, con-
tinues as follows:
The pardoned leaders are betraying the
Government and misguidng the people -
They are intolerant, supercilious and dicta.
torial. They are seized with a love for the
Constitution that maddsns them. Mr.. Ben.
Hill, of Georgia. late Confederate Senator,
and now a delegate, I believe, to the PhiIa.
delphia Convention who went out of the
Union to fight for slavery and secession, and
who. being dragged back, proposes to renew
the fight peaceably in the Union for what is
left of both, said recently that he went out
Of the Unien to save the Constitution, and
he had come back for the same purpose. -
And such sophistry is responded to. and
made TO swell upon every breeze by all the
''lovacrs" from Georgia to the Penobscot.
tell you these men are as ready to de-
ceive and bring to suffering the masses of
the Southern people to-day as they ever were,
if by so doing they can but advance them
selves They do nothing to conciliate; moth.
ing to harmonize. They pander to every
weakness and passion of the people, and
tear open every wound afresh that they may
gain an ephemerial popularity. Instead OF
consoling. they do all to dispirit and disceur.
age. Instead of teaching our people to bury
the past, they hold il up before them, cloth.
ed with maeni6ed horrors. Of the present
they speak despondisgly, and forebode moth.
ing but evil for the future.
| know thst among the number who in
dorse the Philadelphia Convention there are
good and patriotic men. But these Southern
politicians, from vanquished being victors
having overcome the loyal element in tbt
South, and being in undisputed control o.
all the State governments except Tennessee
and Arkansas, flushed with success. and nc
longer weak or modest, contemplate littls
less than marching up TO Philadelphia or
the l4th of August. and debating terms &c
tho uation; or. uniting with the Northern
wing of tho rebellion. sweep from power
the very men to whom they surrendered ia
1865. What change in twelve months
No wonder they should pray for the time
and catch remote hope. wild as it NAV
seem, when Lieutenant General Grant shall
report TO j. Davis or some other butchereI
and punderer of the Southern people) n,
Secretary OF War to the United States Of
America.
l fear that the proposed convention viii
do but little good and it may do indefinite
harm to the country. and especially to the
South. for it was by the action Of these
extreme men that the load of sorrow and
ruin of the last two years Of the war wat
imposed upon brave and suffering people
Should they pursue the same wild course a,
they did through the war, and advise ou,
people not to accept the situation az defined
by Congress and the President, but in lieu
thereof propose to gather up the fragments
Of their shattered armies in the South, 'and
their discomfted allies in the North, and on
different field struggle to retain in the
Government the remaining rirus of those
issues which drenched our land in blood
and robad n continent in mourning; or,
should they propose fusion of the elements
lately hostile to the nation. North and South,
for the better government" Of that country
which the one tried to destroy and the'other
said was destroyed who that loves his'coun-
try could fail to see in il cause for lust
alarm and source of prolonged misfortune
to the South?
Should the Philadelphia Convention fail
to accept the situation, then the convention
of Southern Union men, which see has
been called, will become Indispensable . It
would be its duty, among other things, to
make every appeal to the interests and pa
triotism ofthe Southern masses to cut Them
selves loose from reckless leaders, and bring
repose TO themselves and the nation by ac-
cepting the mldest terms ever offered to any
conquered people throughout the history Of
all civil wars
For the sake Of my ewn people and the
welfare ofthe nation, / desire infinitely
above all personal considerations that the
country so long disturbed should have re-.
pose. The way is clear II the Southern peo-
pie will only seek it; and don't care what
party it breaks doSn or builds up, so it
brings permanent peace to the people.
But repeat, they could have but one'e.
sitimate object at Philadelphia, and that
would be to accept the situation, and urge
the Southern people to ratify their action.
IL Is In their power to do so, and should they
fail whatever delay in restorationor paraly-
sis in business may result from il will be
clearly traced TO them as having the power
and not the will 10 end the strife.
regard the present movement. however
patriotic in its inception. as rapidly merging
into continuation OF the late struggle only
assuming different shape. If possible, Il
should DO ayerted. Since 1868 / have la
bored for peace and harmony, but could see
no other road to It except that which led to
an acceptance Of the situation. / see no
other way to day consistent with the safety
Of the nation and the happiness Of the peo-
pie for the future.
Iu l86l-62 situation" was rendered
protecting slavery forever. II was rejected,
and the war ragged on.
10 1868, peace and gradual emancipation
could have been obtained. .--t
In 1884, abolition OF slavery, with no sol.
itary privilege abridged or penalty inflicted.
Bot they were all rejected, and the carnival
of blood went on.
And who caused their rejection? The
very men who are TO meet at Philadelphia.
In 1866. the situation" sharply defined
by Congress and the President, and settling
everything erowing out Of the issues inyoly.
ed except the remote one Of suffrage, will
come informally befxe them. Will the
sssse' leaders cause IL to be rejected too p
Will they take no lessons from their blum
dersin the terribls past ? Should the situ
stion as now defined be not accepted. II /,