Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-03-12

Correspondence Of tts N. V. Evening Postl
-. SAVANNAH GA, March /. 1856;
- was one Of those who made what the Londot
.SatGrdoy R-ois,g called "a pedestrar tour march
ing through the southern Country from Chattanooga
to Savannah. and so along up through lie C+ronat
ana be a4y TO ana M
and deSoation. Tney ,Stoned to the prayers of the
citizens for help and to their pnotesations that they
saw how foolish had been rebellion. and that e they
they would remain true to it.
Afterwards. when the war was ended, the memory Of
these painful scenes and earnest words convinced
me- as it did large majority of my fellow soldiers
that the sooner the government and people immedi-
reconstruction the better it would be for all of us
North and South And said as much to friendsin New
York and Eoston who desired to get information as
to my surprise and sorrow found class of persons
chiefly composed of those who have done little elst
than talk for these four years past, or who at bes
sent substitutes into the army, while they remained
at home gathering TiGhes. These people said to me
"Oh, of fcourse in the presence OF yorr large army
these rascals behaved WELL and kept quiet tongde
But they have committed treason sir; the laws mus
he ,Tindieated; these scoundres must be punished,
To which I replied: 'Ta- ever in the history o
civil wars, the dignity of gOvernnen. So grandly
justified has been that of the United States IN tht
late rebellion and as for punishment Heaven only
knows how terribly they have suffered for their crime
Yes. yes" was the impatient answer; you are
preJudced sir: you de not understand the question
wait and see how this matter is settled"
Well, we have waited. We have seen million OF
men in arms disbanded and absorbed in the commu
nifty, engaged in peaceful pursuits. At the South
have several hundred thousand men, whose hate
for the North, taught theu1 in their cradles was in
tensifed by four years of stubborn fighting lay dow
their arms and return to their homes quietly. We dc
not hear of disturbances, nor of factiouS opposition
TO the aTs. This corporal guard stationed here and
there throughout the South have Infinitely less phys
ica force than the police OF the State of New YORK
yet they sufficient to neace' 10 preserve
order We have heard expressed the most VsnpnaIlc
declarations Of loyalty. ,.r. . % 49,,
n tie ta4iglat!iras conventions, and otherwise
these people assert their allegiance to tne Ln5ed
States Government; they recognize without reserva-
tOn the fact that the negro is free, and they have
shown their willingness to give him all the rights OF
citizens except that of the elective franchise. Now
in spite of all this which is matter of history that
all the world may see, read in the public Journals,
correspondence in the Tribune and otherwise, that
the South is dsloyal as ever it was, and that re-
presSive, instead of CouciiiatOry measures must be
adopted toward them.
Since my temporary scourn in this part of the
country haze bad c&cclifr:t Opportunities for OBJ
servatGn TO the state Of feeling amongst these cx
rebels, and | purpose, as l move about here and
there. to seek for such information will reveal the
truth Of the situation. Thus far have found several
classes who tGpteaent es many phases Of feeling.
There those who almost entirely res one7ated
men of education and natural refinement. who ac-
cept the full responsibility of the new order ofthngs,
who, like Bgnyan's pilgrim when the odIous pack
rolled from his shoulders down the hill, thank God
for the deiverance 0thersare not s? far advanced
CONVERSATION WITH A GEORGIA COLONEL:
Last evening | met gentlemen who had fought
through the Virginia campaign, in the later years Of
the war, as colonel Of q Georgi. regiment. Before
the war he was a planter, and rich.
Why won you radicals in the Mort h let us alone
be said, "Al we ask is that may be permitted to
live quietly al home and cultivate our plantations"
The North require soma guarantees that You
will not try again the experiment or TeSel.icn'" l
replied,
Great hea75ns'" said the Colonel, with some in
dignatiOn, what guarantees cGn they demand more
than we have given. We have taken tho cath Of al
Il md I-n mi I
We recognize the emancipation of the negroes, and
our Legislatures have given hem all the right Of
not at ali qualified for. When they become So for
one, willing TO give them that privilege. Guar-
antes-why, in the manic OF all that's decent, what
guarantees can We give other than thesei We have
heen thoroughly whipped and humlliated. II we
to get down upon our knees and whine and beg,
would you not despisc us all the more} Can man
eat who has had his teeth knocked down bis throat?
You ask us to see when our two eyes have been
smd5hsd into one. You expect US to walk when our
legs have been amputEted, and, We haven't money
with which to buy wooden ones.
Your position is not over and above agreeable,
must confess, my answer. But you deserve all
you received"
Il won't discuss the question of desert" replied
the Colonel But don't find fault with the result.
! went into the war conscientiously and sacrifice
everything l had, and staked all and lost all We
own up whipped. and in good faith mean hereafter
to support the government
Why not say so in q public Way" | remarked.
You are misunderstood at the North. You ought
to take public action, if it is only to Justify the
course of President Johnson who Is struggling like
Titan III his attempts to place the South in posi-
tion where they prove their loyalty to the gov
ernment."
Let me say just one word there" broke in the
Colonel with earnes ness. One year, yes, six
months ago. would have shot man who had dared
to say that ever could be found supporting Andrew
johnson. But the magnanimity, the heroic courage
OF that man has conquered the preudices of the best
class Of men here your bullets and bayonets
could have done. Why, sir the world never saw
such spectacle. If there was any man on the Fed
erdl side who had cause FOR vengeance for private
wrongs, it was Andrew johnson. In all the North
there was not an individual from whom could
haze expected less Of favor and mercy. and yet
with all this, Ie stands forward champion In
the Uniun. Yes, sir; the mon, in the South wh1
fought haTdes: against you, and have suffered more
loss and umllaton, support him in the noble course
he has taken.'
You ast0nish me-" was all the reply I could make
to what appeared to me burst of patriotic elo-
quence.
My dear sir" continued the colonel. you can't
conceive the change that has taken place amongst
our people within the last few months. am aston
ished myself, and with myself, quite much with
the really influential, respectable people of our
munity. | will not say that we had no right to Sc
cede nor that We were wrong in fighting But | aL.
convinced that successful secession would have been
destruction III the end. The results of the have
shown that slavery was the curse of the south and
am entirely convinced that the negroes will bcrttt
themselves and us much more in freedom than III
slavery"
As in parting from the colonel, I grasped warmly
the two remaining fingers Of his hand, which was mu
tilated from a lnuSket ball at Cold HarbOr, c0ui
not but feel that he orc of the representatives u
4 new and rcgenerated South.