The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-09-16

the interests of the people Of the South arc
for law and order, and they must share
our fate of good and i'll, / believe every
one know who reflects believes that if the
people of the Southern States could be at
peace, and their energy and good will
heartily applied to repair the wastes of
war, reorganize their business, get the
freedmen peaceably, prosperously and con-
tentedly to work, invite capital, enter
prise and labor from elsewhere to come
freely among them, they would soon re-
build their ruined fortunes, multiply man.
fold the value of their lands, establish
public confidence in our stability, bring our
Government bonds to premium, our cur
rency to gold standard, and assure for
themselves and the whole nation a most
happy and prosperous future.
[Signed w. s. RosEcRASs.
GEN. LEES REPLY TO GEN. RosEcRANs.
WHITE SULpIER SPRINGS,
WEST VIRGINIA, 7
August 26, 1868.
Gencrdl-I have had the honor to receive
your letter of this date, and, in accordance
with your suggestion, have conferred
with q number Of gentlemen from the
South in whose Judgment ! have cOnfidel,
lie sentiment of their respective States. &
They have kindly consented to unite
with me in replying to your communica-
ton, and their names Will be found with
my own appended to this answer. With
this explanation, we proceed to give to you
a candid statement of what we believe to
be the sentiment of the Southern people In
regard to the subject to which. yot refer,
Whatever opinions mny hare prevailed
in the past in regard to African slavery, or
the right of a State to secede from the
Union, we believe we express tho almost
unanimous Judgment of the Southern peO-
pie When we declare that they consider
that those questions We're decided by the
war, and that it is their intention in good
faith to abide by that decision At the
close of the war the Southern people laid
down their arms and sought to resume
their former relations with the United
States Government. Through their State
conventions they abolished slavery, and
annuled their ordinances of secession, and
they returned to their peaceful pursuits
with sincere purpose to fulfill their du-
ties under the Constitution of the United
States which they had sworn to support
If their action in these particulars had
been met in spirit of frankness and cor
diality, we believe that ere this old irrita-
UIONS WOuNl usiNc IpuSScu away uIu tuc
wounds inflicted by the war would have
been in great measure healed. AS far as
we are advised, the people of the South
entertain no unfriendly feeling toward the
Government of the United States, but they
complain that their rights under the Con-.
stitution are withheld from them in the
administration thereof The idea that the
Southern people are hostile to the negroes
and would Cypress them if it were in their
power to do SO, is entirely unfounded.
They have grown up in onr midst, and we
have been long accustomed from childhood
to look upon them with kindness. The
change in the relations Of the two races
has wrought no change in our feeling to-
portant part of our laboring population.
Without their labor the lands of the Sonth
would be comsaratively pnprodnctivc.
Without tho employment which Southern
agriculture affords, they would be destitute
of the means of subsistence, and become
paupers dependent on public bounty.
Self-interest, even if there were no higher
motive, would therefore prompt the whites
of the South to extcnd to the negroes care
and protection. The important fact that
the two races are, under existing .circnn-
stances, necessary to each other, is gradu-
ally becoming apparel to both, and we be-
up the passions of the negroes, the rela-
tions of the two races would soon adjust
themselves on a basis of mutual kindness
and advantage. 1t is true that the people
of the South, together with the people Of
the North and West are for obvious rea-
sons opposed to any system of laws which
would place the politlcol. power Of the
in the hands of the negro. race
But this opposition springs from no feeling
of enmity, but from deep seated conviction
that at present, the negroes have neither
the intelligence nor other qualifications
which are necessary to make them safe de-
positories of political power. They would
become the, victims Of de1na-
gogues, who, for selfish purposes, would
mislead them to the serious injury of the
public. The great want of the South is
peace. The people earnestly desire tran
guilty and the restoration of the Union.
They deprecate disorder and excitement
as the most serious obstacle to their pros
They ask a, RESTORATION Of their
right. under tile Constitution, They desire
relief from oppressive misrule above all,
they would appeal to their countrymen for
the establishment in the Southern. States
of that which has justly bscn regarded as
the birthright of every American-tbe
right of self government Establish these
on a firm basis, and we can safely promise
on behalf of tho Southern people, that they
win faithfully obey the Constitution and
laws of the United States, treat the negro
with Kindness and humanity, and fulfill
every duty inca nbent on peaceful citizens,
loyal to the Constitution. Of their country.
We believe che above containsa snccinct
reply to the general. topics embraced in
your letter, and we venture to say on be-
half of the Southern people. and of the Off
GERS and soldiers Of the late Confederate
army, that they will concur in all the sen-
timents which we have expressed.
Approaching the patriotic motives which
have prompted your letter, and reciprocal
ing your expressions of kind regard, we
have the honor to be very respectfully and
truly, ~,
r. E. Lee, Va, G. T. Beanregard,, La,
Alex. II. Stephens Ca. Alex. HsH. Stuart,
Va, c. NJ. Conrad, La, James Lyons, Va
Linton Stephens, Ca, John Echols Va, A.
I. Caperton, w. Va, +. s. Stockdale, Tex
as, +. w. Pickens, S. T., VIM. j. Robinson,
r<,-f A .,I-