Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1867-08-29
Maj. Gen. pope's Letter to Gen. Grant.

John Pope, Brevet Major General, u.
S. A., commanding Third Military Dis
trict, embracing Georgia, Alabama and
Florida, has addressed letter to General
U. S. Grant, General in Chief u. S. A.,
which is most remarkable and significant
document in many respects. It does not
come to US as the mere private opinion of
a politician, but as the official utterance of
despot, clothed with power such as no
civilized monarch on earth possesses; and
1t is not addressed to civilian, but to the
commanding General of the Armies Of the
United States. Hence, we conclude, it is
deemed necessary to invoke the military
power, in conjunction with the civil autho-
rity of the Federal Government, to execute
the diabolical recommendations of the said
satrap Of the Third Military District.
These suggestions Of Gen. Pope, if not
suggested by the arch-enemy of the South
ern people, who, as chairman of the re-
construction committee, has heretofore
controlled the action of Congress, are UNI
questionably in accordance with his views
And as the late reconstruction acts do not
clothe the satraps Of the five military dis
tricts with power to Danish any particular
class of thier subjects from the country, it
is deemed important to call the attention
of Congress to the subject set forth in this
letter.
Gen. Pope commences his letter by call
ing Gen. Grants attention to spesch of
B. II. Hill, Of Georgia, late a Senator in
the rebel Congress, delivered at Atlanta
in which he advised the whites not to vote
for q convention, as by doing so they
would surrender the political power to the
negroes and the worthless class of whites.
Gen. Pope says of this speech:
'sYou can readily see from the speech itself
the character Of the man, who is the repre-
sentative Of large class, and the hopeessness
of any satisfactory reconstruction of he South
ern States while such men retain influence
Gen. Pope is in favor of ''the widest
latitude of speech and of the press in this
district consistent with the law and the
public peace )" but he does not 'include
among those who are permitted to exercise
this latitude Of speech the civil officers of
the provisional State governments already
prohibited by my orders from ''using any
influence whatever to deter or dissuade
the people from taking an active part in
reeonstrucdng their State governments
under the reconstruction acts.'' No such
advantage as the use of the machinery Of
the existing State governments ought to
be or will be given to the anti-reconstruc-
ton party"
He considers it "desirable that the Co.
vernment and people of the United States
should thoroughly understand the feelings
and purposes 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 possess
ed by these men, and the kind and extent
of legislation required to counteract its
baleful effects" lie then says:
Gin my opinion no reconstruction can be
satisfactory, or at all reliable as to future re-
suits, unless these men are permitted 10 dis
cuss openly and according to their nature the
issues presented. IT they still retain influence
enough with The masses of the whites at the
South to enable them by active efforts to de-
feat reconstruction under the late acts of Con-
gress, it is better that the country should know
ii before than after the readmission OF the
Southern Statas into the Union. 1t would not
be difficult to find in the violent speeches OF
such men abundant cause for siencing them
but reconstruction accomplished in this man
ner would be no index Of the public sentiment,
and might, and probably would, result, aft er
a year or two. in relapse of the people into
the same condition Of bondage 10 these leaders
that would lead necessarily TO q reproduction
OF the same condition of things which deman-
ded the passage Of the reconstruction acts.
cit is better that the battle should be fought
now and openly. If the people Of these States
have the common sense and the manhood 20
Withstand the influence of the secession party,
and CT the political leaders who have long con-
troled them, who have led them into their pre-
sent desperate condition, and who seek to
plunge them still deeper into misfortune and
if they prove able and willing to reconstruct
their State governments upon the only true
principle OF governmt mt, in defiance of their
leaders, and against their active opposition,
there will be good ground hat reconstruction
will be satisfactory and permanent. If they
cannot do this it may well become a question
whether reconstruction on any reasonable
terms is possible, SO long as these unrepentant
and reactionary political leaders are suffered
to remain in his country.
1T is better that the country should know
the truth en- This subject now than run he risk
of learning hereafter, that an irreparable mis-
take has been made in the plan and execution
OF the reconsrEction acts. / need scarcely
repeat that reconstruction, to be in the spirit
OF the acts OF Congress, and to be permanent,
must be the act Of he people themselves after
the fullest and frcest discussion. Congress has
done wisely in enabling them to make this
fight, y DISTINGUISHING he leading rebels, and,
at least, making it impossible for them TO vote
or hold Office. 1t would have been still better
to enforce their permanent absence from the
country. The personal influence they might
bring to bear if they were candidates them
selves is thus greatly weakened, and they are
forced to discuss issues and not appeal to
personal feeling in their own favor The peo-