The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1868-10-01
From the Philadelphia Sunday Mercury
THE ROSECRANS MISSION.
WHITE SULPHUR sPINGs, WEST VA.

my heart III my hand TO learn the coli-
: dition. wishes and intentions-o the
Southern States-especially to ascer-
tain Esthe sentiments of that body OF
brave men who, after sustaining the
confederacy for four years, laid down
their arms and swore allegiance to the
government of the United States,
! whose trusted and beloved leader you
have been.
l. 1 see that interpreting States
rights" to conflict with national unity
has produced violent reaction against
: them, which is drifting US toward con-
solidation and also that so great a
country as ours even now is, certainly
lis to be, must have State governments
to attend to local details, or go farther
and fare worse.
1t is plain to US at the West and
North that the continuance of semi
anarchy, such as has existed for the
last three years in ten States of our
Uuion, largely increases the danger
of centralism, swells our national ex-
penditures, diminishes our produc-
tions>and our revenue, inspires doubts
of our political and financial stabili-
| tv, depreciates the value of our nation
al bonds and currency, and places the
credit of our richest below that of the
poorest nation in. Christendom. ~
We know that our currency must be
deprecated so long as our bonds are
below par; and that therefore the vast
| business and commerce of the country
must suffer the terrible evil of a fuc-
tuating standard of value until we
can nremedy the evil condition of things
at the South. We also see other mis-
chief quite possible, if not. .probable,
to arise; such as from failure of
crops, a local insurrection, and many
other unforeseen contingencies, which
may still more depreciate our credit
and currency, provoke discomfort and
disorder among our people, and bring
demagogical agitation, revolution, re-
pudiation, and a thousand unnamed
evils and villanies upon us. We know
that the interests of the people of the
South are for law and order, and that
they must share our fate of good and
| ILL. @ l.g -5is a-
l 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
the war, recognise their business, set
the freedmen peacefully, prosperously
and contentedly at work, invite capi-
tai, enterprise and labor from else
where to come freely amongst them,
they would soon rebuild their ruined
fortunes, multiply manifold the value
of their lands, establish public conf
dence in our political stability, bring
our Government bonds to a premium,
our currency to a gold standard, and
assure for themselves and the whole
nation most happy and prosperous
future.
Seeing this, and how all just inter-
ests concur in the work, I ask-the Of
ficers and soldiers who fought for the
Union ask-every thinking man of the
great West and North asks-why it
cannot be done? '-.,'''
We are told by those who have CON
trolled the Government for the last
four years that the people of the South
will do it-that if ever done at all, it
must be done by the poor, simple, un-
educated, landless freedmen, and the
few whites. who, against the public
opinion and sentiment of the intelli-
gent white people, are willing to at
tempt the lead, and make their living
off these ignorant, inexperienced col
ored people mostly men who must be
needy Adventures, OF without any of
those attributes on which reliance for
good guidance OF government can be.
placed. We are told that this kind of
government must be continued at the,
South until six or eight millions of
intelligent, energetic white people give
in to it or move out of the country.
Now I think, the Union army thinks,
and people of the North and. West /
dare say, believe, there must be, OF
there ought to be, a shorter or a surer
way to get good government for all of
the South. We know that they who
organized and sustained the Southern
Confederacy for four years.a against gi-,
gaHtie efforts, ought to be able to give
peace, law, order and protection to the
whole people of the South. ,..-.-r.. 4
They have the interest and power to
employ, protect, educate, and elevate
the poor freedmen, and to restore
themselves and our country to all the
blessing of which I have just spoken.
The question we want answered is,
are they willing to do. it.? . a..ul .l..
came down to find out what the
people of the South think of this, and
to ask you what the officers and SOL
diers who served in the Confederate
army, and the leading people who sus-
tanned it, think of these things? '1i' ..
1 come to ask more. l want to ask
you, in whose purity and patriotism 1
here express unqualified confidence,
and as many good men as you can
conveniently consult, to say what you
think of it, and also, what you are viii
ling to do about it. i"'5ii'P'. '
/ 1 want a written expression
of views that can be followed by
II concurrence of action. want to
know if you and the gentlemen who
will join in that written expression
are willing to pledge the people ofthe
South to chivalrous and magnani-
nous devotion to restoring peace and
| DrOSnoTitV tO ON. common country