The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-10-07
TALK VITA GEN. RosECRA.Ns.

A. TALK VITA GEN. ROSECRANS.
WHAT he SAYS ABOUT THE wHTIE SULPHUR
SPRINGS MIss1oN-HIs OPINION OF LEE, BEAU
REGARD AND THE SOUTHERN PEoPLE-JAMEs
GORDON BENNETT HIS ONLY ADVISER.
Don Piatt, one of the editors of the Cincin-
natl Commercial, gives in that paper the fol-
lowing account of a chat with General Rose
Grams:
Yesterday. at the BurneL House, ran
against General Rosecrans-"Old Rosey," as
we fondly called him when Bragg was attack
ING him in front, and the Secretary OF the Bear
Department, and old HaIeck, were making
themselves disagreable in the rear, Recog-
njzing me as one of his earliest and heartlest
stockholders, the General insisted upon our
dining together, and we had a long frank and
I told INV general that I had, of late, had a
good deal Of mental anxiety on his account;
s'What's the matter, Colonel?" he responded,
ordering chicken soup.
ssWeli, General" I said, seyour kind nature
has permitted some bad advisers to get you in
a false position before the public, in the Lee
and Beauregard affair"
IT may be in false position, but had no
advisers, good, bad, or Indifferent. never
saw single politician about the matter, before
or after. 1t struck me that those men who
had won the confidence of the South during
the war, and held that confidence worthliy,
might be induced, if properly approached, to
use that influence to pave the way to peace
and reconciliation, and 80 tried it on. That
is ALL"
''But now that it is over-taking Lees cold,
shallow response to your earnest letter-do you
,nly hof ha 1n
such task2"
I'm some respects he is weak, without being
q weak man. In the field he was slow, eau
tious and tenacious, but lacked the mental
qualities to provide for unforeseen obstacles.
In civil life f1e is without experience, and SUI
companied him in the field. Bnt he is an hon
orable, high-toned gentleman, and has, above
all others, the love and admiration of his peo-
But what's the good of tAat, if, with all bis
power, he permits Wade Hampton & Co. tn
lead the masses into trouple!"
'sWade Hampton d Co. are not the leaders.
They buster and roar, but the men Of the
army, especially the young men, are the real
leaders, and if we want to effect any positively
good result we must appeal to and use that
class"
II cont see any good in appealing to them,
when the result Of that appeal is the weak,
washy, informal, patronizing response such as
"You don't know the man, Colonel; he is an
earnest, deep-feeling man, and loves his coun-
try. While he was speaking to me of the con-
iition Of the South, and his hopes and fears.
tears came to his eyes,"
.Pity he didn't put them in his letter. Don't
Beauregard strike you as weak man?"
sscertainly. Take him alone, however, and he
strikes you as quick, ready and incisive-well,
man of the world, good business character,
smart, active Frenchman. But with Lee be
dwindles. Lee says shut the door, and Beaure-
gard shuts the door,"
eIt will be long time before such men con-
troll the turbulent passions Of the South, and
partisanship, and heated to white heat by the
late war"
"There you mistake" responded the Gen.
eral 1.-The South has not got that deadly hate
you speak Of. The South fought it out to the
bitter end, and, like all good fighters, expend
edits hate. But the South is being tortured,
worried, annoyed to the death, by designing
and those infamous carpet-baggers and scala
wags. It is like horse annoyed by flies-he
switches his tail, and stamps and bites, and
even kicks; and We say the horse is vicious and
must be killed. What cursed blindness and
folly" .r 49,
"Inae lS 8 nappy 11luStraIlOu, WuetueI Coi-
rect or not, But I must say that, in the fear
full condition Of the South, there appears to be
something more than an attempt to get nd OF
this. Assassination and church-burning, when
it comes to be general practice, require Be-
we're handling"
To this the General said: "Be as severe as
you please, but be careful to be just. You must
look to the solid interest Of the South, and,
providing for that, we can control the people.
The South is poor, wretchedly poor; no one
who has not seen it can realize the prostration
and want of the South. Society has been up
turned, trade is at stand still, planting is par
alyzed. I saw a gentleman on the train as l
came home, who, previous to the war, was
worth at least $500, 900. He is now baggage
master on the train, and said to me cheerfuly
that he had once seen better times, but now
was down to hard knocks for bread and but
ter --s-y p
1sYes, Of course; but what's the remedy, even
supposing Lee 4 Co. would lend helping
hand? What can we do?"
"Undo all this hasty, ill-advised, dishonest
legislation. Hand the States over to themselves,
be recognized"
-"But," said, t,tthere's the rub. To hand
the States over to the the people of tn, States,
you must include all the people, and that takes
in the negro. Now, Lee & Co. never will con-
sent to negroes voting.'
''Lee will not, probably, but Beauregard will.
He is in favcr of it, and 80 expressed himself
to me. A great majority Of those men favor it
provided the negro can be prepared, by edu-
cation, to exercise the privilege"
"Well, General, we will hand over the States
to the people of the States as soon as the ne
gro is educated. We cannot give the only
loyal citizens into the power OF the disloyal,
after We have stirred up q deadly a1imosity be-
tween the two. The negro is as well educated
for the ballot as the poor white"
'T am in favor OF q qualified ballot" said
General Rosecrans. Restrict it to those who
can read and write, be they black or be they
white"
s'This carries you off the platform, General,
Of the men you are popularly supposed to sup
port, and it ought to be known that you are no
advocate Of the policy"
mo one, certainly, believes that sustain
Mr.. Johnson?'
ss1he belief is entertained. and honestly en-
tertained, by many; may say that it is the
general understanding, and it is reasonable
Men say that Immediately following your aI =
pointment to our most important diplomatic
position, you hasten to Virginia and draw from
men of wide influence an opinion prejudicial
to the Republican party"
s.I care nothing" said Gen. Rosecrans, with
some warmth to this suggestion, what peo-
pie think or say. I only know that they do
me great injustice. I received this appoint
ment without even my knowledge. was con-
frmed in the same way. l had really strorg
inducements held out to me in California, to
come into the support of Mr. Johnson. But,
poor as I was, no Office could tempt me to give
my aid TO what consider erroneous. But
never advised with or consulted any one. !
beg pardon. T did consult with one man as to
the propriety OF publishing this correspond