Litchfield enquirer., 1868-11-26

Ooldwln Smith says there have been four
 great orators Tn English history:-Pym,
 Bolingbroke Chatham and John Bright. : A Br The following letter was written in
 April last by Chief Justice Chase to Hon.
 H. W, Hillard. of Georgia-being drawn
 out by published letter from MT. Hillard
 declining to be candidate for Congress,
 but giving his view of political affairs:- ''
 's,." WASHINGTON, April 27, 1868. '" DEAR SIR: Some days since I received
 rom an unknown hand, paper contain
 ing letter of yours which l read with
 great interest -
 My acquaintance with you when we were
 Dotn in Congress-you in the House and
 Tn the Senate-was very slight; but, slight
 as It was, take occasion from it to write you few lines, suggested by your letter. 1
 Ever since the war closed I have been
 very anxious for the earliest practical "res-
 toration" of the States of the South to
 their proper relations to the other States of
 the Union. l adopt your own statement
 of the problem to be worked out, because
 l agree with you in the opinion that those
 'States have never been other than States
 within the Union since they became par
 ties to the Federal Government, and that | the failure to maintain their assertions of
 independence in the conflict of arms which
 followed, left them States still within the
 Union." t. .I-'. s~-'-.,.' r
 The point on which I probably differ
 from you is this The people for whom
 and through whom these States were to be
 organized at the close of the war, was not, as think, the same people as that which
 existed Tn them when the war began.
 In my judgement the refusal of the oro prIetary class, if 1t may be so called, to re-
 cognlze this fact and its legitimate and in-
 deed logical consequences. and the convic- ! tlons of large majorities in the States ,, which adhered to the National Government ! in respect. to it, caused most of the trouble, | of the last three years. ; have not time to go at large into this 3 subject; batI may say briefly that eman- d clpatlon came be regarded by these major ] lties' as military necessity; that the faith
 ot the nation was pledged by the procla- C emancipated people in the possession and
 enjoyment of the freedom it conferred; that to this end the amendment of the Consti-
 tutlon prohibiting Slavery throughout the { united States was proposed and ratified; , that becoming freemen, the emancipated | people became necessarily citizens; and I that as citizens they were entitled to be consulted in respect to reorganization ,and to be the means of self protection by suf- frage.l This is vesy brief, but think a perfectly correct, statement of what may I be called, for the sake of brevity, the North ern view of this matter. It would. per-
 view, North and South, using the word loy- |, al as disting gushing the masses who sup port the National Government from the " masses who opposed it during the war.
 Now the particular matter to which I T wish to draw your attention is, whether t] policy and duty do not require the class it which have called proprietary. meaning B thereby the educated and cultivated men e of the South-whether property holders or
 not-to accept this view fully and act upon
 it. .4+' ,.}a 4.'- ."|H7
 Is it possible to doubt that, had this view !, been accepted and acted upon three years U o ago, after the surrender of Lee and john son, the Southern States would have been = richer to-day by hundreds of millions than ! they are, and that long ago universal am- , nesty and the removal of all disabilities . would have prepared the hearts of men on i, both sides for real Union? Can it be d matter of question that the colored voters, b finding in the educated classes true friend | ship evinced by full recognition of their o l' rights and practical acts of good will, n would nave gladly gwen to those classes p substantially their old lead in affairs, di- u rected now, however, to Union and not to II disunion; to the benefit of all, and not ex- W clusively to the benefit of class? p . I'observe that you say that the ''attempt Ii to carry on the Government with the priv -lege of universal suffrage incorporated as f one of its clements, is full of danger. " ly Danger is the condition of all Govern t ments; because no form of government in- d sures wise and benefcent administration. a But beg you to consider, is there not n greater danger without than with univer- p sal suffrage? You cannot make suffrage s' less than universal for the whites, and will o o not the attempt to discriminate excite such n jealousies and ill-feeling as will postpone to
 distant future what seems so essential. e namely, the restoration of general good as will and bringing into lead of the educated t men and the men of property, and so se- | curing the best and most beneficial admin c istrationi of affairs for all classes Take n n universal suffrage and universal amnesty. e and all will be we'll. Can you. my dear t Sir, devote your fine powers to better V work than complete restoration on this r basis? i.aa s.,a aa4 r.a.s 4s5h,g- IL alvv 2 Very truly and respectfully yours, Ie E. : t.'" .L59 ''...s'. " s. P. CHASE. t 'o Hon. HENRY W. HnnARD. :1Il0I 17 [. ..gf,~. g. -T------@R fa.e. s5 t