Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-07-23

port. If their action in these particn-
lars had been met III a spirit of frank
ness md cordially, we believe the old
1rritauonS would have passed away,
and the wounds INFLICTED by war would
have been in great measure healed.
As lar as we are advised, the people OF
tue South entertain no unfriendlY feel
ing toward the Government of the
! United States, but they complain that
their rights under the Constitution are
| withheld from them in the administTa-
tion thereof. The idea that the people
are hostile to the negroes, and would
opPress Them if were in their power
to do So, is enIirt y unfOunded. They
have grown up in our midst, and we
have been accustomed from childhood
to look upon them with kindness. The
| change III the relations of the two
races mas wTOughL no change in our
feelings toward them. They still con-
| stitute the important part of our la
1 boring population Without their la
! Dor, the lands OF the South would be
comparatively unproductive. Without
the employment which Sontheru agri-
culture affords, they would be destitute e
| of the means o. subsistence, and be-
c0me pauPeIs, q pendent on public
/ bounty. Self-fnI, est, even, if there
were no higher motives, would there
| fore proIupt the whites of the South 10
| extend TO the negroes care and pUObec-
| ton. The important fact that tie two
4
! necessary TO each other is gradually be-
| coming apparent "a both, aad fNge be-
! lieve that, but fol Influences sxerted TO
| stir up the passions Of the negroes. the
! relations of the two races would soon
! adjust themselves on "A basis of mutu-
| al kindness and advantage. 1t is true
/ that the Drople ol biIe South, together
with the people of The North ami West
/ are, for OBVIOUS reasons, opposed to any
| sySteuls of laws which would place the
political power OF the country in The
hands of the negro race, but this an-
| position springs from no feeling of en-
nifty, but1rom adeep-seated conviction
that at present the negroes have neith-
er the lntelligeDcs nor other qualitica-
lions which are necessary to make them
safe repositories of POLITICAL power.
They would inevitably be the victims
of demagogues, who for selfish pur-
poses, would mislead them, tO he seri-
GUS injury Of the pubic.
The great want uf the South is peace.
The people earl.t silly desire tranquility
and the restoration of the Union. They
deprecate disorder and excitement as
the most serious obstacle To their pros
perltY. They ask u restoration of their
fights under The COns5 tuition. If theY
desire relief from oppressive misrUle,
above all, they would appeal ts their
cOuntrymen for the re-esta bI is hment
in the Southern States of that which
has been just Y egarded as che birth
right of every A merican, the right of
setf-gOvernment. Establ ssh that on Il
fruI basis, and we can safely promise
on behalf of the S IutheCn people, that
they will obey the Constitution and
laws of the United States, treat the ne
gro with kindness and humanity, and
fulfill every duty incum bent on peace
full citizens loyal to the Constitution of
their country.
We believe the above contains a sue
cinct reply to the general Jopics en-
braced in your letter, and we venture
to say on hehalf OF the Southern peo-
pie, and of The officers and soldiers of
the late Confederate army, that they
will concur in all the sentiments which
we have expressed.
Approaching the patriotic motives
which have prompted your letter, ana
reciprOcating your expressions OF kind
regards, we have the honor to be,
/ Very respectfully and truly,
r. w. Perkins, s. G r. E. Lee, Va.
10 I'm Letcher, Va. P. T. Beauregard,
Alex. II. Stephens, Tex.
Ga. John Echols, Va.
\ And others