The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1868-09-23

# questions we're decided by the war;. an
3; that it Is their intention in good fait
Il to abide By that decision. At the clos
n of the war the Southern people lai,
e down their arms and sought to RESUME
= their former relations with the United
2 States Government. Through thei
State Conventions they abolished
a slavery and annnlled their ordinance
5 of secession, and they returned 10 their
f personal pursuits with purpose to fal
fill all their dufiesto the Constitution
of the United States, which they had
p sworn to support IF their action in
\ these particulars had been met in a
spirit of frankness and cordiality,. we
believe that ere this, old irrititatfuns
would have passed away, and the
wounds inflicted by the war would have
been in a great measuee healed. ..l.
As far as we are advised, the people
of the South entertain no unfriendIy
feeling toward the Government of the
United States, but they complain that
their rights under The Constitution are
| withheld from them in the admins
tration thereof The idea that the
Southern people are hostile to the ne.
groes, and would oppress if it
were in their power to do so, is entiraly
unfounded. They have grown up in
our midst. and we have been accustom-
ed from childhood to leok upon them
with kindness. The change in the sit.
uation Of the races ! as brought no
change in our feelings toward them
They still constitute the important part o i
our laborlng population, Without their
labor the lands of the South would be /
comparatively unproductive without
the employment wh oh Southern agri
culturei affords they would be destitute
of the means of subsistence. and become
Iaupers, dependent On public b q .ty.-l
Self interest even ifthere were no high !
er motives, would therefore prompt the
whites of the South to extend to the /
negroes care and projections. The i'm
portant fact that the two races are, u1-
der existing circumstances, necessary |
TO each other, is gradually becoming
apparent to both, and We believe that,
but for influences exerted to stir up the
passions of the negroes, the relations
of the two laces would soon adjust
themselves on basis of mutual kind
ness and advantage It is true that
the people of the South, together with
the people of the North and West, are,
for obvious reasons, opposed to any
system of laws which would place the
political power Of the country in the {
hands ofthe negro race, but this opposi-
ton springs from no feeling of enmity,
but from deep seated conviction that I
at present the negroes have neither the {
Intelligence nor the other qualifca- e
tions which are necessary to make them t
safe Repositories of political power l
They would inevitably become the vic
Tins of demagogues. whc, for selfish S
purposes. would mislead them, TO the 7
serious injury of the public. i- 6
The great want of the South is c
peace. The people earnestly desire t
ranquillity and the restoration of the q
Union. They deprecatc disorder and r
excitement as the most serious obstacle q
o their prosperity They ask a re
toration of their rights under the Con-
titution. If they desire relief from
oppressive misrule. Above all they
would appeal to their countrymen for
he establishment in the Southern =
States of that which has justly been :,
egarded the birthright of every '
American-the right of self-govern- y
nent.
Establish this on q firm basis, and y
We can safely promise, on behalf of the );
people, that they will faith +
ully obey the Constitution and laws of :,
he United States, treat the negroes :,
nth kindness and humanity, and full, ""
Ill every duty incumbent ON peaceful {
itizens, loyal to the Constitution Of .
heir country. - ...a :
We belive the above contains a sue 6
inct reply to the general topics en- /
raced in your letter, aud we venture =
0 say on behalf of the Southern people,
nd of the officers and soldiers of the
ate Confederate army, that they will
oncur in all the sentiments which we .
ave expressed. .....- .,
Approaching the patriotic motives -
7hich have prompted your letter, and h
your expressions of kind az
egards, We have the honor to bo. = =
Very respectfully and truly, -
R. E LEE, Virginia. r
w. T. Sutherlin, Va. h
A. b. Jam es, La f.
t. Beauregard. Texas. e.
NJ. O. II. Norton, La. 5-as .;
Il. P. Brance, Ga, -- a -
H. T. Russell, Ga, p
Sam. J. Douglass, Fla e,
J. L R Morton, Virginia. h
John B. Baldwin, Va, 1 "
Geo ". BalliDg. Virginia.
Theo. +. Conway, Va, is
Jas Lyons, Virginia. o,
e. II. Sudee, s G. - W
John Letcher, Va " - b,
w. J. Green, N. c." a til
G f. Beauregard, La. -. it
Alex. H. Stephens, Ga. p,
Alex. II. H. Stuart, Ga. is
G. NJ. Conrad, La. A
Linton. Stephens, Ga. Sc
A. T. Caperton, w. Va. m
John Echols, Virginia. be
Il G CtooLd,lo TovoS -