The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1868-10-14

A Conversation with General KoSecrAnS-
What He Says Of Lee, Beauregard, and of
the Southern People.
Don Piatt writes to the Cincinnati COM
merciaz. ~,.5.
s'saaes DON PIATT ASKS:
ssTaking. Lees cold shallow response to
your earnest letter, do you not think that he
is a weak man--too weak for such task ?"
'.In some respects he is weak, without being
a weak man. In the field he was slow, eau
tious, and tenacious, but lacked the mental
qualities to provide for uufore seen obstacles
In civil.life he is without experience and
suffers from the same mental defects that ac-
conipanied him in the fele. But he is an
honorable, high toned gentleman, and has,
above all others, the love and admiration Of
his people" 4a s-s M
a'lsut what's the good of that if, with all
his power, he permits Wade Hampton Il Go.
to lead the masses in to trouble p
'Wade Hampton& Co. are not the leaders.
They buster aud roar, but the men of the
army, especially the young men, are the real
leaders and if we want to effect any positive
ly good results we must appeal to and use that
Glass; os.s 5,g
Il don't see any good in appealing to them
when the result Of that appeal is the weak,
washy Informal, patronizing response suck as
e Lee gives.
aYeu don't know the man, Colonel. He is
an earnest, deep feeling maa, and love shis
country. While he was speaking to me of
the condition Of the South, and his hopes and
fears, tears came to his eyes,
keD;tv bn did't ,n,,t than IN bic 1aftor
Don'tBeauregard strike you as weak man ?"
Grams, certainly Take him alone, however,
and he strikes you as quick, ready, and in
cisive-well, a. man of the world, good bust
essacharacter, a smart, active Frenchman.
But withsilee he dwindles. Lee says shut the
door, and .Beauregard shuts the door,"
sit will be a long time before such men
control the turbulent passions Of the Sonth.
and quiet down the deadly hate created by
long partisanship, and heated to a white hea :
BY the late war"
= There you mistake" responded the Gene
raj. 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, expends
ed its hate But the South is being tortured,
worried, annoyed to the death by designing
legislation--I mean dishonest legislation
and, those infamous carpet baggers and scala
wags. Tits likes horse annoyed by aies-he
switches his tail, and stamps and bites, and
even kicks; and We say the horse is vicious
and must be killed. What caused blindn. IS
and folly.'' u taafaarg 9i... aaa. as..s,rf
'Supposng Lee & Co. would lend help
ing hand, what can We do?" &ief ioa eaisii
s1asUndo all this hasty, ill-advised, dishonest
Legislation. Hand the States over to them
selves, only providing that the results of the
war shall be recegnized." gdva .e'aidaa
sa"But, said I, there's the rub. To hand
the States, over to the people Of the States
you must include all the people, and that takes
in Tie negro. Now, Lee & Co. never will
consent to negroes voting-'' seir# 5ir
.14ee will not, probably, but Beauregard
will He is in favor Of it, and so expressed
himself to me-. A great majority Of those
men favor it---provided the negro can be pre-
pared, by education, to exercise the privilege"