Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-08-30
MosHY.
WASHINGTON, Aug. l:

our communication lHQulrlnS III IL
,e true; as reported, that l am sup
porting Hayes and Wheeler. 1t is
rue that am cordial and earnest
advocate of the election of that tick
Il, Notwithstanding you say that all
he Southern people, and especially
The Confederate soldiers. are united
in support of the Democratic. hope
however, that in this you are mis-
taken, 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 pur-
pose.
l thought you knew that / ceased
to be Confederate soldier about
eleven years ago, and became citi-
zen of the United States. AS SOL
der I did conscientiously what
thought was my duty; as citizen !
shall do the same thing as far as l
know how.
The ground on which you urge me
to support Tilden and Hendricks is
that they are the candidates of the
Southern people, and, if elected, will
Dc uuoCI tuCAA COutlols LSOWs - 20
because this thing is apparent that the
election Of 7tlden is an inipossi5ility.
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 bane
of their politics. So far from its
being a 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 control
ling element of politics, for any cry
in the South that unites the Confcd-
crates re-echoes through the North,
and rekindles the war-fires. Thus,
every Presidential canvass becomes a
battle between the two sections, and
the South, being the weaker, must be
the losing party. TO insist on keep
ing up this sectional fight may be
very heroic-,so was the charge at
Balaklava--but in my opinion, is just
as reckless and just as unwise.
The reconstruction measures neces-
sarily divided parties in the South on
a color line, for the issue they pre-
sented was the political equality OF
the races. While the South was OPP
posing it the Republican party was
on the side of the negro. But since
the South has accepted it and incor-
porated it in the platform on which
it has mounted its candidate see nc
reason for continuing to divide on an
issue which has become extinct
Having adopted all the principles Of O
party, and sanctioned all its measures
I can see no objection to cottng for Its
candidate. DO you not see, then, that
as long as we keep up the fight on the
old lines, with the same allies and the
same battle cries, the North will bt
suspicious of our good faith, no mat.
ter in what form we protest it! AL
the Republicans propose is to pre-
serve what they have accomplished
the Democrats are pledged not to dis
turb what the Republicans have done
You cannot complain that the SINGER
ity of the pledges of Governor Til
den to execute certain laws is dis
trusted when his supporters fjustif,
their opposition to Governor Haye
on the ground that his party has en-
acted these laws. To be consisten
they should not 60 for repeating
them it they come into power.
| concur with you in desire for
change in the policy of the nationa
government toward the South, bu
that can only come from change il
the attitude of the Southern people
toward the administration. You say
that no one in the South is supporting
Hayes but negroes and carpet-bag
gers. / would be sorry to think thi
were SO, but if it were ] should still
vote for the candidate of my choic'
and would not let this class deprive
me of it. suppose they supper
Hayes because they think it is tt
their interest to do so. think j
would be equally to the interest of al
the Southern people to do the SAM
thing. But you say that even admit
ting it would be better for them t,
do SO, yet, as it is notorious they will
; not, that / ought to surrender my in
dividual convictions to the will O
the majority. l don't think so. 1t i
better for some to 90 right than fol-
all to 60 wrong. If think they al,
going wrong / could do no good b,
going with them. If they insist OF
breaking their necks ! don't intent
to assist them. Besides, you may sa,
that if Tilden is elected he will b
under the control of the Confeder
ates.
!. If that is so, then you will have N,
need of me. But suppose Hayes i
elected, with solid South agains
him-what are you going to do then
, You do not see now, but you will
, then see the force of my logic. l
was for these reasons that tour year
ago l urged the Southern people tina
if they really desired peace and re
, Cancellation, to bury their passion
and resentments and support tn
, man who was not only the represen
+ tation of an overwhelming ma
, jority of the North, but was the mos
, powerful, as he had been the mos
generous. of our foes. / have seel
no cause to change my opinions or t
regret my course. Many things hav
: since occurred which no one dcplore
. more than l do. But ''you can neve
say did it," The responsibility
! with those who adopted the fata
policy, "Anything to beat Grant"
: the conflict they invited Grant to bes
them. Having predicted all sorts G
: evils to result from the election G
o Grant, they have done all in thei
;. power to make their predictions com
4 true. @a
You speak Of the bitter hostility G
the North to ward the South. Wei
four years of hard fighting is not ca
|, culated to make men love each other
I, = neither is an everlasting rehearsal q
! the wrongs which each side imagine
it has suffered going to bring us an
2 nearer to better understanding
!. Peace can only come with oblivion Q
a the past. / know as well as you wha
a the Southern people have had to en-
/, dure; but this has been the expert
: ence of every conquered people. TIL
figure of Judea on the Roman coin
J, yelled and weeping among her pain
y trces-was the type Of those VIII
. fought fora cause that failed. 1t vii
:, always remain so. The wounds q
! : war time alone can heal, but man
y grievances springing from our ad
ministration could long ago hav
been corrected by ceasing to oppos
: the inevitable. In doing this, tn
Southern people have played into tn
: hands of their worst enemies.
e 1t is claimed that the democrat
e have done great good by their invei
n LEGATIONS. This may be so, and yet
e no proof Of capacity for the admins
4 tration of affairs. The act Of the d.
y tective may be very necessary an
I useful in the economy of government
!. but has never been considered o.
4 element Of craftsmanship. I kno,
Q very well the measure of denuncia
l ton which the expression of thes
9 receive from the people in who's
] cause / shed my blood and sacrifice
y the prime Of my life. Be it so,
I wait on time for my vindication. I
b those who now assail me l reply, i
the language of Edmund Burke whe
> charged with deserving his constitu
Q ents in opposing the American wal
II did not obey your instruction.
!, No; conformed to the instruction
Of truth and nature and inaintaine'
+ your interests against your opinions
, am, indeed, to look to y our opinions