The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1868-10-01
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WEST VA.
s1c

WHITE Sulphur SPRINGS, WEsTYA.
| e. a - ~ August &c, 1868.
! q GENERAL: have had the honorfo
receive your letter of this date, and i1i
accordance with your suggestion, /
have conferred with number of gem.
tlenlen from the South, in whose judg-
ment I, have. confded, and who are
well acquainted with the public. c.senti-
ment of theirfespective States. They.
have kindly consented to unite with
me in replying to your communities
tion,5 and their names will be found
with my own appended to this ans.
swer. ". =! q ,.--..- .-- eli ,z1aia ,;.1
With this explanation we proceed
to give to youa candid statement of
what we believe to be the sentiment of
the Southern people in regard to the,
subject to which You refer, -. -.
Whatever opinions may have pre-
vailed in the past in, regard to African fics
slavery, or the right of a State % Sc
cede from" the Union, we we believe eve we
express the almost unanim6us5 lit1ii judgg 11sd ?
ment of the, Southern ., people When
we declare that they hey! consider that
those questions were decided by tie
war that it is their intention in good % d
faith to abide. by that decision AT
the. close Of, the war the Southern IlI3 peo-
pie laid down their arms and sought
to resume their former relations, with
the United States government. az. -, - !,
Through thefff, State -Connyie1itiofass, f ),
they abolished slavery and annu1led
their ordinances Of SECESSION, and
they return to their. peaceful pursuits,
with a sincere purpose to fulfill al
their duties under the Constitution Of
the United States, which they had
sworn to support. If their actions il il,
these particulars had been met in .
spirit of frankness and cordially, we
believe that ere this; old 'agiitations.
would have passed away, and the
wounds inflicted by the war would
have been iii a great measure healed.
AS far as we are advised ~ The people
of the South entertain no unfir;iieendlys,,
feeling toward the Government Of tie
Tinted Statess.' bit theeIYy complain ifbat
their riohts unider the ConsatiifftHion' ConsatiifftHi 9l'; are
withheld from them II in 4tife'Iaad the Iaadmfiniis minis
tratfoon thereof. f ''' '1S'' s'i"nii' .''''' ..
The idea that The! Southern IL ..p5eo5lpie" ,5li
are hostile to the negroes, si and ihd'I would
Cypress them if it were in ttheir pow
er to do so, is entirely iunfound
The have grown up in our midst, and
we have been accustomed fEo;ml child
hood to look u1fboinl theem With kind
ness. The change in in the thnes'rr relations Iattio rs of
the two races has wrought no 10 change
in our feelings tolW7aafr.d t ward them" They
still constitute the Important part Of
our iaborin!gs poojp1uiiatio,nii. - Withoou II
their, labor, the lands of the South
would becompa1ativelylunproductive.j
Without the employment which South
ern agriculture affords, they would be
destitute of. the means. of Subsistence,
and become .paupers,o dependent on
public bounty. o,,o.al,o,aoy ,,.
u Self-interest, even if there were no
higher motiEesl 4Mouldni tiiereforei
prompt the whites of the South to ex-
tend to the negroes Care care and protec!.a1 q
ton. r. The important, fact fhafthe fwoi'
races are, under eenistiaie, circumstan<
ces, necessary to eathiotliefjj fsigradHd
ally becoming appIarreetlt 43 Both. aha
we believe that but for influenr6caessl r6asl ex. S5-'
erted to stir m M tbe passion! i! of, E ,tbe,ne-. :.
oroes or, tbe relations of.+4,e-two races
wonld s6on Sdiifsf tlb,5ein1fsg2I in1fgI 77esI 7esI6 Io6n ba-
sis ofIbutna1 indi,tesssl di,te ssslita ana IA @aidvi5arnE
tage,s $50 ,liaHl @l,tGi'@9ubaW 40 ,s1sanI
It is true that the people Of the
South, together with the peopiei of
a. Noi.tl;; op5 IUos+, }, saarak. ,for lohy;ons
'--o ~ AZ ~ 1.4,st
o.':Ius d9l15 optJ ,,lao, A. y ,,oI;t;oal ro.v,
80 49, - tIa ho,,ds nf tI,a,
D. :, :, ..,,,
-''o' :. ri,i.t.-- - -
nii' nv .le - .,,.oso,,+,
,'ep Sot'lSe' -. ;.+an;
WY li0sl s'.o ano
$50 ~, ot ~ It +hon, cote denos;-
toT;o lUGs' nf ,,o1;+ical newer Tbey wouJd,
;r;to1,Ir become tba - victims ;tlti of dem.
~ H. fon sol4isI, ,,rposns
sseF' ~ IN, IN, - rI,f7' ~