The Placer herald., 1867-05-18
Gerritt Smith on the Situation...He il in
Favor Of Cancellation.

Favor Of Cancellation.
Gerritt Smith, the life long abblionist
has addressed the following letter 10 bis
friend, William Lloyd Garrison:
long for a heart-union between the
North and the South. fully believe it to
be practicable. But the corner stone ol
this heart-union is not las the Republican is
too much inclined to believe) is not power
to enforce it. 1t cannot be enforced. A
common repentance for common sin
that, and that alone, can be this corner stone
But you will say that the heart Of the South
is too wicked 10 come into this common re
pentance. admit it. Nevertheless, be.
cause she is human she is capable of having
made to experience changeg answer, by
no power so influential as the example o1
our own changed heart. Let her see US &C.
knowledgng ourselves to have been on a
very little, # any, higher moral and religious
level than her own; let her see US honestly
and openly taking to ourselves large blame
for slavery and the slavery begotten war; and
therefore ceasipg from our incessant railngs
at ber; above all, let her see US plying her;
for that deep and distressful poverty to
which the war-the war of her and our
common responsibility-has reduced her;
and the magnet Of our repentance will
quickly draw after it her repentance. Were
the North and South in this sisterly en-
brace, there would no longer be any doubter,
at home or abroad, who would question the
perman:nce OF our nation; and no one OF
even her most timid creditors would any
longer fear that bis debt would not be paid;
and the most cautious capitalists would not
hesitate to lend to her at rates of interest far
less than she is now obliged to pay.
Would have the Southern leaders; whom
Congress has just now disfranchised, relieved
of this disfranchsement and allowed to vote
and take part in the government of their re-
spective States and of the naton9 l would.
Now that suffrage is accorded to the South
ern negro, would Now, that all the ne
groes can vote, it is safe to let all the whites
vote. refer not here to the great numbers
there will be at the polls to bold in check
such whites as might be disposed to be op.
pressive. l mean also, that between negro
voting on the one hand and our 10 be fra
ternal and generous siprit on the other, such
whites would be between influences that
would fast take from them all remaining
to wrong either their black or
white brethren. At the time The South
laid down her arms, felt that the safety of
the nation required at least, temporary
dsfranchisement of all who bad made war
upon her. But l soon changed my mind at
this point, and believed that only few Of
them should be disfranchised. Not long
after, believed that none should be-that
is, if the political equality of the negro were
acknow edged-an acknowledgment which
always held should be sine qua non in the
settlement between the North and the South.
Jus, here let me say that 60, as | see you
do not, for the spirit and substance of Hor>
ace Greeey's unpopular motto, "Universal
suffrage aud universal amnesty" | say for
the spirit and substance, since would SUBJ
sttute mo punishment" for his universal
amnesty" believing as I do with the pre-
eminent publcsts OF stendom, that trea.
son is not TO be charged in such war as
this, and therefore that the conquered stand
in no need OF amnesty.
One reason why l should not have the
Southern leaders disfranchised is, that the
Southern people, including, quite likely, no
very small share of the blacks, will be there
by dssatisied-aye. and so deeply dissalis
fed and be SO full both of Indignation and
pity, as to let the disfranchised exert indi
recty an amount of influence far greater
than that they could have exerted directly.
The relation between leader and follower at
the South differs widely from that relation
at the North. The Northern masses, having
moro intelligence aud individuality than the
Southern, are not SO closely bound to their
leaders. But the Southern masses, not easi-
ly reconciled to the dishonoling of their
leaders, would never be at peace with the
policy which disfranchses their leaders.
Would have con6scationg At first /
thought that the coniscation Of the large
landed estates of the South for distribution
amongst her white and black poor would be
wise as we'll as benevolent measure. But
very soon ceased to think so. Her white
poor do not call for this con6scation and
distribution; and her blacks, with their habit
of labor and great power for labor, and with
their rapidly advancing education to direct
their labor, and above all, with the ballot to
protect its fruits, will soon have acquired NO
iuconsiderable share of the whole wealth Of
the south. Again, as this is a war in which
both parties were guilty, and, therefore,
neither entitled to indemnity for the past
there remains no juslifabe call for confisca-
ton. Peace without confiscation is
worth more to the whole nation, aud par
ticularly to the black man than condsoa!ion
without peace Poor as be is, the black
man needs peace more than property; and
having peace be will not long lack property.
By the way, at what point, in its invasion
of the rights of State, would our General
Government stop! 1t is urged to distribute
her soil. 1t is urged to require her to es-
tablish a school system. Other demands
will follow; and, if it shall continue to yield,
the distinction between the Office Of the Gem
eral Government and that Of the State Gov
ernments will soon be obliterated, and State
Governments will soon have disappeared.