The New Orleans crescent., 1868-09-06

A We
ing letter addressed by Gen. Lee to Gen. Rose.
| Grams
| WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS. WEST VIRGINIA,
! August %, 1865. I
Generdt-l have bad the honor to receive vo1r
letter OF this date and, 10 acc ordance with vour
suggestion, have conferred with a number of
gtbuemen from the South in whose Judgment
nave conhded. andswho are well acquainted with
the public sentiment of their respective States.
They have kindly consented to unite with me
IN replying 10 your communication, and their
names will be found with my own appended 10
THIS answer. With this explanation, we proceed
70 give to you candid statement of what we
Deieve TO be the sen n,iment of the Southern
people in regard to the subject to which YOU
Whatever opinions may have prevailed in the
past n regard to African slavery, or the right of
state to secede from the Union, we believe we
express tne almost unanimous judgment of the
eoutnern people, when we declare tnat they con.
slder that those questions were 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 people laid down their arms, and
sought 10 resume their former relations with the
united States government. Through their State
conventions they abolished slavery, and annued
their ordinances OF secession, and they returned
10 tneir peaceful pursuits with sincere purpose
toiuini all their duties under the Constitution ofthe
united States which they had sworn to support |
III their action In these particulars had been met
IN spirit OF fraDkness and cordality. we beleve
ttat ere this old irritations would have passed
away and the wounds inflicted by the war wond |
have been in great measure healed. As far as
we are advised, the people of the South entertaia
no untrendly feeling toward the government OF
lne United stasee, but they complain that their
rlRhts unoer the Constitution are withheld from
them IN the administration thereof. The id ca that
Tue Southern people are hostile to the negroes
and would oppress them if il were 10 their power
10 90 SO, Is entirely unfounded. They have grown
up IN our midst. and we have been long accus.
toned from childhood to look upon them with
klDoness. The change In the relations of the two
races mas wrought no change in our feeling 10.
ware them. They still constitute the important
part OF our laboring population. Without their
! Dor the lands of the South would be compara
lively unproductive. Without the empIoyment
which Southern agriculture affords, they would be
oesnlute OF the means of subsistence. and be.
come paupers dependent on public bounty |
oelilnterest, even if there were no higher
mouve, would therefore prompt the whites |
Oh tBe South to extend to the negroes
care and protection. The important fact that
me TWO races are, under existing cir ,ums,ances |
Necessary TO each other. is gradually becoming
apparent to both, and we believe that but for
! nuences exerted to stir up the passions of the
le egroes the relations of the two races would |
soon adjust themselves on basis of mutual kind |
less and advantage. Ii is true that the people Of
ne souih, together with the people of the North |
md west are for obvious reasons opposed TO anv |
ystem OF laws which would place the political |
ioWer OF the country in the hands of the negro |
ace. But this opposition springs from no feeIing
u enmity, but from deep seated conviction thai
u present the negroes have neither the inteIIi.
Iehce nor other qualifications which are necessary
!. make mem safe repositories of political power !
-hey would inevitably become the victims of
emsgogues, who, for selfish purposes would | :
instead them to the serious injury of the public.
ne great want of the South is peace. The people !
arnesty desire tranquility and the restoration ~ | !
he Union. They deprecate disorder and ercite.
cent as the most serious obstacle to their pros.
erlty. They ask restoration Of their rights
Doer the Constitution. They desire relief from :
ppresslve misrule; above all they wouId apoeaI | =
D their countrymen for the establishment in the :
outhern states of that which has Justly been re-
aioed as the brthright of every American-the | q
ght Oh self government. Establish these on a | >
I'm basis, and we can safely promise on behalf ~ =
lie Southern people. that they will faithfully obev
le constitution and laws OF the United States.
eat the negro with kindness and humanity. and I,
linll every duty incumbent on peaceful citizeas s
yal TO the Constitution of their country n
We believe the above contains a succinct replv =
tne general topics embraced in your letter. and /,
9 venture to say on behalf of the Southern peo- .
e, and OF the officers and soldiers of the late
army that they will coucur in all the h
ntments which we have expressed -
Approaching the patriotic motives which have n
ompted your letter, and recipTocatng your ex. | a,
essions OF kind regard, we have the honor to be -
ry respectfully aud truly, tC
lex. b. Stephens, Ca, Alex. H. Il. Stuart. Va =.
NJ. conrad, La, James Lyons Va
nIon stephens, Ga, John Echols Va, h,
It. Csperten, W. Va, +. S. stockdale' Texas ~ ~
", fcsens, s. O., VIM. ]. Robinson Va. n
g r. Anderson, Va, VIM. F. Turner, w. Va. h,
II. Lubee, S. c., E. Fontaine. va. y;
On Letcher, va, B. @. Adams, Miss. d,
y. Sreen, N. g., Lewis E. Hsfdie. Va, Ia
v. Daniels, Jr., Va, w. 7. sutherlin, Va, n
q o. James, La, Tout Besuregsrd, Tex, N
U. n. Norton. La, T. P. Brance. Ca, se
1. Russell, Gs., Sam1 ]. Douglas, Fla,
fsmlsh Morton, Va, John b. Baldwin, Va, b,
o. W. Boiling Va, Theodore Flournov. Va .,
Q Gen W. s. Rosecrans Minister to Me,ico v6,,. S., ~
IT Springs Virginia ~