The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1868-09-10
REPLY OF GENERAL LEE.

the honor to receive your letter of this date.
/ and, in accordance with your suggestion, l
have conferred with number of gentlemen
/ from the South, in whose Judgment have
! coufiied, and who are well acquainted with
the public sentiment Of their respective
States. They havc.kindly consented to unite
with me in.replying TO your communication.
and their names will oe found with my own
/ appended to this answer.
With this explarati n we proceed to give
YOU A candid statement Of what we believe
to be the sentiment OF the Southe people
/ in regard to the sui Jet to which you refer.
Whatever opjnious may have prevailed in
| The past in regard to African slavery or the
I right of a State to secede from the Uuion, we
| believe we express the almost unanimous
! Judgment of the Southern people when we
/ declare that they consider that those ques-
! tiOns we're decided by the war, ana that it is
their intention in good faith to abide by that
| decision. At the close of the way the South
ern 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 annulled their ordi-
nance Of Secession. and they returned to
their peaceful pursuits with 4 sincere pur-
pose to fulfill all their duties under the Con-
had sworn to support. Ii their action in
these particulars had been met in a spirit of
frankness aud cordiality, we believe that ere
this old irritations would have passed away
and the ,unds inflicted by the war would
have been in a great measure healed. As
far as we are advised, the people Of the South
entertain no unfriepdly feeling toward the
Government of the United States. but they
complain that their rights under the Consti-
tuition are withheld from them in the admin
istration 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 unfouuded. They have grown up
in our midst, and we have been accustomed
from childhood to look upon them with kind
ness. The change in the relations Of the two
races has wrought no change in our feelings
toward them. They still constitute the i'm
rortant part of our Iaboring population
Without their labor the lands of the South
would be comparatively unproductive.-
Without the employment W hich Southern
agriculture affords. they would be destitute
of the means Of subsistence, and become pau.
pers, dependent on public bounty.
Self-nterest, even if there were no higher
motives, would therefore prompt the whites
of the South to extend to the negroes care
and protection. The important fact that the
two races are, under existing circumstances,
necessary to each other, is gradually becom-
ing apparent to both and We believe that
but for influences exerted to stir up the pas
sions of the negroes. the relations Of the two
races would soon adjust themselves on basis
of mutual kindness and advantage.
1t is true that the people of the South, to-
9ether with the people Of the North and
West, are, for obvious reasons, opposed to
any system of laws which would place the
political power of the country 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 or other quail
ficatiouS which are nece essa~y to make them
safe repositories of political power. They
would inevitably become the victims Of dem
agogues, 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 tranquility and the
restoration of the Union. They deprecate
disorder and excitement, as the most serious
obstacle to their prosperity.
They ask restoration of their rights under
the Constitution. They..desire relief from op-
pressive misrule. Above all. they would
appeal to their cOuntrymen for the re-est1b-
lishment in the Southern States of that
which has justly been regarded as the birth
right of every American--the right of self
government Establish these on a firm basis.
and we can safely promise on behalf of the
Southern people that they will faithfully obey
the Constitution and laws of the United
States, treat the negro with kindness and
humanity, and fulfil every duty incumbent
on peaceful citizens loyal to the Constitution
of their country.
We believe the above contains a succinct
reply to the general topics embraced n your
letter. and we venture to say, on behalf of
the Southern people, and of the officers and
soldiers of the late Confederate Army, that
they will concur in all the sentiments which
we have expressed.
Approaching the patriotic motives which
have prompted your letter. and reciprocgtng
your expressions of kind regard, we have the
honor to be, very RESPECTFULLY and truly.
r. E. Lee, Virginia.
G.. Z. Beaaregard, Louisiana.
Alexander H. Stephens. Georgia.
Alexander II. II. Stuart, Virginia.
G. NJ. Conrad, Louisiana.
Sinton Stephens, Georgia.
A. L. Caperton, West Virginia.
John Echols. Virginia.
F. S. Stockdale, Texas.
T. w. Pickens, South Carolina.
VIM. j. Robinson, Virginia.
Joseph r. Anderson, Virginia.
William f. Turner, West Virginia.
c. II. Subee, South Carolina.
f. Fontaine, Virginia.
John Latcher, Virginia.
p. G. Adams, Mississippi.
w. J. Green, North Carolina.
Lewis E. Harrie, Virginia.
p w. Daniels, Jr.. Virginia.
w. T. Sutherlin, Virginia
A. B. James, louisiana
Toutaut Beauregard, Texls.
NJ. o. Fl. Norton, Louisiana.
T. B. B anne, Georgia.
II. T. Russell, Georgia.
Samuel j. Douglass. Florida.
Jeremiah Morton, Virginia.
John B. Baldwin, Virginia.
George w Boiling. Virginia