National Republican., 1880-09-04
ANAPPEIL FRoM GEORGTA.
The Son of an r.. .confedornte Speaks

me son OF an EN-COnieucrate speaks.
To The Editor Of The National Republican:
SIR: Among the thousands of young white
men in the south who will cast their first
ballot for president In November, know of
very few who will vote for Garfield. As ono
of these few, southern born and raised, the
son Of an sx'confederate soldier, since dead,
l have reasons Of my own for being u rcprb-
lcan, and will vote for Garfield. The United
States government soon after the war hastened
to restore to full citizenship all exconf nfcderates
who desired it. This people OF the north knew
that the majority of tho confederate soldiers
were honestly fighting in wrong cause. NY
father after tho war, was convinced
of the great wrong he with others
had attempted in disrupting the union
In order to porpotua,e human slavery
My father, in some degree to atono for the
great wrong he had done his country and in
gratitude for having been treated so gcner-
ously, labored to instil into the hearts of his
boys patriotic feelings and to impress OH
their minds tho duties they owed their
country. In teaching US to be patriotic he
could only teach us that which was diamot.
rically opposed to the sentiments held by our
democratic neghbors, Foi teaching us pat
riOtism our family was ostracisod. Because
lie desired to see his former slaves educa ted
aud elevated he was unsparingy abused. Be.
cause lie acknowledged that lie was wrong iu
fighting TO destroy The union he was accounted
an enemy to his section, and as being a man
without principle. While he continued TO re.
gret tho part he took IN the war, he always held
that his purpose was rs sincere on ono side as
WAS now his repentance. lie admitted that
he was wrong and stood by the admission. /
am glad TO sny that l stand now where he stood
after the war. Senator bon Hill advises the
southern IpDnlg a a N n NIL c.z.
sions TO the north about the principles involved
in ana the cnuses Of the war. / have vet to
be informed Ui any northern man asking for an
unnIauly confession from the south. But what
the north does ask aud ought to insist on, is that
the south shall make manly confessions aud
abide by thsm. We have seen that when an
eN-CCniudcrate accepts and believes IN the
principles for which The union soldiers fought,
the government in tho hands of the Ic.
publican party admits them to equal places of
trust in The management Of the civil airs
and IN tho employ of the nation. As an CX-
ample, look AZ Key, Lonastreet Mosby and
others. Have they made amy unmanly con.
Iessions? Would the people of this country
be willing to trust such important places to
unmanly men2 The southern democrats as.
sented to the national platform Of 1876 for the
purpose OF binding the people Of the north
and getting their votes, which said that tho
late war was gloriousy Terminated in tho de.
feat Ot tile confederate armies. The glariug
Insinccrity Of that assent is proved by tho dc.
nunciations that came from the south upon
EX-Pustmaster' General Key, when he in
New England speech referred to the cOniode.
rate soldiers as "erring brothers,
Young men of tho south, pause ana think
What has been lost by the south by her pro.
scriptive and unprogressiv0 attitude? In spite
OF her superior climate aud wonderful resources
she has been outstripped in wealth By more
rugged aud uninviting sections Had we the
freedom and toleration of the west, we Wuu d
successfully compete with her. Oar orators
might praise tho bravery VI our dead soldiers
Of the conteieracy, aud the north would jolu
IN the praise, bat Is IL nos tim1 TO cease Ur;lis-
ing tho cause for which they LOST their lives?
Let us iisOmo must be democrats try to ger
NJ distinction between democrat and rebel.
We know there are thousands Of men in the
south, particularly so in tho rural districts,
who believe that in tho election Of Hancock
there will be triumph OF the principle, for
which Lee and jackson fought for four
years. In the election OF Hancock there
will come from the south proposition for re.
conciaton on the principles which Wade
Hampton thinks Hancock now represents.
Shall it be on those principles or On tho ones
for which Hancock fought? H. IL. 5.
ATLANTA, GA, August 1850,