Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-02-22
HON. A. II. H. STUART.

COmpanloDs Wo NAY say, pei IVA - al ou
wiser, of Clay and Webster. and served
in the Cabinet ofPresident Fillmore as
Secretary of the Interior. In Virginia,
since the war, Mr.. Stuart'sinfiuence has
been marked and wholesome. It was
under his counsel chiefly that the State
so soon sought re admission to the Union
on the basis of candid acceptance of the
terms of reconstruction, and at every
subsequent crisis in the struggle for the
reclamation of Virginia's heritage of
prosperity, his voice has been raised in
wise words of warning or encourage
ment, according to the nature of the
case. It is not creditable to the State,
however, that such man has not held
public office in all these fifteen years,
while mediocrity has had its fill of pow
er. Following Is Mr.. Stuart's able con-
tributiOn to our symposium:
STAUNToN, VA, Jan. 4, 1881
To the Editor of The american:
SIR.-About ten days ago / had the
honor to receive q letter from you in
which you say, "There is strong desire
among the better elements of the Repub-
lican party at the North to do away with
that bar to the highest national political
prosperity known as the Solid South >"
You were courteous enough to add, 1--WE
here can conceive of no better way of
arriving at solution of the question
than by obtaining, considering and a.
dcpting, so far as we see it to he possible,
the opinions of the South upon the best
means of removing the bugbear
1.-THE american intends to do what
1 laying before it's Northern readers the
| " IF COr1fhnrr0 me Vuh hnuo I,0aifinn
| and knowledge entitle them to speak,"
! You then submit a series of interroga-
\ tories, answers to which naturally bring
| up for consideration the causes which
have led to the condition of things
which you, in common with the better
element of the Republican party, SO
sincerely regret, and of the means by
which those causes may be removed or
rendered imperative.
am rejoiced to hear of the existence
of such feeling in the Republican par
ty, and will take great pleasure in doing
any thing in my power to contribute to
its p1~owth. I am satisfied that much of
the es. arrangement between the people of
the tw O portions of our country has been
caused by mutual Misunderstanding
and mis-. representations, and that the
most effe, ,tual means ofremoving it is to
diffuse COZ rect information among the
people. I am therefore ready to contri-
butte my mile to this great end.
The subject which you present for
consideration is broad one. I cannot
undertake, in the limits of a letter, to
discuss it in all it's aspects. All I pro-
pose is to pre-, vent few thoughts upon
some promine ut points, which may lead
to better und erstanding OF the proper
relations of the two grand divisions OF
the country.
am one of those who never did be-
lieye that there wis any natural or ne
cessary antagonism; Of interests between
the North and the South. On the con-
trary, I have often, in Congr. ss and else
where, expressed tn opinion that the
very diversities of so ul, clim ate. produc-
tions, occupations and pursuits OF the
people of the North and Sou n. which
were 80 often pointed TO by dem agogues
as constituting eleme uts of dissens1on
and rivalry, ought, when rightly under
stood, to have been reg arded rs tending
to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood
which bound us together, as they direct
ed the industry of the two divisions in
to different channels, aid thereby pre-.
vented rivalry and competition, instead
of creating adverse interests. When the
Northern States were mainly employed
\ in manufactures and comm srce, while
/ the Southern States were almost exciu'
slyely agricultural, how could there be
| any antagonism or rivalry between
them? Each ministered to the wants
of the other; each furnished a marke!
for the productions of the other; each
was, therefore, the ally. and not the en-
emy, of the other. For reasons of this
character, I always rejected the theory
of IAN Irrepressible conflict" between
the North h and South as alike unsound
in statesn 1anship and unpatriotic in pur'
pose and intent.
may add that I have believed fol
many yea. S, a nd still believe, that the
sectional di tfic ulties which eliminated
in the recent .fratricidal war were the
work of selfish demagogues on boeh
sides, whose ma in purpose was to- ad-
vance their own unhallowed aspirations.
/ believe furth er that the al1enatlon
which now exist would long since have
been healed, but for the adrolt manlpu-
lations of corrupt political leaders, who
foment local and sectional jealolNsies
with view to NAL &c them ladders, by
which thew may eli NIB into Office. The
time has now come when the people o.
both sections should take the matter in
hand themselves, III I'd see that these
artificial causes of dji sension, which to
some extent paralyZe the industry, re-
tard the progress and disturb the har--
mony of the country, be speedily and
effectually rooted out
But find that h3v e, almost unc0n-
sciously, wandered fl OI 4 the immediate
subject of your inqui Ty. Returning tc
it. / desire to say tha if any one in the
North is disposed to hink that the CON
flicts and sufferings arising from the
war, its victories and defeats. its cost IN
blood and treasure, an its termination
by final surrender, ha We had anything
to do in creating wh xt is called tht
sSolid South" let him be assured he Ii
in error. These things had 90 agency
in it. They had all bet N calculated ant
weighed in advance; tt ley were knowr
to be the natural and ecegsar.v conse
ouences of war. Whel. the s outheri
people took up arms, tn ey expe, 'ted U
receive as well as to Civ e hard thows
and their manhood forl )ade that tne.
should repine at the con sequences tIn
war, to which they thel nselves had ~
pealed as the arbiter of Il leir dispute; 81 ~
the contrary, believe THAT while DO.
the contending parties were fatigue
and exhausted with the m1gnty cOnHIcC
and glad to have it ended, like two
high-spirited men, who. under the in
fluence of passion, resorS to personal con-
flict, in which both dis play courage aud
manly bearing, each entertains higher
respect for the other than he did before
the first blow was struck SO, when the
war was over each of the great parties
was more profoundly impressed with
the chivalry, constancy and military
prowess of the other than it bad ever
been before. And if the brave men who
fought through the war, men like w; i;
Sherman and Joseph E. Johnston. hao
been allowed to settle the matter, IN Is,
sue-as they proposed to do-the wound
would have healed, as the doctors say,
"by first intention" and not q scar
would have now remained: But, un-
fortunately, the people allowed Willy
politicians-thosew who were "soidlers 10
peace and civilians in war''-those who
had kept out of harms way wnlie tne
battles were raging-to gratliy .heal
malice against the uDresisting sontheih
people by every device which a vihoic-
J tive spirit could suggest. -,