Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-08-17
PEcoNsTRHOTyON

RECONSTRUCTION.
IMPORTANT LITTER FROM GENERAL P0PA.7
The following letter was received BY Gen.
Grant this morning:
HEADQUARTERS, THIRD MILITARY Dis
TRIoT. eoygi0, Alabama and skYorid0, Atlanta.
Ga, July "a. lS67.--General:-l have the
honor to send enclosed ne Wspaper contata-
ing a speech made in this city by B. II. Hill,
OF this State. late Senator IN the rebel Don.
gress. This person only few weeks since
was pardoned by the President, and IN com.
mon with almost every pardoned rsbei, this 10
the use he makes OF the clemency of the Gov.
ernment. YouSan readily see from the speech
It's elf The character, OF the man, ho is the rep
resentative OF large class and the hopeless.
ness OF any satisfactory reconstruction of toe
Southern States, while such men retain in
huence. .f =E sa<. eAT
1t has been and VIII continue to be my
course to permit and encourage the widest
trict consistent with the law and the pu otic
peace. i do not include among those VINO are
permitted to exercise this latitude Of speech
the civil officers OF the Provisional State Gov
ernments already prohibited by my orders
from "using any influence whatever to deter
or dissuade the people from taking an active
part In recone tructing their State Govern.
ments under the Reconstruction acts" No
such adv santiago as the use of the machinery Of
the existing State Governments, ought to be or
viii be given to the Anti. rec o. structIon party
/ consider II desirable that the Govern ent
and the people of the United States should
thoroughly understand the feelings and pur-
poses Of the Leading politicians Of the South,
In order that the country may know the result
OF the coming elections, precisely the amount
OF influence possessed by these men, aud the
kind and extent OF legislation required to
counteract it's balefui effects.
In my opinion, no reconstruction can be sat-
istactory or at all reliable as to future results,
unless these men are permitted TO discuss
openly and according to their nature, the issues
Presented. II they still retain inf enough
with the masses Of the whites at the South 70
enable them bv active efforts to defeat recon-
lnka A
better that the country should know IL before
than after the readmission Of the Southern
States into the Union. Itwouid not be difficult
to find in the violent speeches of such men
abundan, cause for silencing them, but recon.
structi0n accomplished IN this manner would
be no index of the public sentiment, and might
and probably would result, after year or two,
in relapse Of the people into tue same condi-
ton OF bondage 10 these leaders that W. Id lead
necessarily to a reproduction OF the same con-
Gition of things which demanded the passage
OF the Reconstruction Acts.
It's better that the battle should be fought
ont now and openly 1.-THE people OF these
States have the common sense aud the man
hood 10 Withstand the inf uence Of the Seces-
sion Party ana Of the political leaders who
have long controlled them, who have led them
into their present desperate condiuon, and who
seek TO plunge them still deeper into misfor.
tune, and II they prove able and williag to re-
construct their State Governments upon the
only true principles OF Government, in def.
aGce OF their leaders and against their active
opposition. there will be good ground for hope
tnat reconstruction Will be satisfactory and
permanent. II they cannot do this, il may we'll
become Il question whether reconstruction on
any reasonable terms is possible so long as
these Inrepentant and re dictionary political
leaders are suffered to remain In this country
1t is better that tue Country should know
the truth on this subject now than run
the risk of learning hereafter that an irrepar
able mistake has been made IN the plan and
execution OF the Reconstruction Acts. / need
scarcely repeat that reconstruction to be
ia the spirit OF the acts OF Congress ana to be
permanent must be the act of the people them
selves after the fullest and freest discussion
Congress has done wisely in nabling them 10
NJ AXE this light, by dstranchisipg the leading
rebels and II least making ii mpo. BILE for
them to vote or hold office. Ii would have
been still better to enforce their permanent alb
sence from the country. The personal infu-
ence they might bring to bear if they were
candidates themselves is thus greatly weak
ened and they are forced TO discuss issues and
not appeal to personal feeling in their own
favor. The people are thus left treer than they
ever were before TO choose their cwn candi.
dates, and are forced to think for themselves
as they have not hitherto done.
so lar from being willing to sac the disfran-
chised classes relic we'd from political disabili-
ties, consider these DISTINGUISHING clauses of
the acts to be among their wisest and best con-
sdered provisions. If they do no other good
than to relieve the people from the incu bus of
the old political leaders, they have accom-
pli2hed incalcuIaDie service. Ii is not doubted
that many worthy and now loyal men who
could be safely trusted, are disfrancnised by
THESE ClouseS O1 Tue military OlllS, but eacQ q
result was unavoidable, and can in ther cases
be easily remedied. II will no doubt be wise.
al an early day. to relieve by name suc CD of the
disfranchised persons as have hitherto proved
or shall prove by their conduct in the course
of the Lext six months that they are worthy of
II. WhilstIt was unavoidable that some good
men Inr would be disira1chised by pro visions of
easy. To undertake the converse of this, that
is, TO give general amnesty and except indi.
viduals by name. would certainly result in
m va - isod no
MOTTO be. Such improper persons m ignt decide
the coming elections before their unftness
could be ascertained and even then IL would
be more han difhcu to remedy the evil. L
consider the method set forth in the reconstruc.
ton acts by far the wiser course OF the two,
and can hardly understand how any man
familiar with the facts can think other visa.
These disfranchised persons include gene.
rally the whole army Of those who now hold
or have hitherto held office. With few excep.
tions, all these persons were active rebels, aud
are bitterly opposed TO reconstruction under
the acts Of Congress; opposed In fact to any re-
construction whatever except such as would
leave them in precisely the same political con.
dition as il there had been no rebellion and no
war. Even such q reconstruction as this they
would only accept as necessity Of the situa.
ton. with the purpose to rene " in Congress-
and perpetuate among Themselves as nearIv
as possible the same conditions which existed
before the war. With these re. actionists do
mInant IN me South, freedom Of speech and of
the press, will not even exist in name
The Union men, and even those who were
secessioDists, but have advocated recons,ruc.
ton under the late acts OF Congress, would
find no peace and no protection in these States
The last condition OF the freedmen would be
verse than the first.
need only point to this speech OF Mr..
Hill, bis numerous letters, the letters OF
Governor Perry. Of South Carolina of Her.
sehel V. johnson, Of Georgia, and MANY
other such men for sufficient evidence that
have not overstated the case
These men are the representatives OF a large
and powerful element bent on reaction and
they have been in the habit OF controlling the
southern Whites. BY taking opposite sides Of
Political question they have in times past d.
vided the Southern W bites on purely personaI
grounds, and have thus created the Impression
elsew here that among the masses there was a
political question decided instead OF a purelv
personal one. United as they now are against
reconstruction, II il wise to ascertain how far
their influence can prevail with the people
Inc DISTINGUISHING clauses Of the Acts of
congress put II ont Of the power OF these
men 10 be candidates for ONCE One great
element OF their strength is thus DESTROYED.
and the people left to choose other leaders
and vote for other candidates, have really a
freedom OF action which they never mad be.
fore and find themselves under q necessity for
thinking which they have not heretofore felt
Congress has given them this privilege and i'm.
posed upon them this saiutary necessity II
remains TO be seen how they will use them n
they can win the battle against their former
leaders after an open fight. all NAV be
well in the future II not, then not
do not at all agree in the opinion that there
are not enough competent in this District 70
hold the CIVIL ofilces, who are not disfran.