Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1868-09-03
CONCLUSION OF THE ROSECRANZ
CONFERENCE.
Correspondence of the Richmond Whig.1

Rosecranz and Generals Lee and Beaure
| gard. Mr.. Stephens. ofGeorgia, Governo,
Pickens, of South Carolina, Mr. Conrad
of Louisiana, A. II. H. Stuart, Governo,
Letcher, Jere Morton. Governor Stock
dale, of Texas. General Echols and others
which has been in progress since Saturday
last, reached conclusion this morning
| when statement to be laid before the
people of the North was agreed upon and
signed by the parties above mentioned [,
was not deemed advisable by General Ro-
secranz to allow the press to have copies Of
it in advance Of its formal publication by
him, though correspondents were importu-
nate as the widow of the Scriptures. He
lett with it by the eleven o'clock stage,
and will proceed at once northward |
have been able to gather an outline, how
| ever. of its contents.
j etter from Gen. Rosecranz 10 On Lee.
The paper consists first Of letter ad
| dressed by General Resecranz to General
Lee and others, in which he states that he
came here of his own accord, in the utter
est of his country, to get from the Confed-
crate leaders Ia the late war, in whom the
North knows the South has perfect conf
dehce, full expression of their views up
on the political questions of th day, and
he hoped and expected it would be such a
one as would materially aid in the recon
struction of our common country upon
basis of permanent peace and prosperity.
In this letter, which breathed patriotism
in every line. as am informed. he pro-
pounded sundry inquiries to General Lee,
among which were, whether we can hope
for any permanent peace and prosperity
under the present Congressional plan Of
reconstruction, which surrenders to the
control of negroes and few whites nearly
all of the Southern States? Whether, if
the whites were all enfranchised and Civ
en- the control of the South. they would
treat the negroes justly AID kindly .he
whole ,hject of the letter was to procure
such statement of the feeling and tenn
per of the Southern people towards the
Government, the negroes, &c, as | fore
Swallowed in my letter, which, th.ourl,
written on Saturday last, was. a full ,anort
of the proceedings Of Inc conference M to
the hour the paper was agreed upon.
General Kosecranz requested General
lee to confer with other leading Southern
Generals and civilians. and obtain their
views in connection with his own.
General Lees Reply.
A careful, we'll digested, l need not say
truthful statement. because Robert Il.
Lees sign manual was to it, was prepared
and address to General Rosecranz in reply
to his letter. AS have stated above, all
the parties to the conference signed it. and
others not here will do so before it's publ
cation.
1t may not be uninteresting to know
that after General Lees name came that
of Gen. Beauregard., and that the sigma
ture of Mr.. Stephens, of eorgia, is the
third on the list
General Lee, in his reply, stated that
he believes the people ofthc South sincere
ly desire peace and restoration Of the
tth1eie9 e y sid not think it nossibe that
troll aud mana emeh httof n ffnE h'Ie ha
of the States of the South remained III the
hands OF negroes and few whites. and
the mass of the men representing her IN
teligence are disfranchised.
He believed if the whites Of the South
were relieved of all political disabilities,
and thereby given ascendancy, that tney
would, if left to themselves. treat the ne
groes with kindness, for 'oearance and JUS
tice. The Southern people, in his opinion,
regard thG9 questions of slavery and seees-
son as settled finally bv the war, and they
have no disposition or inclination to re es-
tablish the ore or again try the other. 1t
is the unanimous wish. says Gederal Lac,
of the Southern people that we shall have
lasting peace They long for it. THE peo-
ofthe South have the greatest interests in
having a good ands table -aoaernnent tat
viii protect them ID their rights and their
property, under which they may 60 to
work properly, and with confidence that
whatever they may accumulate by their la
Dor may be secure for themselves and
children.
The reply covers five pages. and reas-
serts substantially the declarations of the
Conservative Conventions of the South
The gentlemen here like Judge Gholson,
who Lave watched the progress of this con-
ference from its inception to its gratifying
conclusion. are verv hopeful that much
good will result from its action.
Mrs. SURRATr's CAsE.-The following
has been addressed to the editor of the
Washington Chronicle:
In your remarks with regard to Mrs
| Surrat's case, you state
General Hunter was the only MEM
! Der of the court that convicted Mrs. Sur
raft who refused to sign the petition for
her pardon.
My oath and military law preclude my
making known my vote in this case, but
can with propriety state that my name
headed the list of members of the commits
sion recommending Mrs Surratt to the
mercy of the President, and that | have
always looked with utter contempt on the
execution of the poor woman. excusing,
at the same time, thousands of rebel men
who so much more richly deserve hang
ing. Respectfully,
DAVID HUNTER,
United States Army.
| Did "Dadvid Hunter, United States
| ar,,,, ovor hoar of tho ovocutiop IF Mr.