The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-10-17
Grue Nortberner.
Paw Paw, MICHIGAN, Oct. II. 1873.

Whlte sulphur springs, among other
things said:
1--WE have heen more cheated than
conquered by the declarations of the
Federal President, Congress, and the
generals, for there never could have
been Z surrender had We anticipated
what followed, and we would to- day
have been free. He still had hope of
the South, because whatever the men
might be, he never yet had seen re-
constructed woman, and while the men
of the day are mightier than the prin-
ciples for which they had struggled, he
yet hoped the children who succeeded
them would grow up to maintain and
perpetuate them, and redeem all that
we had lost"
When Lee was compelled to surren-
der, Davis had already left Lynchburg
on his ignominious flight, which ended
in disguise in female costum,
1t was only last year that all these
brave Confederates shouted for Horace
Greeley for the sake of Office, and af-
ter swallowing that out-and-out Aboli-
zionist there is hope that they will be
equally tractable in the future. "The
South was more cheated and defrauded
than conquered, by the declarations of
the Federal President, Congress and
generals, and there never could have
been surrender, had the COnfederates
anticipated what has since occurred, and
to-day we would have been free
"Cheated and defrauded" are expressive
terms. Lee surrendered because he
was cheated" by Grant, and johnson
was "defrauded" by Sherman out of his
sword. These expressions will sound
well in Southern history, and may
tend to make tia popular textbook in
some sections of the South. But they
are far from complimentary to the skill.
ful generals who led the Confederate
armies or the brave men who fell fight
ing in their shattered ranks. If our
impressions are correct, Lee fought un-
til he could fight no longer. His re-
treat was cnt of, and to continue the
struggle would have been, not sol
diery, but butchery on his part. 1t was
in view of this hopeless condition Of the
rebel army, that Gen. Grant sent the
following note to Gen. Lee on the 18th
of April, 1865, two days before the ac.
tual surrender took place.
GENERAL The result Of the last
week must convince you Of the hopeless.
ness of further resistance on the part of
the Army of Northern Virginia, in this
struggle. feel that it is So and re-
gard it as my duty to shift from myself
the responsibility of any further effusion
of blood; by asking ofyou the surrender
of that portion of the Confederate States
Army, known as the Army of North
ern Virginia"
This is the first effort on the part of
Grant to "cheat and defraud' Lee into
the surrender Of his army. Before Lee
could make up his mind that Grants
view was right, he made one desperate
effort to break through our cavalry that
stood in the line of his retreat This
was on the 9Th, the day Of the surren-
der. The effort failed he last ditch
was reached, and the only alternative
was surrender, or annihilation. Yet the
historical Davis says that the Contcd-
crates were not conquered, but Cheated
and deirauded" into q surrender. IF he
had stood by Lee during that fiery tri-
al, insterd of seeking safety in headlong
fight, he would have thought different
ly. "lf the Confederates anticipated
what has since occurred they would
never have surrendered" says this silly
old revolutionist. If the Confederates
anticipated what followed the firing on
Sumpter, there would have been no
war But they allowed Davis and a
few false prophets to anticipate for them
and the result was bloody devastating
war. Yet this prophet of evil, who has
done greater injury to the South than
any one man, living or dead, has the
afrohtery to stand among the people he
has ruined, and justify the treason he
practiced, and preach its return as one
of the sacred duties of the rising gene.
ration. Instead of following the exam
pie of Lee, who counselled the South
ern people to seek the restoration of
former prosperity through peace and
industry. jeff Davis is going from
place to place, keeping alive the jealous.
les of the war, faning the flames of pas.
sion, and sowing the seeds of another
rebellion among a people who sincerely
desire peace We believe there is
enough good sense in the South to coun-
teract the influence of this bad man.
We can hardly believe that the ap-
plause which greeted him ut White
Sulphur Springs, Virginia, was the
sentiment of the Southern peope If it
was, the work Of reconstruction will be
long delayed, and the best interests of
he.South will suffer accordingly. If
such reasonable speeches as those ut.
tered by JEFF. Davis are to be tolerated
in the South, we may well despair OF
seeing loyalty, the governing clement in