The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-11-08
What Gerri, Smith Think..

Mr.. Gerrit Smith has written and
published o letter to Herschel V. John
son, the conclusion of which is in tone
which arrests attention. We quote:
Only give us this peace for which !
plead, and all danger of our cheating
our creditors will be past. Let it, how
ever, never be forgotten that this is q
peace, in the making of which neither
party must claim that itself is the saint
and the other the sinner; but in the
making of which both must be SO peni-
tent and honest as to confess themselves
sinners, and forbear from self righte-
ous and insulting attitude towards
each other. Having this peace, in
which North and South shall be
lovingly and lastingly linked together,
there will no longer be fears of another
breach between them. and, therefore, no
longer doubts of our national credit
and threats of reputation. Under the
reign of such peace, the North and
South, both prosperous, would, with
strong and united arms, uphold the
Government and its credit. Thus,
through the consequent and continued
approximation Of currency to gold, and
the easy terms on which the Govern
ment could theu borrow, ON national
debt would, in very few years, be re-
duced to one-half its present amount.
What can make it impossible for our
nation, with its unequalled resources, to
borrow at four, and even less than four
per cent! Nothing bat this madly pro-
longed war between the North and South.
Nothing but the lack of this true peace
between them.
Perhaps the impeaching of the Presi-
dent will be the first work of Congress.
But that measure, whatever its merits,
would neither bring peace nor super
sede the need of it. Peace is the first
need of the nation, and the making of
it should, therefore, be its first work.
If Congress should begin its next ses-
sion with voting some fifty or hundred
millions to the war impoverished South
and especially if it should assign as
one of the reasons for it that the North,
as well as the South, was guilty of the
war-peace, true and enduring peace,
would be sure to follow this most profit
able investment. For then the South,
convinced of our honesty and fraternal
spirit, would have just that conviction
which is necessary 10 win her heart and
bring her into such u peace.
Ineed say no more. l have now writ
ten another of these papers, for my
writing of which statesmen laugh at
me: for statesmen will have it, that in
the province of craftsmanship there is
no room for the play of the heart-no
room for aught but the cold, cunning,
calculating intellect. They will have it
that even the making of peace should
be in no degree heart work, but eNclu-
sively head work. | have often thought
how happy it would have been for our
afflicted country if our statesmen, both
Northern and Southern, had been so
kind rs to take themselves out of it for
the first six months after the fighting
ceased in the spring of 1866. This
greatest hindranco to it being thereby
removed, q. peace between the North
and Southland very blessed one, too
would nave become far more proba-
| bic.
II is not the skill Of StdtesmdRShip that is
needed to make peace bet,reen the NORTH and
South, but simply a sense Of justice, and the
mutual lforgireHess Of mutually offending
brethren. am, dear sir,
Very respectfully, yours,
GERRIT SMITH.