New-York tribune., 1868-01-31
ROOT. HOG, OR DIEi"
TO n> Editor Of TIE Tribune.

To n> Editor Of Tie TSfbur>
SIR: Inclosing you money for your TRIBUNE
ALMANAC beg leave 10 say few words for your cos
concerning the condition OF the South Your ar
cle Root. Hog. Die" published in your wgEKLr Of
18th Inst, will be the text for my remarks
You have, to use another sturdy, rugged, Anglo
Saxon expression hit the nail the hcad"nOt to sey
the hog" one Of whose characteristics Southern
people possess In extraordinary degree to w.t. nde
lence.
go work" is one of the remedies for all troudeA
But first, We must have reconstruction; and II We
can't get IL terms, must take t yours
and be thankful that We get it any way; for recon-
sructton the first grand dederaum with the Soutbers
people. five work at ALL shall work vain wlthsat
reconstruction. Men work to make living aud 10 90
qure property They need good government to protecs
them In the enjoyment Of the fruits OF their labor Now
we at the South have no government worthy OF the
nanie without reconstruction we shall continue TO have
no government without government we have no law.
without law We have no tte without title have
property without the hope Of acquiring property We
shall have weldeyelopcd system oI aDor ana witlon
labor we shall have 10 bread Can you deec biotsa
link in this chant No and leads direct 10 ny concas
son already laid down. that Reconstruction the one
grand desideTatnn needed for rellei 10 ,he Soulh
is attained the better for all parties We at tho south
are very poor You Northern people don't want psos
customer The sooner you pat US ia the way to get re
You Northern people all desire Reconstructioa
President Johnson IT. and Congress Is striving fos
But the President has opened one door to the unios
and Congress one and each swears by all that - good
and holy shall only enter the door IL opens fr us
We approach the door opened by the PRESIDENT ana mac
that Congress guards that entrance, and fes us to eart
with ts Porter's club the moment our feet touch ths
threshold. We then go to the door opcDcd by Congress
and again knocked down by the club or The PTesicn
for seeking to approach that entrance Then oyer ns
bleeding prostrate cold and hungry the Two brlnger
ents stand, making mouths and brandshing Their CLUBS ~
ing us down when we attempt to rise in the names
pointed ont by the other This may all bc fun tmos
" sturdy, rugged AnglosaxOn" you seeths may all be
" fun" to the President and Congress- but 1t Is death 70
us"
OF York the house of Lancaster il you tolerate
this hackneyed quotation. am not a free man ] am
Province ~ GeOrgiaan eXRebe" lsO caedJ As parties
at present constituted. am neither Denocrat
COpperhead or Conservative, nor Radical, or Rcpub-
can. In politics am nothing; bnt am under bonds 70
the United states Government taken or me by one Cen
Wilson. 70 keep tho peace am subject TO the "poweu
that be-" intend 10 obey the laws Of Congress aud the
orders of Cen Meade: nd most ardenty desire that he
will hurry up reconstruction. This by way vi parcnhesil
Bnt the remarks In the above paragraph touching my
eonS 10 saw A to past contests between the Pfesiden
and Congress nave nothing TO say The President nay
have been right IN his first attempt at atreconstrueon and
Congress or rice reSa But the President Is wrong
now, in his opposition 70 Congress when he found ss
his plans were Dot acceptable TO the coDquerhg onn
nan controlling, and governing representatives Of the
NOEhern people he shOud have abandoned his plans ana
adopted theirs. speak what do know, from an inu.
mate knowledge Of my people ana their leellngs wnsn
that the Chief Executive would revoutIOnze the Gov
there would be any open opposition TO the Goa
ercssonal plan Reconstruction Here where Presi-
talk. procamatons and speeches encourage our people
TO resist Rceonstructon except by Ms plan ne thks -
quietly execute the Reconstruction acts which lac de-
Hounces. Nnetenths Of our white people, today, mis-
lei by President Johnson. and leaders ia our midst be
eve the work Of the Convention In Atlanta amounts 10
nothingp that it viii DO "deeared null and void" es
set aside by the supreme Court Preside Mt Johnsoa,
the Northern Democracy. Is not this deporabiss
stable, certain. and uniform IN its action. 10
preferable 20 the state Of SUSPENSE and ANARCHY
ors, Radicals, Republicans. Democrats. COpperheadS.
Conservatives Congrsss press ana people, 70
work, until we have % T. And without work. work.
structlon and Relief" which formed the motto upon
which our present Georgia Convention elected. wM
published by him nearly IL months ago
We need relief from old debts, and Confederate debfA
mean of the South | know your general views ~
20 reputation. anything like 10, are correct Yeti
hope that GndeF m he apPamS pSyey Ssn @ ncyan
proposed by the Southern conventions but urge its ads
ton by Congress. IL will be Incorporated IN cost
tutiOns With reeonstrnctlon, aud this Kind OF legal TO
This brings me. too late to your "root. hog die"
into the American Union have constitutional and les,1
relief incubus of debt that weighs down all
energies so that we may 60 TO work WIN prospects
reapng the fruits OF labor aud will do then,
peat. may again be prosperous aud happy people
vain unless do 60 TO work The pauper arist0craey
the South lof which ONE being an expanter as web
eX"Rebel," so-calledJ, must learn 10 labor are
teach their children 10 labor, or they VIII become vags
bonds the face OF the earth and the children OF the IA
boring man. white black, will come In and possess the
Inheritance OF the late landed oigarchy | see and
know and accept the situation so far AS am concerned
and would persuade my people TO do the same.
What we want at the South are differently con-
sructed buildings 10 suit changed circumstances
that so many servants Will not be needed. We want
smaller farms and more OF them. We want Homestead
for every family white black, TO be gained by abs
rous industry. We want freedmen made intelligent
and Industrious and secured IN all their just rights We
can have prosperity without IT, No people can he
prosperous with One-haf OF the pouation paupers aid
criminals which ouehalf Of the Southern population ors
or iswhch will you have H. Mr. Fould author OF Gocd
Engshr
We want planters lexpanters should say II they
are willing sell their land the labOrer wiD
black able 10 buy to lease IL for ern Of yea
contracting heavy manurng thorough tilae and sub
santial improve emeuts. Ana then want every man.
woman and child, white black big or hlc, 10 root
hog. or die" j. A. TURNER
EaontOil, Ga, Jan. %, 1863.