American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1868-10-24
THE SOUTH.
Letter from Hon. II. ii. HiiI-Iis Views
ON the Political situntion--. Sentiments
of the Southern Democrats

To the Editor Of the Ne,o York Times
l have read frequent illusions, in
the Republican Press, to my visit
North, but your issue yesterday, in
the leader concerning "Mr. Adams
and the Columbia Committee" refers
to me with statements so incorrect
and in a spirit so Unexpectedly bit
ter, that l feel under obligations tt
ask the insertion of this reply:
1. did not come North to max,
speeches. 1t is very difficult at thu
South to learn the true feelings an(
views of the Northern people, as
find it impossible at the North tt
learn the true feelings and yiegs 9
the Southern people. So great ar
interest do feel in the result of the
pending contest, and so much vii
the character of this result depend
on the motives and sentiments of the
Northern voters who must deter
mine it, that l determined, at my
own instance and on my own expen
ses, to come North to ascertain, as
accurately as [ COULD these motives
and sentiments. | have made nc
offer of my services, as you intimate,
to Democratic committeeman and
therefore such offer, as you state,
"has not been declined." l did
state in Georgia, and have stated
here, that if l could get audiences Of
II Republicans-of old Wings, with
whom, in the days of Clay and
Webster, | so cordially acted-I
would make speeches. But these
men seem to utter nothing but
grOwls at my very appearance in a
Northern climate. l have had many
invitations from Democrats to speak,
but l have declined them.
2. Ihave not seen the statements
to which you allude from the South
ern press. If they have rejoiced at
my visit to the North, and have an
tici pated the results you mention, |
have no doubt it was with no intent
to exalt my personal powers as a
speaker, but simply because the rep
made of my speeches to
the Northern people they knew to be
untrue, and that, If | made speeches
here, the Northern people would be
enabled to know for themselves they
were untrue. [ have often seen my
utterances at the South so changed,
cut up, and differently put together
here, as to represent me before the
Northern people as saying directly
the reverse of what L did say. 1t
seems to be system adopted here
to keep the people of the two sec
lions from understanding each other,
that they may continue to hate each
other. Language which | have en-
)loyed at the South as applicable to
men who were engaged in the hypo-
critical work of seeming to accept
he policy of reconstruction, with a
Known intent of repudiating it after
accomplishing certain personal ends,
md who were promoting hatred be-
,ween the two races at the South, is
Uniformly reported at the North as
Ipplied to Union men. | denounced
and hypocrites, and
traightway am reported as denounc-
ng good loyal Union men.
1t would be but natural if the
southern press, who know me, and
he motives, temper and spirit of my
umble utterances, should express
that the Northern peo-
lie should have an opportunity of
caring for themselves.
3. I shall return home ga morti-
ed if not wiser man." Mortified
My because l find in the North a
litter, systematic, adroit, and per-
istent Misrepresentation of the TEN.
er, desires, and views of the South
rn whites far exceeding my antici-
ations. have stood in the fight,
nd been the target of this kind of
arfare before. 1t was practiced by
ANY of the secessionists in 1860
he people of the South will com
rehend my meaning when l say
lat the plan of misrepresentation is ,
racticed here with a shrewdness, a I
ce, and in q manner to eX- {
te distrust and sectional hate to an 5
itent unknown in the South in the (
ost Incorporate days of secession. I
he very same means which were
nployed in 1860 at the South TO in y
ice that people to leave the Union, i
e now employed at the North, with I
ore skill and less candor, to keep '
EN- from coming back to the Union. f
ne South did have cause of com $
amt against the North, for their @
ternal affairs had been persistently v
with. But the South
,es not now, and never has desired
intermeddle with the internal a
fairs of the North. The South h
needles to the North what the q
orth denies to the South-the right r
regulate the franchise, each State T
: itself. You speak of me as a c
7ild Southern extremist A polit- r
u extremist! My whole life is di- h
city the contrary. l defy you to b
d, in all my utterances against the e
measures, q single j,
1timent of hostility TO the Union a
the Constitution, or of unBind- q
SIS to the negro. Directly the re- n
rse pervades everything L ever il
'ote, spoke, or felt, aud any report &
the contrary is false. 4,
declare now that one of my a
ief objections to the reconstruc- b
n measures is that they violate S,
, Constitution, and 1 do personally s.
orr kl,oN Coma ac 4ha ,,-.,,,A