Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-07-23
THE ROSECRANS AND LEE COR
RESPONDENC

From the N. Y. Post, Sept. '6SI
General Rosescrans writes to Robert
E. Lee that he believes him to be 8
patriot.in whom -Rosecrans has s'nn-
qualified confidence;' and requests him
after that piece of soft sawder, to
'pledge the South to chivairous and
magnanimOus devotion to restoring
peace and prosperity to our common
country y''-Whatever that may mean.
How does ROsecrans wish Lee to "de-
vote himself?" What is Lee to do?
He is to write a letter, as a representa-
tive of the southern people.
Lee answers after the same fashion.
He speaks of the southern Democrats
throughout, as the only "peOple of the
South" He asserts, contrary to
truth, that " the people of the
South" ;" meaning the southern demo-
cratic party, abolished slavery; and he
writes as though their whole submis-
sion to the laws of the Union was Yolun-
tary, when it is well known that John
son had to use sharp words with the
rebel leaders to induce them to accept,
in words the abolition of slavery; and
it is even supposed that Grant and
Lincoln had to use something sharper
than words for the same purpose.
Finally. Lee adds, cOOlIy, that the
only way to have peace is to let what
he calls southern peOple'-that is to say
the southern democratic party-rule as
them to treat with humanity and kind
ness the political opponents, the south
ern Republicans, whom he will not even
allow to be part of the southern
people.
AS to Lees patriotism, where are the
evidences of it? When a parcel of
demagogues in 1861 began an insurrec-
ton whose avOwed object was to over
throw the Union, and disgrace and eX-
terminate the flag, Lee deserted from
the army, and went over to the enemies
of his country. Was that the act of a
patriot?
Since the war ceased, Lee has been
sulking in Virginia. He has doubtless
great influence among the southern
democrats; he might have used this
influence for the good of the country.
He might have told his admirers that
they ought to obey the laws that they
ought not to be intolerant of Others
opinions; that they do wrong to abuse
| and kill the whites and blacks who
were loyal during the war, and
now belong to the Republican party.
He might have told his adherents
| that peace means good will on both
sides. That would have been patriotic.
Has he done so?
| No; he has chosen to sulk, in silence,
determined apparently that the restor-
alton of peace and good will shall not
! have the help of his potent voice
/ w hat6V0r influence he mas naQ since
/ 1865 has gone to increase the noble ar
| my of ''soreheads' in the southern
states; the crowd of the dissatisfied
who feel in their hearts what Robert
! Toombs spoke out the other day, that
f'as the late war was produced by
! the defeated democratic party in
! 1860, we shall never have peace till it is
restored in 1865"
! But Lees patriotism is no more use
| full than his humanity, of which he
! himself boasts would be trustworthy.
| When he talks about humanity and
| kindness to those whom he wishes to
/ be left in helpless dependence, does he
| Imagine that people here forget An
| dersOnville and Belleisle? Does he
think men and women here forget the
cold and hateful cruelty of the rebel
ommander-in-chief, who saw thous-
ands of our brave fellows starVe and
freeze under his own eyes in the hOr-
rible swamp of Belleisle, near Rich
mond? Was Lee humane when our
men rOtted in the AndersonVille pen,
and he refuses to write the brief order
which would have ensured them suffi-
cient food, clean water and space ia
| sleep in? Was Lee humane, when in
grim and cruel silence he suffered
thousands of Union soldiers tc
perish of want and cold in Belhsle-
but a mile or two from Richmond
which he constantly visited?
Is 1t not little too 1mpudent for Lee
to talk about humanity? A soft
hearted man would no more speak the
word in Lees hearing than he would
talk of hemp to man whose father
was hanged. But this patriot in
whom ROsecrans has unquestioned
confidence, and who starved good
many of Rosecrans's soldiers to death
a few years ago, no more hesitates to
talk of humanity than Howell cobb
Buehnnan's Secretary of the Treasury
hesitates to talk about honesty, OF
Wade Hampton obout 'chivalry," OF
simon Bolivar BucSner about honor
or Ferdinand Mendez Pinto Benure-
gard about truth, or than any Of the
whole gang of demagogues who fOl
wears tried to break down and destroy
the Constitution, now hesitates to weeI
over the sacredness of that instrument
II The southern democratic leaders
who have got on a very high horse
since the publication of the Blair letter
. and the nomination of Blair, make