Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1876-09-02

me sincerity Of the pledges Of Governor
Tilden to execute certain laws is dis
trusted when his supporters justify their
opposition to Governor Hayes on the
ground that his party has enacted these
laws To be consistent they should go
for repeating them if they come into
power. | concur with you in desire
for change i'll the policy of the Ma
tional Government toward the South,
but that can only come from change in
the attitude of tie Southern people to-
ward the administration. You say that
no one in the South is supporting Hayes
but negroes and carpet-baggers. |
would be sorry to think this were so, but
if it were | should still vote for the can
didate Of my choice, and would not let
this class deprive me of it. | suppose
they support Hayes because they think
it is to their interest to do SO. / think
1t would be equally to the interest of all
the Southern people to do the same
thing. But you say that even admit
ting it would be better for them to 40
so, yet, as it is notorious they will not,
that / ought to surrender my individual
convictions to The will of the majority.
| don't think so. 1t is better for some
to 60 right than for all to 60 wrong. If
l think they are going wrong could do
no good by going with them. Ifthey in
sst on breaking their necks Idon't intend
to assist them. Besides, you say that
if Tilden is elected he will be under the
control of the Confederates. If that is
80 then you will have need Of me. But
suppose Hayes is elected, with solid
South against him-what are you going
to do then? You do not see now, but
you will then see the force of my logic.
1t was for these reasons that four years
ago urged the Southern people that if
they really desired peace and reconcile
alton to bury their passions and resent
ments and support the man who was
not ouly the representation of an over
whelming majority of the North, but
was the most powerful, as he had been
the most generous, of our foes. | have
seen no cause to change my opinions or
to regret my course. Many things
have since occurred which no one de-
plores more than l do. But "you can
never say Ibid it." The responsibility
is with those who adopted the fatal pol
icy, Anything to beat Grant In the
conflict they invited Grant to beat
them. Having predicted all sorts of
evils to result from the election of
Grant they have done all in their power
to make their predictions come true.
You speak of the bitter hostility of
the North toward the South. Well,
four years of hard fighting is not calcu-
lated to make men love each other
neither is an everlasting rehearsal OF
the wrongs which each side lmagines it
has suffered going to bring US any near
er to better understanding. Peace
can only come with oblivion OF the past.
l know as well as you what the South
ern people have had to endure, but this
has been the experience of every con-
quered people. The isure of Judea on
the Roman con-veXed and weeping
among her palm trees-was the type
Of those who fought for cause that
failed 1t will always remain so. The
wound OF war time alone can heal, but
many grievances springing from our
administration could long ago have
been corrected by ceasing to oppose the
inevitable. In doing this the Southern