New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-08-20
CONFEDERATE REPUBLICAN
LETTER FROM COLONEL MosBY
WHY He SUPPORTS HAYES AND WHEELER

port Tilden:
WARRENroN, Va, August 6, 1876.
MY DEAR SIR have just received your
communication, inguiriDg if it be true, az
reported, that / sm supporting Hayes and
Wheeler. 1t is true that am a cordial and
earnest advocate of the election OF that
ticket, Notwithstanding you say that all the
Southern people, and especially the Con-
federate soldiers, are united in support OF
the Democratic. l hope, however, that in
this you are mistaken, and that many men
in the South of sound conservative and ma
tional sentiments will be found on the other
side; however this may be, it will not divert
me from my purpose.
thought you knew that ceased to be
Confederate soldier about eleven years ago
and became a citizen Of the United States.
AS soldier / did conscientiOusly what l
thought was my duty; as citizen shall
do the same thing as far as know how.
The ground on which you urge me to sup
port Tilden and Hendricks is that they are
the candidates Of the Southern people and,
if elected, will be under their control. Now,
it is because this thing is apparent that the
election of Tilden ia An impOssibility. In
attempting to grasp too much the South
will lose everything.
The sectional unity OF the Southern peo-
pie has been the governing idea and bane
of their politics. So far from it's being q
remedy for any thing it has been the cause
of most Of the evils they have suffered. So
long as it continues the war will be con-
trolling element of politics, for any cry in
the South that unites the COnfederates re-
echoes through the North and rekindles
the war fires there. Thus, every presiden-
tial canvass becomes battle between the
two. sections. and the South being the
weaker must be the losing party. To insist
on keeping up this sectional fight may be
very heroic-sO was the charge at Balakla.
va-but, in my opinion, is inst as reckless
and Just az unwise. The reconstruction
measures necessarily divided parties in
the South on q color line, tor the issue they
presented was the political equality of the
races. While the South was opposing it
the Republican party was on the side of the
negro. But since the South has accepted it
and incorporated it in the platform on
which it has mounted its candidate, see
no reason for continuing to divide on an
issue which has become extinct. Having
adopted all the principles of q party, and
sanctioned all its measures, can see no
objection to voting for its candidate. Do
you not see, then, that as long as we keep
up the tight on the old lines. with the same
allies and the same battle cries, the North
matter in what fOrm1we protest it!
All that the Republicans propose is to
preserve what they have accomplished; the
Democrats are pledged not to disturb what
the Republicans have done. You can not
complain that the sincerity of the pledges
of Governor Tilden to execute certain laws
is distrusted when his supporters justify
their opposition to Governor Hayes on the
ground that his party has enacted these
repeating them if they come into power. l
concur with you in q desire for change in
the policy. of the national government
toward the South, but that can only come
from a change in the attitude of the South
ern people toward the administration.
You say that no one in the South is sup
porting Hayes but negroes and carpet-bsg-
gers. would be sorry to think this were
so, but If it were should still vote for the
candidate Of my choice and would not let
this class deprive me of 1t. l suppose they
support Hayes because they think it is to
their interest to do 60. think it would be
equally to the interest of all the Southern
people to do the same thing. But you say
that even admitting it would be better for
them to do go, yet, as 1t Is notorious they
will not, that l ought to surrender my in
dividual convictions to the will of the ma
jority. l don't think so. 1t is better for
If think they are going wrong / could do
no good by going with them. If they in
sist on breaking their necks, don't intend
| to aseist them. Besides, you say that if
Tilden is elected he will be under the con-
troll of the Confederates. If that is so,
| then You will have no need of me.
But suppose Hayes is elected, with .
solid South against him-whst are you 60
| ing to do thenl You do not see now; but
you will then see the force Of my logicl 1t
was tor these reasons that four years ago l
| urged the Southern people that if they
| really desired peace and reconciliation, to
bury their passions and resentments, and
| support the man who was not only the rep
resentation of an overwhelming majority to
the North, but was the most powerful, as
| he had been the most generous, of our foes.
| have seen no cause to change my opinions
| or to regret my course. Many things have
since occurred which no one deplores more
than do. But You can never say l did
it," The responsibility is with those who
adopted the fatal policy. Anything to
beat Grant" In the conflict they invited
Grant to beat them. Having predicted all
sorts of evils to resuls from the election Of
Grant they have done all in their power to
make their predictions come true.
You speak OF the bitter hostility of the
North toward the South. Well, four years
of hard fighting is not calculated to make
| men love each other; neither is an everlast
ing rehearsal of the wrongs which each side
imagines it has suffered going to bring ue
any nearer to a better understanding
Peace can only come with oblivion of the
past. I know as well az you what the
Southern people have had to endure; but
this has been the experience Of every
conquered people. The figure of Judea
on the Roman coin-vei!ed and weeping
among her palm trees-was the type o.
those who fought for q cause that failed
1t will always remain so. The wound o.
war time alone can heal, but many
grievances spriDging from our administers
ton could long ago have been corrected by
ceasing to oppose the inevitable. In doing
this the Southern people have played into
the hands of their worst enemies. From q
chronic habit Of complaining they toe
often injure a good cause BY mixing uE
Mr.. Lamar, in the very able speech he re
Gently delivered in the House OF Repre-
sentatives, said that what the South
wanted was local sel:-government.
thought the South had it. If it has not
how did he get into Con sress! If Missis
slppi has not local self government, wha
sort of government i 1 it which cOntrol
Mississippi and has ju st elected him to tn
United States Senate!
II you wish to nov, then, the grean,
OF my support * Hayes, it is this< An,
good which the Southern people might de
rive from I'd election Of Tilden woul,
equally res at from their support of Hayes
a Lney c'' vote for Hayes, bat they can
elect J .dden.
n'.s am far from thinking that the ele,
WV of Democrat, even it such thin
We're possible, would 10 an unmixed bles
} ing to the South. Or the contrary, tes
it woesa open Pendora's box of evil
The very remote prospect has already ex
cute3 hopes and expectations that ca
I never be realized. If such thing shoul
| occur as the election of President by Il