Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1867-08-06

w The following sensible anu
humane letter from Gerrit Smith, of
New York-one of the earliest and
most consistent abolitionists in the
country-is in suggestive contrast
to the course pursued by most of the
recent converts to Radicalism who
have entirely outstripped the early
fathers of the faith in measures of
oppression towards the South, and
the race for place and p|under:
LETTER TO THAppEUs sTEvENs.
Hon. Tbaddeus Stevens:
DEAR SIR-You are reported in the New
York Tribune IA having recently SAID on
the floor OF Congress
at is now held by one of the most lib
eral and enlightened gentlemen in the
country q mean Gerrit SMITH that we
should even pay portion of the damage
inflicted on the rebels, and pay portion
Of tho rebel debt"
Of course, you do not mean that this 10
literally 30. My often repeated PROPOSE
ton is that the Government lend or give
moneys to the South, to help her to an up
ward start from the depths Of her poverty
and derolation. By what logic you were
able to construct from the letter OF his
proposition your figure Of speech is for
you, not mo, to explain. | am truly sorry
that it is in your heart to hold u to ridi
Guile unreasonable proposition. You are
too old, and too intellectual, TO be making
,ob tn linz.
There are two reasons why the North
should be glad to help the South.
First, the South is poor very poor; and
the North is rich very rich. Second, the
North is largely responsible for the poverty
Of the South. Our fathers united with the
fathers of the South in making this land
Of slaves; and in our own day the North
has gone with the South in upholding and
extending slavery. Until the breaking
out of this war, every Congress was for
slavery.
The repeal Of the Missouri compromise
was the work of the North as well as the
South. So, too, was the enactment of that
internal fugitive slave act, which oven the
good Abraham Lincoln was compelled by
the pro. slavery sentiment Of the North, as
well as Of the South. to enforce so rigor
ously. With comparatively few eNcep-
tons, our Northern colleges, theological
semnaries, and political and religion, par
ties were on tic side OF slavery. The com
merce of the North was emphatically in
the interest of slavery.
In the light of such facts, it surely can
not be denied that the North made herself
largely responsible for a American slavery.
But the war camo of slavery; and the
poverty and desoation Of the South came
E : bn IN la Il
that tho North was responsible for slavery,
is she responsible for the war, and for It's
runous results to the South
You call my sympathy with the South,
and my desire to have the North to help
her, "sickly humanity | call it simple
honesty. If my neighbor and ! join IN
getting each other drunk, and he in his
frenzy goes to tearing down my house,
and ] in self defence demolish his, | am
not to disown bis claim upon my sympa
thy. / am to feel that honesty requires
me to help him rebuild.
Would to God that Congress were so Just
aud wise as, at this very session, to lend
fifty millions of dollars to the Confederate
States to each of them so much Of it AZ
would be proportionae to her population
and to what she has suffered from the raw
nges of the war; the sh, re falling to each
State to be distributed throughout her
territory in loans upon adequate security.
This, by proving he love and pity OF the
North Tor her, would win the heart OF the
South, and would thus produce a true and
lasting pence between them. And then 1T
would be worth to the nation, If only in Il
financial point of view, many times fifty
millions OF dollars. Gold would no longer
bear among us premium Of 30 per cent.
and our Government would no longer
have to pay 7 per cent. nor much more
than half Z per cent. interest on its loans.
Very respectfully yours,
GERRIT SMITH.
PETERBoRo', N. Y, July 18th, 1867.