The Waynesburg Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 1867-18??, 1867-11-27
RECONSTRUCTION am SUFFRAGE.
Significant Ex.scbci Utterances.

The famous rebel General Bar
ringer, of North Carolina, has written
a lenghthy letter to the Charlotte (N.
.C9 Ne~s, in which he accepts colorcd
suffrage US a logical result of the war.
While North as q prisoner of war, he
says he made it special object to
study the tone and temper of the
Northern people particularly the char
actcr of Yankee society and the work
ings of Yankee institutions, and that
he arrived at the following conclu-
siOns: -
/. That the masses of all classes in
that section were disposed to treat the
South kindly, and even literally, if
our people-especially the leaders
only came out fairly and squarely to
the great results of the war. f.
III. But, that negro suffragr was
destined to come in some form, no sane
man could doubt.
III. That the Republican party
was the power with which the South
had to deal. This great party em-
braced the live men of the North.
Nv. The very existence of the South
required her to acquiesce in, if she
could not sanction, the policy of this
victorious party, as the best represcn-
tativc ofthe conquering power. But
for myself, l came to the conclusion,
after full reflection, that the highest
interests Of the south would be promo
ted by her people embracing, so far as
they could conscientiously do SO, the
progressive ideas of that party.
The General closes his letter as fol-
lows:
The young, the ignorant and the
rash cling to hopes never to be rcaliz-
ed. They catch at every straw that
floats upon the troubled waters of the
political ocean. .-.t
The treachcrous utterances of the
Coppcrhcads press which has ever fed
and fattcned on the follies of the South,
and which has ever led us to death
and destruction, are again gathered up.
People forget 1861, when at the first
shock ofarms, the "mudsills" were to
rise; 1862, when Mcclellan, in his
rage and despair, was to seize the
Government in 1S63,when the North
west was to resist Il; 1864, when the
Peace Democracy was to triumph :;
1865, when Mr.. johnson would GER
tainly crush Radicalism; and finally,
1866, when the Philadelphia convcn-
tion was sweeping the country. Be-
hold the result of all these prophecies!
And yet when a Southern man dares
to rise above the passions of the hour,
and tell the people the unvarnishcd
truth, he is denounced as a traitor to
his race and his section. '
l would not willingly enter the poll
teal arena, but / think / know some
thing of the spirit and temper of the
North, and Reconstruction is defeat
ed, Or if the policy resistance is long
maintained, our troubles and difficult
ties must increase. 1t is idle for the
South to longer isolate herself from
the outside world or seek to repress
the aspirations of the age. Govern.
ments, everywhere, are soon to rest on
the broad basis of universal suffrage.
Thus far the experiment has met
with full success wherever tried and
the vital forces of a people are found
to be in proportion to their freedom of
thought and of action. / have never
doubted but that the colored vote of !
the South would prove highly conser-
vative. Ultimately this vote will unite
with that of the Southern whites in
the protection Of common principles
and interests. But this will not take |
place so long as sectional jealous.cs and
animosities prevail, and so long as the |
Southern whites continue to cherish |
hostility to the rights and privileges of
the colored man, a. free citizen, and
denounce him as unworthy of suffrage.
Nor does it do any good to indulge in
an everlasting cry against Yankee
,mmissaries, Union. Leagues and
Radical speakers. icf u ~ tm5 e
Let the mass of the white voters
agree to unite with the colored citizens
On terms Of political equality--givc
the latter proper assurance to MAIN
tain their rights and privileges, and
cease declaiming against the govern
ment and people that made them free
aud the day Of Yankee emissaries,
Union Leagues and Radical orators is
gone. This may be hard to do, and
10 all Confederates, uwho are not thor
,ughly whipped. the humiliation will
De very great. For myself, i have
ong since resolved, "to accept the in
,vitable, ,'and while l mourn the trials
md troubles 20 heavily pressing us,
0n heartily rejoice they are no