The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-09-07
ROSECRANS-LEE.
Rosecrans' Letter to General Lee.
Reply of the Ex-COnfederates.
The following is the Rosecrans Le


future of our country, come with m.
heart in my hand to learn the condition
wishes aud intentions of the people O
the Southern States; especially to ascer
| tain the sentiments of those brave, en-
ergetic and self.sacriticing men who
after sustaining the Confederacy TO
four years, laid down their arms ant
swore allegiance to the Government o
the United States, whose trusted ant
beloved leader you have been. l Sc,
that interpreting States rights to con
flict with national Enity has pro
duced violent reaction agains
them, which is drifting us towards con
solidation, and also that so great g
country as ours even now certainly il
to be, must have State governments to
attend to local details, or 20 farther
and fare worse. 1t is plain to us at the
West and North that the continuance
of semi-anarchy such as has existed fol
tho last three years in ten States of our
Union, largely increases the danger OF
Capitalization, swells our National ex-
penditures, diminishes our production
and our revenue, inspires doubts of our
political and financial stability, depre-
ciates the value of our National bonds
and currency, and places the credit OF
the richest below that of the poorest
nation in christendom. We know that
our currency must be deprecated so
long as our bonds are below par, and
that, therefore, the vast business and
commerce of our country mnst suffer
the terrible evil of tluctuating stand
ard of value. Until we can remedy the
evil condition of things at the South,
we also see other mischiefs quite
possible if not probable to arise,
such as from a failure of crops, a
local instruction and many Other un-
foreseen contingencies, which may still
more depreciate our credit and cHrren-
cy, provoke discomfort and disorder
among our people, and bring demagog-
ical agitation, revelation, rcpudiation
and thousand unnamed evils and VII
lains on us. We know that the interests
of tue people of the South are for law
and order, and they must share our fate
for good or i'll. / believe every one l
know who rejects, believes that if the
people OF the Southern States could be
at peace, and their energy and good
will heartily applied to repair the waste
of war, reorsaniZe their business, set
the freedmen peacefully, prosperously
and cOntentedly at work, invite capital,
enterprise and labor from elsewhere TO
come freely among them, they would
rebuild their ruined fortunes. multiply
mapy-fold the value of their lands, es-
tablish public confidence in our politi-
cal stability, bring our Government
bonds to premium, our currency to 4
good standard, and assure for them
selves and the whole nation u most
happy and prosperous {stare.
Seeing, this, and how Sll just inter
ests concur in the work, | ask the Off
GERS and soldiers who fought for the
Union ask, every thinking man Sf the
great West and North ask, why it easi-
not be done! We are told by those who
have controlled the Government for the
last four years that the people OF the
South will not do it; that If ever done
at all. il must be done by the poor, SIM
ple. uneaucated, landlesG freedmen and
the few whites who, against the public
opinion and the sentiment of the
Intelligent white people, are willing to
attempt to lead and make their living
off OF these ignorant, inexperienced col
ored people-mostly men who must be
needy Adventures or without any of
those attributes on which reliance for
good guidance or government can be
nIaced. We are told that this kind of
Government must be continued at the
South until six or eight millions of in
talligent, energetic white people give
% 1,,
Now, | think, the Union army thinks,
and the people of the North and West,
l dare say, believe there must be, or
there eught to be, a shorter, surer way
TO get GOOD government for all at the
Sonth. We know that they who organ
lied and sustained the Southern Con-
federacy for four years against gigantic
efforts ought to be able to give peace,
law, order and protection to the whole
ueopIe of the South. They have the in
terest aud the power 10 employ, pro-
tsct, educate and elevate the poor freed
men. and restore themselves and our
country to all the blessings of which |
have Just spoken. The question we
want answered is, are they willing to
do it? | came down to find what the
Deople of the South think of the matter,
and TO ask YOU what the officers and
soldiers who served in the Confederate
army, and the leading people who sas:
famed it, think of these things.
came TO ask more: want to ask
you. in whose purity and pa
triotism here express unquai-
fed confidence, and as many
good men as you can conveniently con,
suit. to say what you think OF 1t, ana
also what YOU are willing to do about
.it7 want Il written expression OF
views that can be followed by a concur.
renee of action. l want to know II
Won and the gentlemen who Will JOIN
in that expression are willing to pledge
tLe people of the South to IA chivalrouS
and marnanimous devotion to restoring
peace and prosperity to our ccmmoh
country. I want to carry that pledge
.bigh above the level of party politics
ia the late officers and soldiers OF the
Union army and the people OF the NoIth
and West. and to ask them to CONSIDER
il, aad to take the necessary action
.confdext that it will meet with re
sponse so warm, so generous and conn
ding that we shall in its sunshine see
the rainbow of peace in our pelltical
dav now black with clouds and i'm
pending storm. l know you are rep
reseutative man in reverence and re
gard for the Union, the Constitution and
the welfSre of the country, and what
YOU would cay 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 nen here who concur in your
views, and expressions of their concur
renee from the principal officers and rep
resentative men throughout the South
when they can be procured. This con-
currence of opinion and wills, all tend.
ing to peace, order and stability, will
assure our Unien soldiers and business
men who want substantial and solid
peace. and cause them TO rise above the
level of party politics, and take such
steps to meet yours as will insure q
lasting peace, with all its counties:
blessings.
Very truly, your friend,
w. S. RoSECRANS.
To General r. E. Lee, White Sulphur
Spings, w. Va.
,..,-, Spnr>,S W Y,