Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1868-09-19
Correspondence fsetsseen Gen.
Itoseerans ana Gen. f.ee---A
Doeunieat for the Times.

l. ~ h+N A"ANfNiNN ANttNt eANANonSN -
uen, leo 10 Gen. lloseorans, IL i
AN ablo and dispassionate view %
: the feelings and purposes Of th'
Southern people, aud cannot bnl
= convince all who read il how trns
Il is that our sole desire is 10 be-
I peaoeably permitted TO resume ouI
accustomed place in the Union;
WnIrE SULPHUR SPRINGS, ". Va, !
August 20, 1865, !
/ GENERAL have had tho honor
, 10 receive your letter of this date,
, and, in accordance with your sug-
/ scstion, ! have conferred with n
number ofgentlemen from the South
, in whose judgment | have confded,
, and Wild are we'll acquainted with
the public sentiment OF their respoc-
live States
Thcy have kindly consented TO
unto with mo in replying TO your
communication, and their names
will be found with my own append
ed to this answer. With this ex-
PLANTATION. We proceed to give TO
You candid statement of what we
believe TO be the sentiment of the
Southern people in regard TO tho
subject to which you refer.
Whatever opinions may have pro-
vailed in tho past in regard to Airi-
can slavery, or the right ola State
10 seccdo from the Union, we believe
we express the almost unanimous
Judgment of the Southern people,
when wc declare that they consider
that those questions were decided
BY the war, and that il is their in
tcntion in good faith to abide by
that decision. AT the close of the
war the Southern people laid down
their arms, and sought-io resume
their former relations with the
United States Government. Thro'
their State Conventions they abol-
ished slavery, and annulled their
ordinances of secession, and they
returned to their peaceful pursuits
with a sincere purpose to fulfill all
their duties under the Constitution
Of the United States which they had
sworn to support. IF their action
in these particulars had been met
in spirit Of fiankness and cordial
ty, We believe that ere this old irri
tati0n would have passed away and
the wounds inflicted by the war
would have been in n great measure
healed. AS far Us we are advised,
the people Of the South entertain
no untriendly feeling toward the
Government of the United States,
but they complain that their rights
under the Constitution are withheld
from them in the administration
thereof
The idea that the Southern people |
arc hostile to the negroes and would |
oppress them if it were in their
power to do so, is entirely unfound-
ed. They have grown up in our
midst, ard we have been long ac-
customed from childhood to look
upon them with kindness. The |
change in the relations Of the two
races has wrought no change in our
feeling toward them. They still
constitute the important part Of our
laboring popn,otion. Without their
labor, the lands of the South wonld
be comparatively unproductive.
Without tho employment which
Southern agriculture affords, they
would be destitute of the means of
subsistence, and become paupers
dependent on pubic bouty. Self
interest. even ifthcre were no higher
motives, would therefore prompt
the whites Of the South to extend
to tho negroes care and protection,
The important fact that the two
races are, under existing circumstan-
ces, necessary to each other, is grad
ually becoming apparent to both,
and we believe I'll but for infuen-
ces cXerted to strip the passions !
Of the negroes, the relations of the
two races would soon adjust them
SELVES ON a basis ofmutual kindness
and advantage. 1t 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 the law which would
place the political power Of the coun-
try in the hands of the negro race.
But this oppositition springs from
no feeling oienmity, bu%from deep
seated conviction that at present
the negroes have neither tho intel
'ligenco or other quaiificatiSepwhich
are necessary to make them safe de-
positorics Of political power. They
would inevitably become the vie
Tins of demagogucs, who, for selfish
purposes, would mislead them, to
the serious injury of the public.
The great want ofthe South is peace.
The people earnestly desire tran
guilty and the restoration of the
Union. They deprecate disorder
and excitement rs the most serious
obstacle 10 their prosperity. They
ask a restoration of their rights un-
der the Consultation. They desire
relieffrom oppressive misrulc;abovc
all, they would appeal to their coun-
trymcn for the establishment in the
Southern States Of that which has
justly been regarded rs the birth
right Of every American-the right
ofsclf-government Establish these q
on a firm basis, and we can safely
promise on behalf Of the Southern
people, that they viii faithfully obey
the Constitution aud laws of the
United States. treat the negro with :
kindness and humanity, and fulfill
every duty incumbent on peaceful
citizens, loyal to the Constitution
Of their country.
We believe the above couiaihs
snccinct reply % The general topics
embraced in your f>tier. aud we .