The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-09-05
TIE RosECRANs MISSION.


hand to learn the condition, wishes and intentions
OF the people of the southern subsequently, to
ascertain the sentiments of that body of brave,
energetic and self sacrificing men who, after sus-
tanning the confederacy for four years, laid down
their arms and swore allegiance TO the government
of the United States, whose trusted and beloved
leader you have been.
l see that interpreting " States rights" to conflict
with national unity has produced violent reaction
against them which is drifting us towards consoli-
dation; and also that so great country as ours
even now is certainly is to be, must have State
governments to attend to local Details or go farther
and fare worse.
1t is plain to us at the west and north that the
continuance of semi-anarchy, such has existed
for the last three years in ten States of our Union,
largely increases the danger of centralism, swells
our national expenditures, diminishes produc-
tons and our revenue, inspires doubts of our poll
tical and financial stability, depreciates the value
of our national bonds and currency, and places the
credit of the richest below that of the poorest ma
tion i'm Chrstendom.
We know that our currency must be deprecated
long our bonds are below par; and that there
fore the vast business and commerce of the country
must suffer the terrible evil of a huctuating
standard of value until we can remedy the evil con-
dtiOn of things at the south. We also see other
mischief quite possible If not probable, to arise;
such as from failure of crops, a local insurrec-
ton and many other unforeseen contingencies,
which may still more dopreciate our credit andcur-
rency, provoke discomfort and disorder among our
people, and bring demagOgical agitation, revolu-
tion, population, and q thousand unnamed evils
of the people of the south are for law and order,
and that they must share our fate of good and ILL.,
hOlteVe-cNery
lieves-that if the people of the southern States
could be at peace, and their energy and good will
heartily applied to repair the wastes of war, reor-
ganlze their business, set the freedmen peacefully,
prospeTously and contentedly at work, invite capi
tai, enterprise and labor from elsewhere to come
freely amongst them, they would soon rebuild their
ruined fortunes, multiply manifold the value of
their lands, establish public confidence in our p0-
litical stability, bring our government bonds to
a premium, our currency to a gold standard, and
assure for themselves and the whole nation most
happy and prosperous future.
G.ntv hpVr oil inct ir
the work, l ask-the officers and soldiers who
fought for the Union ast-every thinking man of
the great west and north asks-why it cannot be
We are told by those who have controlled the
government for the last four years that the people
Of the south will not do i-that if done at ALL
IL must be done by the poor, simple, uneducated,
landless freedmen, and the few whites who, against
the public opinion and sentiment of the Intelligent
white people, are willing to attempt to lead, and
make their living off of these ignorant, inexper-
enced colored people; mostly men who must be
needy adventurers, or without any of those attr
butes on which reliance for good guidance or gov
ernment can be placed We are told that this Kind
OF government must be continued at the south until
six eight millions of Intelligent energetic white
people give in to it or move out of the country.
of the north and west, dare say, believe, there
must be- or there ought to be, shorter or a surer
way to get good government for all at the south.
We know that they who organized and sustained
the southern cOnfederacy for four years, against
gigantic efforts, ought to be able TO give peace, law,
order and protection to the whole people Of the
south.
They have the interest and the power to employ,
protect, educate, and elevate the poor freedmen,
and to restore themselves and country to all
the blessings of which l have just spoken. The
do it?
/ came down TO find out what the people of the
south think of this and to ask you what the officers
and soldiers who served in the confederate army,
and the leading people who sustained it, think of
these things.
purity and patriotism / here express unqualified
confidence, and as many good men as you can con-
Veniently consult, to say what you think of it, and
also, what you are willing TO do about it.
/ want written expression of views that can be
followed by concurrence of action. L want to
know if you and the gentlemen who will join in that
written expression are willing to pledge the people
of the south to chivalrous and magnanimous de-
yoton to restoring peace and prosperity to our
common country. want to carry that pledge high
above the level of party politics, to the late officers
and soldiers of the Union army and the people of
the north and west and to ask them to consider it,
and to take the necessary action, confident that it
will meet with response warm, so generous and
confding that we shall see in its sunshine the rain
bow of peace in our political sky, now black with
clouds and impending Storm
ence and regard for the Union, the Constitution
and the welfare of the country, and that what you
would say would be indorsed by nine-tenths of the
whole people of the SOUTH but should like to have
the signatures of all the representative southern
men men here who concur IN your views, ana express
officers and representative men throughout the
south, when they can be procured.
This concurrence OF opinions and wills, all tend
ing to peace, order and stability, will assure our
Union soldiers and business men, who want sub
stantial and solid peace, and cause them to rise
above the level of party politics. and take such
steps to meet yours as will insure lasting peace,
with all its countless blessings.
Very truly, your friend, 49, - -
Gen. r. E. Lee, White Sulphur Springs, West
Virginia.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WEST VIRGINIA.
August 2G, 1s68-General; have had the honor
to receive your letter of this date, and in accord
ance with YOUR suggestion, have conferred with
number of gentlemen from the south, in whose
Judgment have confded, and who are well ac-
quanted with the public sentiment of their respec-
tive States. They have kindly consented to unite
with me in replying to your communication, and
their names will be found with my own appended
With this explanation we proceed to give to you
a candid statement of what we believe TO be the
sentiment OF the southern people in regard to the
Whatever opinions may have prevailed in the
past in regard to African slavery the right of
State to secede from the Union, we believe we ex-
press the almost unanimous Judgment OF the south
ern people when we declare that they consider that
those questions decided by the war; and that
it is their intention in good faith to abide by that
decision. AT the close of the war the southern peo
pie laid down their and sought TO resume their
former relations with the United States govern
ment.
Through their State Conventions they abolished
slavery and annulled their ordinances of secession,
and they returned to their peaceful pursuits with
sincere purpose to fulfil all their duties under the
Constitution of the United States, which they had
sworn to support. If their action in these particu
lars had been met in spirit of frankness and cor
diaity,, we believe that ere this old irritatlons
by the war would have been in great measure
healed. AS far we are advised the people of the
south entertain untriendly feeling toward the
government of the United States, but they COM
plain that their rights under the Constitution are
withheld from them in the administration thereof.
the negroes, and would Oppress them II 1t were in
their power to do so, is entirely unfounded. They
childhood