The Van Buren press., 1876-09-26
Prof Summers Letter.

Professor Sumner, OF \ ale College,
! Conn, has addressed a letter to the New
Haven, Palladium. lending republican
paper, giving his reasons in very salts
factory manner, for supporting Governor
Tilden instead OF Governor Hays. We
give that portion of the letter which
strikes us as the most conclusive. 1t
will richly pay for perusal:
"Another point in this canvass which
very deeply interests me is the condition
and future Of the South. The campaign
seems to be turning more and more to
that issue after all, and it seems to be
found that distrust of rebels and the old
war spirit are still SO strong rs to be the
best available campaign capital. If that
is to be SO, then | must take sides against
any further administration Of the affairs
of the South by the North acting through
the general government. have had oc
casion within year to review the whole
history of reconstruction The effect u.
on my mind has been shame and blame
to myself for the share which l. as re-
publican, have had in helping to build
up the worst legislation of the nineteenth
century. Have been shocked to realize
by what successive stages we have built
up here q system of restrictive and eoer.
Give legislation which very few northern
republicans know even in its broadest
features, and can only recognize Ia dis
order, riot, msrule, irresponsible official
tyranny, industrial loss, the results which
have followed everywhere in history from
coerciye legislation enacted by one COM
munity against another. The republican
candidate tor the vice presidency devoted
his letter of acceptance almost exclusive
ly to the southern question. He believes
that the southern states are not civilized
up to the standard of the northern states,
and he wants to bring them up. | agree
with him that they are on a lower grade,
but submit that it is not his business
nor ours to civilzc them by any political
measures Communities do not take
kindly to that kind of schoo ol.mastering,
and | see in such spirit only threat OF
further interference, further coercion,
further resistance, and prolonged trouble
The southern states have on their hand
"A race problem of the first magnitude
They will have all they can do to manage
it, if they are left free under natural and
economic laws. They think. generally,
that black man is not the equal of a
whit, man, which is not an essential ques,
ton in the problem, but the northern
communities, a thousand miles away, in
sist that they shall first change their
minds on that dogmatic point. and pro
ceed to try to coerce their opinions.
think that southern people are unwise
and narrow in very many of their notions,
but the only practical question is how to
deal with erroneous opinions. Can We
ever coerce opinions? Do we not all
rather know that, if We leave unwise men
to pursue their folly, their own expert
ence will teach them, but that, if we at
tempt to impose contrary opinions. We
shall only lead them to elm, to their er
rors as the most sacred faiths |, there
fore, desire now, as regards this political
question, that the South be left to work
out its own social problems under no ar
bitrary political coercion, but simply un
der the constraint of social and econom
ic forces | want the northern opinion.
, kept to their own sphere of action, and
the local selfgovernment left free to ac
, in the South under the plan and intention
, of our Constitution, without which tn,
, Union is impossible, If the Union il
really secured and is to last, it must dc
so under peace between its parts, ant
not under war, either military or politi
, cal | therefore condemn The attempt tt
, revive and use the old war passions, sus
picions dread, or hostility. When it il
done by demagogues perceive in it onl,
their natural and disastrous activity
. When 1t is done by men Of principle
, who have some knowledge of history, o
i constitutional law, aud of the science o
government, | see in ii only Il proof how
hard 1t is to resist the current of party
opinion, and the consistency of politica
, passion AS for dread OF the southern
q influence in the general government,
q would rather trust tomorrow, either OF
pecuniary or political questions to a con
gress;made up entirely Of ex confederates
. than to one made up of such men as tn
southern republican representatives hav
been since reconstruction. The man VIII
+ won more of my respect than any othe
q man in the last congress was Randa
! Gibson, democrat and an ex rebel.
the South has any more such rebel briga
r diers | would like to help get them bac
into politics, especially now that Genel
y al Butler is going down to fight them.