The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-05


sake of a cause that transcends In Importance
all the efforts of It's advocates, by as much as
the welfare Of our country transcends all merit
OF its individual citizens, / send you these
letters. drawn forth from young men who are
strangers to me personally by my letters on the
Southern question which you did me the honor
to print some time ago. think your readers
will be struck with them, coming Us they do
from communities so far apart and Of such DIFF
ferent habits Of thought and feeling as those
which prevail In Massachusetts and virginia.
Yours very respectfully,
GEO; 1ioksoR Curtis.
Boston, Aug. 20. 1875.
RESPECTED SIN Though ! know YOU to be a
man In whose convictions the appreciation Of
others has little part, feel that you Will accept.
not NV tns 'nahTs o an , p ~
this morning.
1t was addressed to young man. not myself,
has struck home In me. IL has planted In me AS
conviction, that which before was belief: II has
strengthened my political faith where II was
weak. and for your words feel tina: owe you
an expression OF my appreciation and thankful
ness.
/ am young lawyer In this CITY: for two
months have taken jealous interest In the
present campaign, reading carefully the organs
ent editors, and, before your letter, had given
my heart to the support OF Mr.. 1ilden. NV sup
port was based upon line OF reason which gave
but little place to the point OF your argument,
because, being quite young, ] am free from
those ante-bellum prejudices against the SOUTH
with which your letter Principally deals.
have long looked with pain upon The degra-
dation Of statesmanship, aud have long realized
how surely the good element Of the Republican
party was being wound up and rendered power
less IN the tolls OF monstrous and corrupt par
" Organization.
| have seen in all sections the good poweriess
Tor good, and 1t was because thought virtuous
Republicans were innocently delivering them
selves over to another season OF more complete
helplessness, that entered with spirit the op-
posing marty.
/ admired the manliness with which tho
Southerners In Congress bore the scOrns aud
insults OF schcming partisan opponents was
convinced that Hayes Is not aggrcssively honest
! admired ilden as "A LAWYER and believed In his
purity; i saw the charges against him sue
cessively disproved by honorable testimony
from his political opponents honored the
liberal spirit in the Democratic party, which
Nominated such a man. and afterward leaned
sdUstrongly toward Adams in Massachusetts, ;
all these causes led me TO be earnest In my
speech and action In the contest. l have been
Jealous before. and as my ardor Is generally In
accord with the degree OF my convictions, l
cannot refrain from expressing to you my grati-
tude for the inspiration which your mastery
letter gave me on point which was before in
definite In nav mind.
Whatever my influence In my own town Of
Dedham, II will now be thrown with greater
strength IN favor OF MIR. ltden In the coming
To you that. though | have taken much delight
In literary beauties aud model reasoning. have
never met with political exposition which
made light TO me out of darkness 50 completely
Please accept this expression OF nv thanks
for its benefit 10 me. Yours respectfully.
sMTHrIELD. Va. Aug. ~. 1875.
Ny DEAR SIR: navSust. this moment. read
your lett T OF Aug. Is addressed to your " Dear
Young Friend" published In the New York
World In its issue OF Friday. Aug. % and
the truest. the best, discussion Of the Issues of
the present hour that have ever seen. There
is not posiuon assumed In It. SO far as It CON
Germs tho temper Of the South, that Is not liter
all true. was graduate IN law at the | nj
versity Of Virginia in 1858. when Holcombe
taught the right OF secession. | believed IN IL
a earnestly as man could believe IN any doc
trne. was always averse TO the strife Of par
state. imme diatelyjoined "A volunteer company
Company OF Norfolk. participated In the
very hrsi act Of hostility In my state tthe cap
arms until after the surrender at AppomattoX.
presume. therefore. am pretty far type Of
the hottest Kind OF hottest headed young me n
Of the south, and as such ! say, frankly
and truly, that every statement In your
letter %hsr ,.SsspeSsqs d US us 5srshy true.
were whipped. We hated II, and bitterly, too,
but we knew what the surrender meant. We
accepted 1t with all OF its results, as manly
people ought; we knew that IL was no longer
sensible 10 war against the Government thai IL
could not be done successfully. We Knew that
the negroes were freed, and | do not know the
man VINO would again have them slaves. Our
heads and our hearts taught US generally To
4
now our interest cOmpeis II more than ever. In
| every community where the whites are In the
majority the blacks are treated with as much
kindness IA the iaOoring portion OF any COM
muuIty Is anywhere treated. In tuis county,
| the county OF lsle Of Wight. we have a Den D
| cratic majority OF bJO or 90, and not white
| Republican in II. aud yet here YOU see nothing
| but the very best order and the most amiabls
| feelings. And this IL to be attributed to moth.
ing but the naturally kind feelings Of The whites
| for the blacks aud Of the blacks for the whites
rarely ever meet one Of my former slaves with
Il l.aaFl All call ma nHgF a.
next breath asking, with smiling arapilrty,
II 1 can give him "a coat; "a pair OF
pa99tsi sbo Senerey pau, Gets 81 Tbo A..
application Of this kind that had
al Ter the war WAS by Dawson, who ran away III
1862 Joined the Federal army as soldier
returned as a discharged soldier To Norfolk
took the smallpox. convaesced, and met me
accidentally in the streets OF Norfolk, and with
| the marks Of the disease fresh on him, and the
fever hardly of, with extended hand greeted me
cordially, and applied for aid. ! was gao to see
| Ia the world to whom we could feet unkindiy. Il
| is the negro who ran away and then fought US
and with MS soldier clothes on comes to us lot
ali, anu then, too when we run cnance OF got
! ting tue SIN 'll-pox. But as felt and acted, &c
tens OF thousands OF the seeessionists anc
minute men" dor | was both) feel and act.
| am not one bit better nor klnder-hearted tnat
| the generality OF our people. Everybody cOulC
| give you his individual experience OF TINS kinc
| until any unprejudlced mind was abundan' II
| satisfied Of the truth Of what saw but YOU
| mind Is not prejuuiced; tina; common sense
|
| are so justly celebrated, have enabled you to Sc,
the uu1h ana TO piesent II IN a most cleHr ans
| admire ble IN inner, and rs a late red hot seces
sionist." thank YOU for IL. IL the Republican
| OF the North would cease to array the negr
! against the white man, and therefore the whit
| man against tue negro Uor II you make war ol
| me, | must defend myself, they would III
! astounded at the thorOughness with which tn
South has accepted all the issues OF the war, an'
| at her amldhls disposition toward the negro
The election of lilden me ms peace, reconcllia
ton, and prosperity, and therefore we pray 10
| II. Aud yours Is the truest and noblest appca
that mas yet been IN tde, aud therefore Iron
my heart most cordially commend II. feel -
| If | need not TO YOU offer any apology for tn
letter, aud therefore make none. | can apprt
ciate the hetd and the heat that dictated you
letter To your Young friend, ana YOU thorough
understand the feelings ana the sentiments tina
compel this letter TO you. ] cannot help thnnh
ing you Ton that good word for me, my section
III, people and my county.
With the highest respect and gratitude, an
youIs, sc. " -.
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTs.