The New York herald., 1876-08-14
The South and the Canvnss-Letters
from Mr.. Rhett and Colonel MOsby.

Jr., OF South Carolina, and colonel John D.
Mosby of Virginia. These gentlemen are
we'll known for their part in the Southern
Confederacy. Mr.. Rhett represents one of
the oldest families in South Carolina, and
during the war was leader Of the extreme
State rights school. Colonel Mosby was
famous officer under Lee There are no two
men in the South better qualified to speak
for the old Condolences, none whose devo-
ton to the lost cause is less open to ques-
ton. Mr. Rhett informs us that he sup
ports Tilden and Hendricks as the
men who will save the South. Col
onel Mosby says he will support
Hayes and Wheeler for the same reason.
Mr.. Rhett, as q journalist Of experience
would, Of course, present his case with
eloquence and force. We arc surprised,
however, to find in Colonel Mosby, who has
always been known to us cavalryman
and guerilla chief, writer of peculiar
piquancy and power. His letter is an able
political manifesto, and will make o deep
impression on the canvass
We took occasion some time since to say
to Mr. Rhett and his friends in South Caro-
lima that they would act the wise part if
they withdrew from any connection with
present parties; that the attempt to make
the democratic party q means for avenging
their wrongs would be barren, as that party
would never have the power, even if it had
the wish to MD them that their antagonism
toward the republican party had resulted in
series of stringent acts which would not
have been passed except as ''war mea-
sures = TINT by constantly presenting
war issues to the North they kept
alive the republican party long after
it's usefulness had ceased that tho
attempt to supplement personal slavery
by political slavery would never be
permitted SO long rs the Union was con-
trolled by the men who saved the Union;
that while there was nothing but kindness
and fraternity toward the South in the
minds of the republicans of the North this
feeling was answered by ostracism, anger, by
placing every Northern republican who went
South, and every Confederate who became
republican, under the ban of social degrada-
ton; that as ten years support of the demo-
cratic party had brought upon Mr.. Rhett
and his friends the disasters which he him
self 80 eloquently describes his true policy
was to withdraw from politics, deal magnani-
mously with the North, and especially with
the republicans of the North, andby making
their cause national cause obtain from the
nation what they never can obtain from
party. While we ourselves should be quite
content to see Mr.. Tilden in the Presidency
we pointed out to MIR. Rhett and his friends
that their support of Hayes would disarm
republican animosity md be an act of states
manship equalling that of Theirs when,
after giving long life to the throne, he ac-
cepted a republic as the only government
that could save France.
The letter of Mr.. Rhett only convinces US
care to enter into his recital Of misgovern-
ment in South Carolina, except to show that
this is one of the results Of the policy which
he and his friends have pursued since the
end Of the war. Mr.. Rhett attributes this
misgovernment to negro suffrage. No doubt
he is right. But negro suffrage was the work
of Mr.. Rhett's own party. When the war
was over wise republicans like Governor
Andrew Horace Greeley and even Governor
Morton were anxious to have impartial
suffrage, general law that would make
education or property test, and thus rule
out the large mass of ignorant slaves who
were unfit to vote. But the Southern States
as soon as they began the work of recon-
structon, sought to pass laws the eff.ct of
which would have been to remand the
freedmen again to slavery. Mr.. Rhett will
find traces of these laws through the whole
South, in Mississippi more especially. The
effect was to overrule the wishes of the
moderate republicans and compel, among
other evils. universal suffrage.
Law after law arose out of this antago-
nism which would not now exist had diff
ferent policy prevailed. There was no dis
position on the part of any but few ex-
treme republicans. like Sumner, Chase and
Phillips, to force negro suffrage upon the
Southern States. They had seen the effects
of an ignorant suffrage in the North and
they viewed with apprehension m appre-
hension that events have justified the eleva-
ton OF the negroes to citizenship. But what
could they do? The Southern men were re-
solved upon war. They carried the lost
cause from the field to the hustings They
made war upon every measure proposed by
the North. They resisted the military gov
ernorships, although Mr. Rhett will no doubt
say that if the military rule had been con-
tinued for few years until the wounds of
the war had healed it would to-day be better
for the material prosperity of his State. They
resisted the Freedman's Bureau, although
every sensible man must see how necessary
freedmen. They resisted emigration by
treating MS an outlaw every Northern man
who went South and presumed to