The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-10-19
Ooi. Mosby's Letter,

OOAs mO3Oy y 1ettors
IFrom the New York Herald Of Aug. IL, lsTe.l
Washington, August IL, 1876.
The following letter has been written
by Col. Mosby to n former confederate
comrade in reply to n urging him to
support Tilden:
Warrenton. Va, August 6, 1876.
MI DEAR SIR:-I have just received
your communication inquiring IL II be
true, as reported, that I am supporting
Hayes and Wheeler. 1t is true that l am
a cordial and earnest advocate OF the
election Of that ticket, notwithstanding
you say that all the Southern people.
and especially the confederate soldiers,
are united in support Of the Democratic.
1 hope, however, that In this you are
mistaken, and that many men in the
South, OF sound conservative aud ma
tional sentiments, will be found on the
other side. However this may be, it
will not divert M from my purpose. 1
thought you knew that 1 ceased to be a
Confederate soldier about eleven years
ago, and became q citizen Of tho Uni
ted States. Asa soldier l did conscien-
tiously what / thought to be my duty ;
as a citizen I shall do tho same thing as
far as ! know how. The ground on
which you urge me to support Tilden
& Hendricks is that they are candidates
of the Southern people, and. ii elected,
will be under their control. Now, it is
because this thing is apparent that the
election Of Tilden is an impossibility.
In attempting to grasp too much the
South will lose everything. The Sec
tional unity Of the Southern people has
been the governing idea and bano OF
their politics. So far from its being
the remedy for anything, it has been
the cause of most of the evils they have
suffered. So long as it continues, the
war will be q controlling element o.
politics for any cry in the South that
unites the cuniederates re-echoes
through the North, and rekindles the
war fires there. Thus, every Presiden-
tial canvass becomes a battle between
the two sections, and the South being
the weaker, must be the losing party.
To insist OF keeping up this sectional
fight may DO very heroic so was the
charge at Balaklava-but, in my opin-
ion, is just as reckless and just as un.
wise. The reconstruction measures
necessarily divided parties in the South
on a color line, for the issne they pre-
sented was the political equality Of the
races. While the South was opposing
it the Republican party was on the sid
of the negro. But since the South ha
accepted it, and Incorporated it in thu
platform on which it has mounted it
candidate, I sec no reason tor continu
ing to divide on an issue which has be
come extinct. Having adopted all tn
principles OF a party, and sanctionc'
all its measures, l can see no objection
to voting for its candidate. Do yo
not see, then, that as long as we kee
up the fight on the old lines, with tn
same allies and same battle cries, th
North will be suspicious of u goo
faith no matter in what form we pro
test iI All that the Republicans pro
pose is to preserve what they have az
complished. The Democrats are pledge
not TO disturb what the Republican
have done. You cannot complain thi
the sincerity ofthe pledges OF Governc
Tilden TO execute certain laws Is di
trusted when his supporters justil
their opposition to Governor Hayes O
the ground that his party has enacte
|, these laws. To be consistent, the
should 60 for repeating them If the
come into power. / concur with you
a desire for a change in the policy
7 the national government towards tn
South, but that can only come from
change in the attitude OF the Souther
people towards the administration. Yo
say that no One In the South is SUI
= porting Hayes but negroes and carp
1 baggers. l would be sorry IL this WEI
so; but If 1t were, | should still vote Il
the candidate of my choice. and won
not let this class deprive me of it.
suppose they support Hayes becau
r they think il is to their interest to do S
l think IL would be equally to the int
est of all the Southern people to do Il
same thing. But you say that ever a
O hitting It were better for them to do
n yet. as it isnotorious they will not, tn
= Iought to surrender my individual CO
: yictions to the will of the majority.
don't think SO. 1t is better for some
t 60 right than for all 10 go wrong. i
think they are going wrong / could
:. no good by going with them. IL tn
are bent on breaking their necks,
Il don't intend TO assist them neither c
Is / see what good II would do them 1
A me to break mine. Besides you S
that ifTilden is elected he will be U
q der the control Of the C~onfederates.
that Is SO, then you will have no need
me. But suppose Hayes is elected vi
q solid South against him what are y
q going to do then? You do not
now, but you will then sec the force
n my logic. IL was for these reasc
y that four years ago urged the Southt
= people, u they really desired peace a
u reconciliation. to bury their passic
and resentments, and support the m
who was not only the representative
q. an overwhelming majority Of the Nor
III but was the most powerful, as he
III been the most generous, of our foes.
10 have 0 Q no cause to change my op
Ions. or to regret my course. Ma