The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-08-27
The Appeal OF Chief Justice r n
Pearson, to the COnservatiyes..vnt.
ing for Grant the Only Road to

The Appeal Of Chief Justice r n
Pearson, to the COnservatiyeS..vot.
ing for Grant the Only Road to
Peace.
The following is the letter of Chief
Justice r. NJ. Pearson, of North Carroll
ma, himself Conservative, to the con.
seryatives of that State, which has been
alluded to in our dispatches:
TO the Conservative Party;
| am alarmed at the condition Of the
country and fear that we are drifting into
another civil war. In my opinion the
"war clouds are darkening now as in
the winter of 186O-6l. We were then
promised ''peaceable secession" we are
now to have "peaceable notification. ?
| Under these Circumstance IS l ieel it to be
a duty to make known tee reasoning by
which have arrived at the conclusion
that every man who has no interest at
stake and who wishes to have peace and
avoid bloodshed, should vote for Grant
and Colfax. Beng a member of the
conservative party, and having been
elected Chief Justice Of the Supreme
Court on che nomination of both parties.
by unanimous vote of the people, It is
fair to presume that | have their conf
dence, and that what say will be consider
ed calmly, as the advice OF friend who
has no motive save the public good. l
trust to be held justified, by the emergen-
CIV, for expressing my opinion, and to be
allowed to do so, without being drawn
into the vortex of politics; with my views
silence would be crime God Al
mighty! forbid war of races! Violent
ha1 RI %
turn things upside down, nullity and
bring on another war, rather than submit
to let the negroes vote and hold ONCE.
But is it not the part OF wisdom and pat
riotism to accept ''the situation, and try
to make the most OF bad bargain, rath-
er than make bad worse? l cannot, as
others seem to be able to do, exclude
from my mind the fact that the South at.
tempted revolution and was su6Jugated
and our condition IL one OF the bitter
fruits of rebellion Let us have peace.
This is the point on which my oplnions
rests.
The New York Convention declares
our state government mere creation OF
usurpation, and Of course not entitled to
the allegiance Of the people; and 1t pro-
claims the reconstruction acts OF Congress
Unconstitutional revolutionary, and
void emitting the word null, lest it
might call up unpleasant recollections of
the days of notification, when the strong
will of Jackson prevented war;
If the reconstruction acts are void, so
are the reconstruction measures OF PreSi-
dent johnson, and the negroes are still
slaves. This leads to war. But it is said
slavery and secession are dead issues.
Why or how? Admit, however, that the
only object is to deprive the freedmen of
political rights. How can that be effect
ed? Some say ''it is to be done by the
ballot and by the bayonet." How?
That's the question The freedmen
are now in possession of the right
to vote; if course, they vote, the
Constitution cannot be amended,
so the only mode is to carry out
practically the doctrine that the recon-
struction acts are void, and our Constitu-
ton is of no effect, This is notification.
and disguise it as they may, 1t must rc
suit in war. History furnishes US no in
stances of four millions of people, backed
as they are, in our state, by clear ma
jority of 10000 votes, being deprived of
political rights which they have enjoyed
for years. 1t cannot be done without
civil war. 1t is against the order Of ma
ture.
My countrymen it is time to pause
and refuse longer to follow the lead of
violent politicians. We should discard
prejudice and passion, and act on our
own Judgment as to what should be done
under the circumstances by which we and
yourselves are surrounded.
The most violent members of any par
j., provided that they can get members
enough at the start to make u respectable
showing, carry their point, for reason is
put aside, and vituperation and abuse are
hurled at all who hesitate-''he is not a
friend of the South, he is traitor to his
race and color, etc, etc." The women
and children creatures of feelingl JOIN IN
the clamor, and so it goes. You and |
were opposed to secession, the bulk of the
people oppose it, yet we are hurled into
it. After the ordinance, like true men,
we adhered to our state, aud rendered
faithful allegiance to the Confederacy up
to its surrender What did we gain by
it. should rather ask, who can estimate
what we lost by it?
Let me ask, why did General Lee sur
render? Because he could not help 1t!
For TIE same reason we must submit to
the political; not to the social, for that Is
a thing under our own control, equality
Of the freedmen. This is 1.-The sltua-
tion'-the question is, shall we 60 on
and again make bad worse, or shall We
try to make the best OF it?
What is the reason that the negro vote
instead Of being scattered, is concentrated
with the full force of solid column? 1t
is carried by the vio. 3nt opposition made
to the will of the General Government in
regard to reconstruction.
The freedmen have still an underlined
impression that there is still wish to
reduce them to slavery. They certainly
have we'll founded belief that there is a
determination to deprive them OF political
equality.
This makes them "pull together - re-
move the pressure and their vote will be
neutralized, and unless | mistake the
power and effect of the superiority of the
white man, aided as he is by education
and the possion of the wealth of the
country, in few years they will vote as
IN 1885.
My conclusion is. we must concede to
the freedmen political equality, if we can
only satisfy them we do to in god faith
by voting for Grant and Colfax. Then
there will be an end of the strife. The
contemplation of war and bioodshed will
be put far from us. The freedmen will
become satisfied that it is for their good
interest to allow us to have the guidance
of public affairs, and the innate power
and vigor of the white man will convince
the world that we are able to carry a
weight of four millions imposed Oh US by
the unaccountable DEGREES of Providence,
and still work out cur destiny as the
grandest republic that has ever been
known among the nations.
It is inevitable that the conservatives