Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1868-12-28
LETTER FROM GENERAL LONG
STREET.

Gen. James Longstreet has written
the following patriotic letter
LYNCHBURG, Va, Nov. "a My dear
sir Many Of our Southern men seem
to have lost sight of the fundamental
doctrine-the interest of the people
in their zeal to maintain their ideas of
consistency, which consists in adhering
to old truths whether they work for
veal or woe. regret that I am not
better prepared to meet your wishes for
information in regard to the future
policy of our new President. Although
I have had the pleasure of several in
terviews with him, within the last few
years, [ have not sought to learn his
appreciation of political questions of
the present or of the future I regard
his past course and decided character
as the surest guarantee of his future
course. The floating idea, that has at
tached itself to the minds of the many
that he may yet prove to be a Demo-
crat, is like many other speculations
that gain circulation and credence but
only serve to deceive those who are
are credulous enough to indulge them.
If we recall to mind the events of the
last two years. we shall remember that
Gen. Grants position at one time was
such as to insure his nomination for
President by the party that he might
choose as most in accord with his views
of public policy; and subsequent events
indicate that his personal popularity
is such as to have turned the balance
in his favor It seems tome unreason.
able, therefore, to expect to find him,
at this late day, seeking alliance with
the old party, His antecedents clearly
mark him as a national man, and of
such he gives the assurance of his adhe-
sion to the party whose basis is the
Union, and that the influence of his ad-
ministration will be applied to its com
plete and prosperous restoration. A
fair-minded people must know, howev-
er, that no individual, unaided, can ac-
complish this great purpose He must
needs have the assistance of the North,
Of the South, of the East and of the
West. Having assurance of co-opera-
ton from other parts of the country,
he only wants that Of the South to com
plete the combination which will give
to his administration Il happy advent,
and comfortable anticipation Of its sal
utary progress. That the people of the
South desire practical reconstruction,
there can be no doubt; but it seems to
be difficult to develop that sentiment
so as to produce practical results
Drifting along in the channel into
which chance seems to have thrown
me, 1 begin to find myself, like many
others, ready with my theory. As it
may interest you, I give you concise
statement of it. If you find that you
can make it successful, you are at lib
erty to do so The wealth of the South
lies in its soil. Ii this proposition is
true, its sequents are equally so.
1. Labor is essential to make that
wealth available. 2. To command lab
or, laws must encourage and protect
it. Also their co-soquents To en-
courage and invite labor, evidences of
protection must be made manifest
through the operation Of law upon the
lobor that we have. Hence, it appears
that the value of our lands depend up-
on our labor, our labor upon the law.
and the law upon us A failure upon
our part, therefore, to enact and en-
force proper laws, will be as fatal to the
Interests of the owners of real estate as
confscation. And yet, all that Con-
gress asks us to do is to avail ourselves
of the only means by which we may
avoid serious depreciation Of our mate
rial interests. That is, this will be the
practical result of reconstruction. I'M
der national legislation, upon our in
terests. The moving cause Of that
Legislation, probably, was security for
the future" Here, we may discover
the line that should mark our connec-
ton with reconstruction. 1t begins
and ends in our care for home interests
1t will be time enough to begin to look
into the future when we have provided
for the present. The politicians of the
old school seem anxious to impress up
on the minds of our young men the