The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1867-04-11
Gerrit smith Against COnfiscatiOn
and White Distranchise-

GerrlC SnlIlu ASdiISt SOiliiSCuIiOAA
and White Disfranchise-
ment.
In q letter to. Mr.. Lloyd Garrison.
Gerrit Smith writes that he is satisfied
with negro suffrage, without further
furnishing the white men OF the South
with disfranchisemcnt. We commen(
most heartily the humane spirit en-
bodied in the following extract from
his letter, written as late as Marcel
90:
GERRIT SMITH TO MIR, GARRISON.
PETERsBoRo, March 20.
VIM. LLOYD Garrisoni
MY DEAR SIR-* I long for {
heart-union between the North and the
South. / fully believe it to be prac'
ticable. But the cornerstone of this
heart union is not (as the Republican
party is too much inclined to believe,
power TO enforce it. 1t cannot be Ell
forced. A common repentance for 9
common sin--that, and that alone, can
be this corners stone. But you will say
that the heart Of the South is too wick
ed to come into this common repen'
lance. / admit it. II
Would | have the Southern leaders,
whom Congress has just now disfran-
clised, relieved Of this d~isfranchise'
mcnt, and allowed to vote and take
part in the government OF their respec'
tive States and Of the nation? would,
Now that suffrage is accorded to the
Southern negro, | would. Now, that
all the negroes 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 hold in check such
whites as might be disposed to be op'
pressiye. l mean also, that between
negro voting on the one hand and oul
to be fratcrnal and generous spirit on
the other such whites would be between
influences that would fast take from
them all remaining disposition to wrong
either their black on white brethrcn.-
At the time the Sou.h laid down hel
arms, | felt that the safety OF the ma
ton required at least q temporary dis
reimbursement ofall who had made wal
upon her. But | soon changed my
mind at this point, and believed that
only a few of them should be disiran
chised. Not long after, | believed that
none should bc--that is, If this polili'
cal equality Of the negro were ac.
know cdged-an acknowledgment which
always held should be Il sine qua non
in the settlement between the North
and South. Just here let me say that ]
CO., as | see you do not, for the spirit
and substance Of Horace Greeley's I'm.
popular motto, "Uniyersal suffrage
and universal amnesty ! say for the
spirit and substance, since l would sub
stitute "no punishment" for his ''uni.
versal amnesty" believing as l do with
Tie pre- eminent pubfcists Of Mrstendon1
Mai treason is not to be charged in such a
var as this, and therefore that Tie con-
quered stanA in no need Of amnesty.
One reason why would not have the
Southern leaders disiranchised is, that
the Southern people, including quite
likely, no very small share ofthe blacks
vii! be thereby Unsatisfactory, and SC
deeply dissatisfied and be so full both
of Indignation and pity, as to let the
DISTINGUISHED exertindirectly all amount
ofintucncc far greater than that they
could have cxertcd directly. The re
lations between leader and follower a
the South differs widely from that re
lation at the North. The Northern
masses, having more intelligence ant
individuality than the Southern, are not
so closely bound to their leaders. But
the Southern masses, not easily recon
clled to the dishonoring of their lead
crs, would never be at peace with the
policy which DISTINGUISHES their leaders
Would | have contlscation? At first
Thought that the c%onflscation OF the
large landed estates Of the South fol
distribution amongst her white ant
black Door, would be q wise as well a:
benevolent measure. But very soon
ceased to think so. Her white poor dc
not call for this c%onliscation and dis
tribution and her blacks, with thei.
habit of labor and great power for Ia
Dor. and with their rapidly advancing
education to direct their labor, ant
above all, with the ballot to protect it
fruits, will soon have acquired no in
considerable share of the whole wcaltl
of the South. Again, as this is II wa
in which both parties were guilty, ant
therefore, neither entitled to indemni
ty for the past, there remains no jus
tiliable call for contiscation.
Peace without c%Onlisca;ion is wort
more to the whole nation, and par
ticularly to the black man than con
fscation without peace. Poor as he is
the black man needs peace more thai
property and having peace he will no
long lack property.
BY the way, at what point, in its III
vasion of the rights Of State, woul
our general government stop? 1t j
urged to distribute he soil. If it
urged to require her to establish
school-system. Other demands wi
follow and, if it shall continue t
Weld the distinction between the Ollie
of the general government and that G
the State governments will soon be oil
liberated, and the State government
will soon have disappeared.
Would / have Jefferson Davis set /;
liberty? Carbohydrates he is IL
tanned for offences unauthorized by til
laws ofwar. AS the war rose from
mere rebellion into the dimensions m
dignity of q civil war-or rather nj
tional war--so, according to the higf
est authorities, We have no right t
punish any merely for being engage
in it. If, from the millions OF th
South, Jefferson Davis is picked OF
(and for no other offence than what