The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-07-21

y eitizeu Of Arkansas has received
the following letter from Hon. john
Quincy Adams
Quincy, Mss, June }, ISL.
Dear oir-I cannot pass over, ST.
lently, 4 letter which gratiles ne az
much Us YOURS, which | received to-
day and yet feel shy of speaking to
you OF any citizen of the subject
States" dislike to earn the rctort,
"Oh, il is very easy to preach; but
suffer as We have, and then tell Ia
how YOU feel, aud we will listen"
do try to take il home to myself and
| do not doubt that, in similar cir
cumstances. | should be to-day an
"unrepentant rebel''-sOre, angry.
beaten and defiant And with me it
would doubtless have been a. it has
been with yOu-that "thc tender
mercics Of reconstruction had been
harder 10 bear than all the horrors Of
invasive war l should have been
CALLED by Iui~ government; robbed
by imported knaVery Of the pittancc
which the war had spared ,cxaspera-
ted by Willtul and persistent misrep-
resentation alld cruelty condemned
to hopeless impotence for the impu-
ted guilt of cowardly crimes alb
bored. ! should, have been cQp-
demncd, too, to hold my personal lib
crlr at the nod of Il mercenary car
pet-bagger OF the Whim of a military
a -atrap. | say that ] fear | should
have been an "irrccOncilablc." In such
case, think should be sulky; but |
know | should be silly if | yielded
TO the feeling. For whence must my
relief come ii my last estate Is not to
become worse than the first: Is
there Il man outside an asylum who
thinks that by such a course the
lost cause" can bc rcgaincd BY
whom, then. Ii by the North be-
lieve me that the experiment of Sc
ccssion has satisfied III that no cause
is worth a civil war; that war Ia,
confirmed, beyond the shadow of 4
turning, the destiny which dCCrecd
that there shall be but one cUnfcder-
atcd people OF the Moth American
Union. No; rGbelliOus ! might be
but weak enough to await the res
direction Uf sece, sion ! do not think
! could be. You and | and your
friends and nciShbors and mine, arc
OF one blood we were once fellow
citizens" and the old time kindness
must lingcr ye.. in spots. Our faith
CrS were "bretlIrrn,' and that must
count for something. The whole
political problem Of the future turns
upon the answer to this question,
shall we live together az friends or
enemies : Now, the whole internal
policy Of the present Administration
SAYS war; reconstruction meant war;
and the ku- lux bill declared war.
This Union is now held together by
force. Certainly, if this is to be per-
manent, it would have been better to
have parted at first. 1.-THE struggle TO
cast out slavery overthrow the Con-
stitution, what chance il there fer a
free government, if the Northis to
rule the South! South Carolina is
to-day the most shameless parody on
Republican institutions since Repub-
lican Rome bcstrodc all the nations
of the ancient world, put the sword
to their tl!rOats. stripped them bare,
and then lacked words TO laud the
LONELINESS of liberty. You cannot be
subject, and we be long free. The
exercise of local self
by the people Of the
States Is the salt which
preserves our whole system. Take
that away and our frame of pnlity
will rapidly rot into despOtism.
Therefore it is that, not D. a partisan,
but wholly as a fcllow-citizen, ]
trust that all the good citizens Of the
seeded States will frankly and hon
estly accept the revolutionary
changes which have been forced up
on the Constitution, and with them
adopt the new relations
of amity and political and civil
equality toward the cmancipated
class which these change involve.
And, therefore, ! am glad when
see the noble spirit of your ,cttC per- !
yadin@ the Southern people a. it /
does, despite the malignity of par
fisan press, while the sterling sense !
of Mr.. Vallandigham has reformed !
The Northcn Democracy. And ii |
matters not what man may be chOs-
en- to lead u, so long as his heart is |
argc enough to hold his whole conn |
Try, HE soul braTe enough to embrace I
| Confederate a> a brother, aud his /
platform wide enough rCi. every ,
American citizen TO stand upon. 10 |
this end something of sacri-
ice j. required Of Us all; much Of
is demanded of the South.
\ on and all hear assure me that
he attempt will be made; and if |
made honestly and in earnest II can,
lot fail. Again thanking YOU for
-Our letter,
] am, very respectfully.
Your obcdicnt servant,
j. q. Adams.
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