Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-06-18
Letter from General Longstreet-He
Unites with the Republican Party in
the Great Work of Reconstruction.
from the New Orleans Republican J4ne ST.
NEW ORLEANS May 10, 1867

GENERAL In your admirable let
ter Of the 9Th ultimo, you remark
that sour efforts at reconstruction viii
be vain and useless unless we embark
in the enterprise with the sincerity O
purpose which will command success. ;
The spirit whichinspired the above
paragraph, together with the fact
that thousands of brave soldiers are
still ready to follow their leader
wherever he may see fit to call them
has emboldened me to extend to you
an invitation to attend a mass meet
ing in Lafayette Square to morrow
evening, at which the Hon. Henry T.
Wilson, distinguished leader in the
Republican party, will address the
citizens Of New Orleans.
As soldiers, we were opposed to
each other during the late war; but as
citizens may we not wisely unite in
efforts to restore Louisiana to her for
mcr position in the Union through the
party now in power, and which in all
probability will retain power for
many years to come? Ifyou accept,
shall be glad to hear your views on
the condition Of public affairs.
Respectfully yours, etc,
JOHN NJ. G. PARKER.
NEW ORLEANS, LA, june 8, 1867.
J. NJ G. Parker, Esq -
Ny DEAR SIR Your esteemed "a
vor Of the 10th ult. was duly receiv-
ed. ! was much pleased to have the
opportunity to hear Senator Wilson,
and was agreeably surprised to meet
such fairness and frankness in pol,
itician whom | have been taught to
believe urcompromisingly opposed to
the white people of the South.
| have maturely considered your
suggestion to "wisely unite in efforts
to restore Louisiana to her former pc.
sition in the Union, through the par
ty now in power" My letter Of the
9th of April, to which you refer,
clearly indicates q desire for practical
reconstruction and reconciliation
Practical nen can surely distinguish
between practical reconstruction and
reconstruction as an abstract ques-
ton. will endeavor, however,
with renewed energy, to meet your
wishes in the matter. The serious
difficulty that l approhend is the
want Of that wisdom necessary for the
great work. / shall be happy to
work in any harness that promises
relief to oar people and harmony to
the nation. 1t matters not whether
| bear the mantle of Mr.. Davis or the
mantle of Mr. Sumner, SO that | may
help to bring the glory of peace and
good will toward men"
/ shall set out by assuming q prop
osition, that hold to be self-evident,
viz: The highest Of human laws is
the law that is established by appeal
to arms.
The great principles that divided
political parties prior to the war were
thoroughly discussed by our wisest
statesmen. When argument was ex.
hausted resort was had to oompro>
mise. When compromise was unavail
ing discussion was renewed, and ex
pedients sought, but none could be
found to suit the emergency, Appea
was finally made to the sword, to de
termine which of the claims was the
+ true construction of constitutions
. law. The sword has decided in favor
of the North, and what they claimed
as principles cease to be principles
and are become IalU. The views tina
we hold cease to be principles becaus'
they are opposed to lac. 1t tStherefcrt
oar daHy to abandon ideas that are Oh
: solete and conform to the requirement.
ofldlo.
The Military Bill, and amendment:
are peace offerings. We should dccep
them as such, and place ourselves upo1
them as the starting point from achicI
to reach future political difficulties a!
then arise. Like other Southern men
| naturally sought alliance with thu
Democratic party, merely because i
was opposed to the Republican par
ty. But as far as | can judge, there
!. is nothing tangible about it, exoep
the issues that were staKed upon thc
war and they are lost, Finding moth
ing to take hold of but prejudice
which cannot be worked into gooC
for any one, it is proper and RICH
that should seek some standpoint
from which good may be done.
j III appreciate the principles OF th'
, Democratic party, its prominent fea'
lures are opposed to the enfranchise
ment of the colored man, and deny
the right to legislate upon the subjec
of suffrage, except by the States, in
dividualiy. These two features have
a tendency to exclude Southern mel
: from that party; for the colored MAI
is already enfFsnchised here, and W.
/ cannot seek alliance with party
. that would restrict his rights The
exclusive right of the States to legis
late upon suffrage will make the en-
reimbursement ofthe blacks, whether
tor better or for worse, fixture
, amongst us. 1t appears, therefore
shat those who cry loudest against
this new order of things as public
. calamity are those whose principle;
would fix it upon uswithout remedy
Hence it becomes us to insist that
suffrage should be extended in all the
States, and fully tested. The people
of the North should adopt what they
have forced upon us; and fit be prov
ed to be mistake, they should re
move it by the remedy under repub-
lican principles of uniform laws upOr