Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-05-15
Letter from 'lBill Arp.n

OF tue N. L. metropolitan Record. In a
letter giving his reluctant consent to the
publication, 1.-THE humor he thinks like good
wine having become stale from being too
long uucorked,l and enioining Reconstruct
ton of the autobiography, the author, who is
the Hon. Charles II. Smith, of Georgia,
says:
For the sentiments that pcrvade these
letters, have no apology to make. At the
time they appeared i'll the press of the South,
these sentiments were the silent echoes of
our peoples thoughts, and this accounts in
the main for the popularity with which they
were received. Of course they contain ex-
aggeratIons, and prophecies which were
never fulfilled; but both sections were play
ing ''brag" as we'll as ''battle," and though
we could not compete with our opponents in
the former, yet some of US did try to hold
our Own. At both games We were whipped
by overwhelming forces, and we have given
it up. Conquered, but not convinced, we
have accepted the situation, and have pledged
ourselves to abide by it. We have sworn to
! do so. We have declared it most solemnly
in convention. We have asserted it in every
act and deed; and Southern honor, which
our enemies cannot appreciate, but which is
untarnished and impershable, is tie seal of
| our good faith. Whoever testifes to the ex-
istcnce among us of an association designing
renewal of the rebellion, is either the
victim OF his own cowardice, or else the
author of 4 selfish and heartless lie. 1 say
this with feeling and Indignation, for we see
III such testimony Willingness nay, a desire
on the part of our military rulers, to retain
over us their power and their tyranny for
| malicious or avaracious ends. We have long
felt, and we still are feeling their insults, their
black mail, their rObberieS. Ours is the
stranded ship, and the Federal officers among
us are the wreckers; ours tie Carcass, and
| they the Iultures who are picking our denuded
| bones The little that was left our people is
seized, and released on paying a part into
private pockets. They get rich and resign,
and fresh corps of vampires take their places,
to renew the operations. l have even known
them to steal by night, aud haul away the
poor pittance Of damaged corn that our gen.
| erous CD Government had stored for distribu-
ton to our starving poor. 1t is for such pur-
poses that military dominion is t., be continued
Would that this were all But not content
with even this exhaustion Of our scanty
means they are annulling our contracts made
with the laborers who were content to work
III our fields for fair wages aud are tolling
them off to parts unknown under false pres
fences. Our plOughs are standing in the
fields idle, our farms will go untitled, aud the
land swarms with agents who are brihing the
poor negroes away under promises of higher
wages, and under the sanction of Bureau
as rotten as the promises of Pharoah.
&c Ci"tis. But still we abide all these
sad results, and look upon it as part of the
war, aGd in keeping with the character of
those WHO have so long been our enemies
They but exhibit the animms of Il people whose
hate a"d avarice induced the rebellion
Such bnS t1ruoA 81,
the last opponent of secession. and caused
them t" regret that they did not throw their
lives and fortunes into the finhr.
Perhaps this is all for the best. We can
| not tell. We have almost cerScd to philoso-
phlSc upon it, for we have no time to think
The work of actual reconstruction abs o! bs our
time and energies. mean the reconstruction
OF our individual fortunes, our houses. rfields
aud farms, our railroads. manufactures grave
yards, schools aud churches We have no
time to stop and mourn over the loss Of Iiber-
ty.
But I can find time to ask. What has the
North gained by the war? What principles
have been established? What great or vital
questions have been settled? Is the SOW
eTelSnty Of a State forever annulled 1? Then
let Illinois take down her decctful sign. OBJ
llterate her great seal of State, and choose
another, for the one she now has is obsolete
an e0gte proudly pOSiovcG under scr0U ,rjh
Stote Soce"eiymty' upon it. Is it the free
dom OF slaves that has been ACCOMPLISHED
Alas the one and a hall millions who per-
lshed IN the war, are certainly free; the re-
ma!nder are rapidly realizing the same liber-
t., or lindlnga new bondage in other cimes.-
Like the Indian the race is doomed, and the
mighty North still triumphs in the glory of
its accomplishment. But I will not speak
more OF this. To the charitable reader let me
say, Forgive me if you find something to
con"emn In the following pages. 1t is not
In my heart to offend a good man, whether
he live North or South aud there be better
Judges than | of what should have, or have
not, been written. 1t may be said that the
character of these letters has no tendency to
soften the anamOSites engcndcrcd by the late
unhappy strife l Can only answer. that il is
not III reOcl nature to be humble to those who
would put the heel of a tyrant upon us. Our
people are unit upon the moral of the fi,rht
they nude. They sincerely feel that the pro-
vocation OF the war was not Of their begettnn.
Many time and oft have men and nat ons
Ieen conquered, but not convinced. The
story OF ireland. Poland and the Hero of
the Lakes has been often reproduced to IL |
!ustra'e that wrongs are not remcdled, nor
rights secured, by wager of battle
W hIEe mourning the loss of thousands of
The nubleSt Of our race, while suherins. tie
poverty and desolation with which our con-
q"cr"rs have visited us. while memory stings
w.'h The rape and arson which barbarians
under arms enforced and heartless officers rer-
united, 1t is not in human nature to smother
resentment against those who would still play
the tyrant and grind us into dust
But to you, kind reader, who can speak
gently to the erring Git we have erred) who
would pour oil upon the troubled waters,
ana prefer the hand of kindred love, let me
say that, though proudly defiant Of our enc
m'es: the noble manIiness of our people will
meet You cordially at the first sincere effort
toward an honorable reconciliation. Other