Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1866-02-10


NASHVILLE. Dec. 80, 1866.
DEAR SIR: Ny health was not so
fully restored us ! h0ttered myself,
when saw you in November and
promised to reply to your letter, re.
qucsting me to state the substance of
my conversation with you, on the sub
jcct of public affairs and the condi-
tions of the relations between the
Southern States and the North; |
soon found that ! had undertaken n
task beyond my strength, at least,
that could not comply with your
wish within the time promised. 1t
was only at intervals that could at
tempt to concentrate my thoughts, so
irritable had my nervous system be-
come-sometimes short, and often
requiring the ropose Of a whole day
before | could resume the labors Of
composition.
You may remember, that the reluc-
tance or tardiness which the people
of the South had manifested in COM
plying with the wishes orrequisitions
of the President, on certain points,
deemed by him necessary prelimina-
ries to the success Of his policy in re-
storing the States, lately in revolt, to
their proper constitutional relations
with the Union, was a matter Of G.
quail surprise to us b tn, and it was
to reason or demonstrate with them
upon that subject, if could be sup
posed to have any weight or intiu.
ence with them, that | undertook to
comply with your wishes. But it so
happened, that before | had finished
the carefully considered views which
l had intended to address to them,
with the hope ofbeing able to hasten
their movements, the States which
had at the first shown some reluc-
tance, at last acceeded TO the most
material parts Of the Presidents re-
QUESTIONS.
But that is not the only mishap
that has befallen me, and retarded
my answer. By the time l came to
be advised Of the judicious compli-
ance of the Southern States, with the
most material Of the requests of the
President such devolopments-new
and unexpected to me--were made of
the policy and designs of the oppo-
sition to the Presidents plan of res
toration, as gave quite new phas,
to the approaching conflict between
them, and made it necessary to re-
cast whatever of argument | had in
corporated in my letters, in order to
meet the new aspect of the questions
presented to the public; and now, if
to you, | propose to comply
with your request and my promise,
in two or three letters instead of one,
including such explanations of my
own career as may think necessary
to preserve the respect Of my old
friends. You may know that for a
long time have not been at all san
guine Of the duration of our system
of constitutional liberty. Since the
decentralization Of the country by the
late unprecedented war, l am. of
course, less hopeful. The bitter feel
ing, the malignant and revengeful
policy, unfolded against the South in
the letters of Henry Winter Davis,
printed in the Nation a'short time
previous to the meeting OF Congress,
corroboratcd by the spirit and tenor
of the speeches of Sumner and Ste
vens, of Pennsylvania, previously
made, evince to me a premeditated
purpose of effecting such q radical
change in the features of our Gov
ernment as will amount to revolution.
These leaders certainly are the worst
enemies OF the Union; indeed, they
are, at this time, most decided disu-
if not revolutionists. If
President Johnson had not assumed
the responsible duty of organizing
governments in some form in the
Southern States, (and it is but too
now that the present Con-
grcss will not invite them to do any
thing of the kind could the South
exist two years longer in such con-
fusion without anarchy? or can the
of the Northern people,
trained and fashioned as they were
during the war to the habit of sub
blin'ly to the commands of
absolute power, fail to be reconciled
in a dangerous degree to n porma-
nent despotic government?
But the Southern States have not
Nu " acceded to the Presidents wish
rs. The State of Mississippi. which
had at first moved off promptly and
with graceful dignity in accepting
the condition imposed upon the peo-
pie by the result of the war, halted at
the proposed amendment of the Con
of the United States, abol-
ishing slavery, on the ground of the
use. or abuse. which it was feared
would be made of the seeond clause,
which empowered Congress TO pass
all appropriate laws TO maintain the
freedom guaranteed to the African
race in the first clause Of the amend
ment.
II ou,,oars 10 mo 4bas A. ,,o-.-o,.