Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1875-03-06
Address to the People Of the
Southern States.

1Hc lOllOWiuS duuicsa HdS JueI Uceh
prepared by the democratic members
of the South and Southwest:
To the People of the Southern
Siafes:-You have con6ded to the un-
dersigned in this conjunction of affairs
the delicate and difficult task of guar
ding in the federal Congress your pub
lie interest, your rights and your reputa-
ton. You will, therefore. pardon the
liberty we take of addressing you at a
period so critical upon a matter affec-
ting your destiny and that of your pos
terity. You cannot have failed to OBJ
serve the persistent efforts OF some of
the leaders of the republican party to
revive the animosity of the late war,
which happily are fast giving place to
a spirit of concord and unity in every
section of our common country. 1t is
impossible to predict certainly the eff
feet of these appeals to passion. We
believe that through the honest repre-
sentations of few upright and con-
scientious federal officers and agents
an Independent and able public press,
and of many citizens without regard to
party, the condition of the Southern
States and the real sentiment of the
Southern people are being gradually
made known to our fellow-citizens of
the North. We hope for their favor.
able decision when fully apprised of all
the facts. The great ends Of good gov
ernment will be reached when the peo-
pie of all sections forget that we have
ever been enemies, and come together
again as in early days Of the republic,
emulating each other only in devotion
to the best interest of the whole coun-
try. With this exalted purpose in
view, there is nothing inconsistent
with the honor and manhood of a
brave people to resolve to suffer with
heroic patience, whatever be their pro-
vocations and wrongs, looking through
the fearful present to hopeful future,
and repelling unjust epithets and
pratuitous Insults with dignifed modera-
ton. Let every white man in every
neighborhood in the whole South re-
gard himself as commissioner of the
peace, maintaining the kindliest rela-
tions towards the black man, remem-
bering that the responsibility for the
extreme poverty which we have been
reduced, and the corrupt governments
to which his vote has subjected US,
rests not so much upon them as the
bad men, who, with the assurance OF
federal support, have, by appeals to his
worst passions sought to make him
our enemy. While we labor by all
honest means to convince him of the
truth that our interests and his are iden-
tical, and that both must be preserved
by good government, and that those
who stir up strife between US are the
enemies of both races, let us at the
same time see that he is fully protected
in his guaranteed rights to vote as he
pleases in all elections. Let US contin-
ue to deal with him honestly and fairly,
and let us continue cordially to invite
to our midst those of any political party
who either seek to know the
truth, or to find homes on our soil.
We do not exagera.e when we ad-
monish you of the disheartening fact
that every disturbance, every homicide
of whatever character, by whomsoever
committed, by black or white, republi-
can or democrat, such as are incident
to every community on earth, is per
verted into evidence of a spirit of law
lessness and violence, and purpose to
accomplish political ends. We well
know the gross injustice of such char
ges, which have weighed only where
Ignorance of our true conditions pre-
walls.
Strenuous efforts are now being
made by those who misrepresont you
to induce the passage through Con-
gress of the most dangerous measures
in order to irritate our people, to drive
to despair and to provoke them to VIC
lent outbreaks in order to furnish an
excuse tor applying for military inter
ference.
We express the hope that majority
of the present Congress will not be
found ready to sanction such Iegisla-
ton. If it be accomplished it would
be against the protest not only of demo
Gratis but of the moral worth and states
manship here Of the party in power,
and of such republicans as Bryant,
Everts, Charles Francis Adams and
others, whose patriotism and sense of
Justice are known to the entire country.
We may, however, mistake. The most
extreme, oppressive and unconstitu-
tional measures may be imposed upon
YOU. In such an event we would ap-
peal to the wisdom and patriotism of
iong-sufering people, by every hope of
the future, for continued forbearance
and hopeful reliance upon tie virtue
and sense of justice of the American
people for the ultimate virdication OF
our rights, tho protection of our liber-
ties and safety of our republican form