The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-09-12

,r REITERATES HIS FORMER
-" SENTIMENTS.
ueechcr Asks for the Spee"S
,,,,.siou Of the Southern Sfates.
PrrKs3iII, August $, 1866.


ma Cleveland letter.
~. ceiling, however, has no Just
....9. whatever may be the seeming.
,,,f LETT. and do not propose TO leave,
''",, he put ont OF the Republican party.
Am in = mpahy with It's aims, ITS great
'..r,;pIcs. and its army OF noble men.
H., took the liberty Of criticising ITS
in single respect, and to do what
'...l! 10 secure what believed, and still
'..,,r. TO be Il better one.
an and from the first have been, fully
, eaulon that the amendment of the
Constitution proposed by Congress equal.
..rg representation in the northern and
,..,arrn States was iutrinSically just and
reasonable, and that il should be sought by
=. wholesome and persistent moral aglta-
..u.
But, from the present condition of the
,a.l!ic mind, and from the Presidents at
mode. deemed such change to be prSc-
,..a.|y impossible in any near period by
,.itjral action and plan of reconstruct
,o.. based upon tat seems to me far more
Ike a plan of adiourning reconstruction
f.- wears. at least, with all the liabilities OF
,a.,rlicr which are always TO be expected
FL. ,lr fluctuations of politics in free IA
ton.
!; is not the North that chiefly needs the
..,,,ratiuu Of government 10 its normal
shore and regular action. Either the ad
,'.-,,-s> Of union are tallacious, or the
,.,.rluuuS exclusion of the South from it
Mil breed disorder, make the future re-
....,r mo.c difficult, and especially sub
-., lie freedmen 10 the very worst condi-
,.., Of society which can well exist. No
amy. no government, and no earthly
raurr can compel tie South TO treat four
millions of men jW>fiY il the inhabitants
uhrthrr rightly or wrongly regard these
men a. The cause, or even the occasion, OF
;A..g uuhappiucss and disfranchiscmcnt.
BIT 20 army, or government, or power Will
Nr required when southern society is re-
stored, occupied, and prospecting in the re-
nawrd Mon. Then the negro will be felt
H. he necessary to southern industry, and
interest will Join with conscience and kind
ness in securing for him favorable treat
mvrt from his fellow citizens.
We that live at a distance may think
IAt the social reconstruction involved i'll
decentralization of four million slaves is
a, simple and easy aS it is TO discourse
about i. But such change is itself one
u' tie most tremendous tests To which in
d4,tIv and society can be subjected; and
10 rs favorable issue iSrcquirCd every adj
Vantage possible. The longer, therefore,
ia, south is left in turmoil, the worse il
,I,l he in the negro. If there were 10
other reason; if the white population
, -, 4
LIST all kindness and regard for them, and
ali pride for the Union, as in part repre-
scented bv southern States, and confined
ear attention exclusively 10 the negro,
the case would be strong beyond nv
lower Of expression for an early resump-
tsnn of Federal relations with all the
~,,,r. If this is 10 DISREGARD the negro,
Them al social and natural laws have been
>,adicd in vain.
Neither ain "JnlnSon man. in any
received meaning Of that term. THE
reading was here interrupted by storm of
applau>c.l Iacccpt that part of the policy
which he iavors; but with modification. |
lave never thought that it would he wise
IL bring back all the States in body and
al once. any more than it would be To keep
item All out together. One by one, in due
>lcrr>>ion, under a practical Judgment,
rather than by wholesale thcorctic rule,
would have them rcadmitted. ! still
think middle course between the PrcSi-
dents and that Of Congress would
ice wiser than either. But with this
nv agreement with the President ends.
have long regretted his ignorance
Of northern ideas and sentiments, and
l,y, been as,oni<hed and paincd at his in
,rra,iug indiScretions. Cncousciously, the
President is the chief obstacle to the re-
admission Of southern States. 1t is enough
that he is known TO favor a measure to set
the public mind against it. This is to be
dcpiorrd But il is largely owing to his
Increasing imprudent conduct. ! believe
him To be honest, sincere in desiring what
H. regards as the public good, but slow
aHI unapt in receiving help from other
minds. Proud and sensitive, firm to OBJ
,,inacy, reSolute to ferccness, intelligent
il his own sphere (Which is narrow, he
holds his opinions inhcyjbiy, he often
mistakes the intensity OF his own convic-
l!ons tor strength OF evidence.
Such Il man has true sphere in periods
Of peril, when audacious firmness and
rude visor are needed. But in the deli:
ca'r tasks Of adjustment which follow civil
war such "a nature lacks that tact and de-
macy and moral intuition which constl-
iutr The true statesman.
Mr.. Johnson'S haste TO take the wrong
side at the atrocious massacre o, New Or
leans was shocking. The ,pefHsrsion and
mNt'latIon OF sheridan's dispatches need
10 chAracterization. i do not attribute
'"l> act 10 hlm. 1et II was Oh such crl-
'!!A"i ana disgraceiul nature thal no, 10
I'rar himself OF II by the exposure ana re-
"oHc ol the Offending 2at'y "ltoeh'Gu "