The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-11-01
Another Letter from Hon. Gerrit
Smith.

I'M
TO US copy Of every letter he writes for
the public eye. The last one is addressed
70 Hon. HERscHEL V. JOHNSON, of Gcor-
cia, and Is characterized by the same evil
dcuccs of kind heart and desire to do
what is right which mark all OF Mr..
SufTH's productions. He makes sevcrai
distinct points in reply to recent asser-
,ions made by Mr.. JOHNSON in published
letter. First, that the North docs not wish
to punish the South. This is a question OF
fact, and therefore cannot be decided by
argument. Secondly, that the war was
aot defensive ono on the part OF the
South. From the northern standpoint, 1t
does not appear to have been such. From
ours, 1t does. We attacked Fort Sum
tcr--,hat is, VIC attacked o garrison of the
soldiers OF foreign country that occupied
\ fort which We firmly believed belonged
10 MS and us alone, South Carolina having
previously in formal manner withdrawn
from the confederation Of States in the
same manner and by virtue of the same
authority in and by virtue Of which
she entered into that confederation. Whe-
Their the war was defensive or not, depends
upon whether that act of secession was
valid or not. We held that it was, and
that to us the people Of the United States
were, I" like the rest of mankind, enemies
in war. in peace friends" But the North
held that the act OF secession was in
valid. South Carolina having no right to
scccds from the Union and this view OF
the question has been made the law OF
the land by the strong arm Of power. SO,
then, it was not a defensive war on our
part. the result Of the war being the
Judge. If, however, VIC had gained our
independence, the verdict OF mankind,
and we doubt not Of Mr.. SMITH himself,
would have been that the South acted on
the defensive from the beginning. Upon
this point, then, We can have no argument
with tho distinguished gentleman. Mr..
SuITIrS fourth point is, that from the day
the war began, the South has been outside
al the Constitution, and therefore not emit
tied to claim its protection; otherwise,
She is guilty Of treason, and ought to sub
NIT 10 the penalties of that crime. We
quote:
surely. surely the South should have
had too much selI-reSpcct ana 100 livery i re-
mvmbraucc OF that unsurpassed bravery ana
rar.cycruucc by which She won the rights ana
,Eamptious OF a n, f1cto nation 10 allow her
srli 10 be tempted by however sanful pros
poets to accept Il theory III once so Illuminating
aud disadyautaEcous To her that Is, that
sine hns been under the Constitution all the
umcl.
In this connection Mr.. SMITH makes the
following reference TO the trial Of Mr..
DAVIS Tor treason:
..Our posrcrirv. North and South, will yet
Lr ashamed of this trial For III The progress
81 civilization and humanity, even the
muuurg'nclI natiousrot Christcndom VIII ere
long br compelled to admit the doctrine, No
Eul.uu IN civil war.
NJ. SMITHS fifth point is almost identi-
ca'ly the same as his fourth. His sixth is
that the resolution passed by Congress in
1861 under one set of circumstances was
not binding upon that body in other and
diAercut circumstances, especially as the
South refused to make peace upon the
terms proposed in that resolution. There
4, force in this point. His seventh is in
regard TO the negro. We quote again
.-th You charge the North with a scheme
,t tUrgTuIXiE- the southern states, and sub
fm..- them to negro rule. There maN,
possibly. h. here and there Il northern Hsgr"
,eun would tail IN with such 4 scheme: but
sHu. certain tuAt iGcr" is not one white man
vhI would. Mos, OF the nUrtherAers would
have white. rule in every part of The land
and We, who make up the remainder, would
leave ia" people Of every section free TO choose
whom they VIII for ruicrs-black, white, or
laI
We apprchcnd that this is too true
tat the North, while repudiating negro
suffrage at home, is determined to force il
Upon the South, either by the right Of con-
quest (Which right Mr.. SMITH thinks that
section has,, or by the strong arm OF I'M
controlled power. If he means that the
northern people do not wish US to be ruled
hy ncgrocs-that is, to render negroes
eligible TO onicc-wc think it is not I'M
probable he is right in this respect also.
To make the negroes eligible to Office in
INC Soutn Is 10 lnaho thH''' S'!S'"io W WV
greSs, to the vice presidency, and to the
presidency. For this sort of negro "rule "
the North is not yet prepared. upon TINS
Question the southern people and the
northern Democrats might make an issue
for the division Of the voters of the north
crn States, which would be decided in our
favor, But the question Of allowing ne
rroes to vote in the South we fear the
northern people would decide atlirma-
lively.
Mr.. SMITH proceeds at great length to
elaborate his views Of "thc Situation,"
and closes as follows:
IL need say no more. / have now written
another of those papers for my writing OF
which statesmen laugh ut me. For statesmen
viii have ii that i'll the province Of sta tesinan-
ship there Is no room for the play Of the
hraTt-no room for aught but the cold, cum
ming, calculating intellect. They will have ii
that even The making OF peace should be in no
degree heart work, but exclusively head work
have often thought how happy ii had been
for our afflicted country if our statesmen both
northern and southern, had been so kind us 10
take themselves out OF il for the first six
months after the fighting ceased in The spring
col 1868 This greatest hindrance TO il being
thereby removed, Il peace between the North
and Southland 4 very beautiful and blessed
Uhe too-would have become far more proba-
BILE.
II Is not the skill OF craftsmanship that is
n'ensd 10 make peace between the North and
No"lh, but simply 4 sense OF Justice and the
mutual forgiveness of mutually offending
brethren"