The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1868-09-12

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6S .tais ,ynrqrnoo DDS q. Svoa5-GsN sf Il /.
N. 1eIsn t.l.G l.,,s. s..-...,.. z u Z
sec IN its sunsliincithc rainbowiot -p6aco in our
political y,gnow, black with clouds aud i'm,
pending storm j. ,e.s, ..,,,a.,a :, ,,s, g.
I know you are q representative man in rev
crencc and regard for tho Union, the constiti.
tio,l and the welfare Of tho country; ahd that
What you would say would be endorsed by .niho-s
tciths, Of tho whole people of tho South, but /
should like to havo, tho signatures Of all tho
representative s9gth9oFn 9 Rsp hsSs Ybo Is GqnsgE
ain your views, aud expressions Of thoir conours
pfehcc from the PIN principal 6fccas ara
tativo men throughout Che South when ;theyl
can be procurcd;a4 eeaip od4 ssi!.slagrs - ...il
f Thismconcutreuce Of opinions and wills, all
tending to peace, order and stability. will as,
suro our Union soldiers and business mcn, who
want substantial and solid peace and cause
them to rise above the level Of party politics
and take such steps to meet yours MS VIII iu-
sure lasting peace with all its countless bless
ings
Vcryatruly yonf friend,3i2a fsiiieo 9"
,ta:iieI si4i d w. S. ROSECRANS. n
Gen. Il. E. LEE, White Sulphur Springs. West
Virginia.
/ WHITE SuLrnER SpRINus, WEST VA,
August &C. 1868 ~
Gcncral:-I have the honor to receive your
letter of this date, and in accordance with your
suggestion, | Iihave conferred with a number of
gentlemen from the South in whose Judgment
have conGdcd, and who arc well acquainted
with tho public sentiment of their respective
States. They have kindly consented to unite
with me i'll replying to your communication, ),
and their names will be found with my own
appended to this answer.
With this explanation VIC proceed to give to
you candid statement of what we believe to
be the sentiment of tho Southern people in re-
gard to the subject TO which you referee
r Whatever opinions may havo prevailed in
the past in regard TO African slavery, 81, the
righ. of a State to seccdo from tho Union, We
believe We express hoFalmost unanimous jGdg-
'mhnt of the Southern people when wc declare
that they consider that those questions were
decided by tho war, and that it is their inteu-
tion, in good faith ITO abide by that decision.
At the close Of the war the Southern people
laid down their arms and sought to resume
their former relations with tho United States
Government. 81. ttj.r., ;.lli ID 3,i ,.I
Through their ,stntc conventions they iasbul-
ished slavery, spd qnnallqa thcly oar'qinanefs of
secession, and they returned to their peaceful
pursuits with q sincere purpose tolfulfl all
their duties under tho constitution Of the
United States, which they had sworn to sup
port II thcir action in these particulars had
been met in spirit Of frankncs and cordiality
we believe that ere this old lirritations would
| iihvc passed away, and the wounds inflicted by
thhes,MaF would haye. heep in az great measure
htealcd AS far as wo se ar, :, edayiscd, the people
OF the South entertain no unfriendly feeling
toward the government ofthc United States,
but they complain that thor rights uuaor tho
constitution are withheld from them ia the nd
miuistration thereof
The idea that the Southern people arc hos
tile to the negroes, aud would opprcss then, if
~ WIZ AA eASi' Po"oi W uO 81, is cuIlICly uu-
founded. They have grown up ia our midst,
and VIC have bcen accustomed from childhood
to look upon them with kindness. Tho change
ip The relations sf thq two races has wrought
no change in our feeling toward them. They
still Constitute the important part tf Of our labor
ing population. Without their labor tho lands
Of tho Soutfwould be comparatively unproduc..
tive. Without the employment which Southern
agriculture affords, they would be destitute of
the means of subsistence, and become paupcrs,
dependent on public bounty.
Self-intcrcst, oven if there were no higher
motive, would therefore prompt the whites Of
the South to cxtond to tho negroes caro- and
protection. The important fact that the two
races arc under existing circumstances, ncccs-
sary to each other, is gradually becoming ap-
parent to both and We believe that but for
Influences excrtcd to stir up the passions of the
negroes, the relations of the two races would
SOON adjust themselves on basis of mutual
kindness and advantage.
1T is true that the people of the South
together with the people Of the North and
West arc, for obvious reasons, opposed to any