Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1868-09-17
the whole nation most happy and pros

Seeing this, and how all just interests
concur in the work, | ask the officers and
soldiers who fought for the Union, ask ev-
cry thinking man Of the great West and
North, why it cannot be done?
We are told by those who have CONTROL
ed the Government for the last four years
tina: the people Of the South will not do it.
That, if ever done at all, it must be done
by the poor, simple, uneducated, landless
freedman and the few whites vino, against
t he public opinion and sentiment of the
intelligent white people, are willing to at
tempt to lead and make their living off of
these ignorant. inexperienced coIored
people, mostly men who must be needy
adventurers, or without any Of those at
tributes on which reliance for good guild
ance or government can be placed We
are told that this kind of government
must be continued at the South until six
or eight millions of intelligent, energetic
white people give into or move out of the
country.
Now, think, the Union army thinks,
AID people Of the North aud West I dare
say believe, there NUT be, or there ought
to be a shorter, surer way to get good
government for all at the South We
know that they who organized and .astain-
ed the Southern Contederacy for four
years against gigantic efforts ought to be
able to give peace, law, order and protec-
ton to tho whole people of the South
They have the interest and the whole
power TO employ, protect, educate and ell
evate the poor freedmen, and to restore
themselves and our country to all the
blessings of which [ have just spoken
The question want answered is-"Are
they willing to do it p
come down to lind out what the people
of the South think of this, and to ask you
what the officers and soldiers who served
in the Confederate army, and the leading
people who sustained it, think Of these
things
came to ask more. I want to ask you,
in whose purity and patriotism here ex-
press unqualified confidence, and as many
good men as you can conveniently consult,
to say what you think Of it; ana, also,
what you are willing to do about it?
[ want written expression of views
that can be followed by a concurrence of
action. | want to know if you and the
gentlemen who will join in that written
expression are willing to pledge the peo-
pie Of the South to a chivalrous and mag
unanimous devotion to restoring peace and
prosperity to our common country. |
want to carry that pledge high above the
level of party politics to the late officers
and soldiers of the Union army, and to
the people of the North and West
and to asl>t to consider il, and to take
the necessary action. confident that it will
meet with a response so warm. so gener-
Gus and conliding, that we shall see 10 its
sunshine the rainbow Of peace il our po-
litical sky, now black with clouds and I'M
pending storm.
| know you are re?r,S3 ltltiya man.
in reverence and regard for the Union,
the Constitution and the welfare Of the
country, and that what you would say
would be endorsed by nine tcnths of the
whole people of the South but should
like to have the signatures Of all the rep
resentative Southern men here, who con
cur in your views, and expressions Of their
concurrence from the principal officers and
representative men throughout the South,
when they can be procured
This concurrence Of opinions and wills,
all tending to peace, order and stability,
will assure our Union soldiers and bust
ness men, who want substantial and solid
peace, and cause them TO rise above the
level Of party politics and take such steps
to meet yours as will insure lasting
peace, with all its countless blessings.
Very truly, your friend,
TSignedl ". S. RosEcRAHs
General T. T. Lee, White Sulphur
Springs, West Virginia.
The Reply.
WHITE SULPHUR SpRlNGs, ". Va. }
August both, 1868.
Generag-I have had the honor to re-
ceive your letter Of this date, and in ac-
cordauce with your suggestion, | have
conferred with "a number of gentlemen
from the South in whose Judgment
have coniided, and who are we'll acquain-
ted with the public sentiment Of their res
pective States They have kindly con-
sented to unite with me in replying to
your communication, and their names will
be found with my own appended to this
answer.
With this explanation we proceed to give
to you candid statement Of what We be-
lieve to be the sentiment of the Southern
people in regard to the subject to which
you refer.
Whatever opinion may have prevailed
in the past in regard to African slavery,
or the right of State to secede from the !
Union, we believe we express the almost !.
unanimous Judgment Of the Southern
people when we declare that they consid
gr that those questions were decided by the
war, and that it is their intention in good |
faith to 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 the United /
States Government
Through their State Conventions they
slavery, and annulled their or
linances of secession ; and they returned
to their peaceful pursuits with sincere
purpose TO fulfill all their duties under the
Of the United 5 ates, which
hey had sworn to support. Ii their ac-
ion in these particulars had been met III