The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-06-11
GENERAL L0NGSTREET
REVIEWS THE RECONSTRUCT1ON
ERR AND HIS PART THEREIN.
He Believes the South Would Have ESCAPED
Untold Oppression by Having Accep-
ted the Situation at First.

ted the Situation at First
Gainesville, Ga, June 9.-[Special.l-lt has
frequently been asserted that Generals
Longstreet John 2. Hood, Joe Wheeler,
Harry Hays and some fifteen Otner con-
federatc generals met in New orleans 10
discuss the status of affairs IN Ac3l' anu
the result Of the conference was thsiL IL
was agreed that General James LonGstreet
should lead off in d letter. advising the
southern people to accept the SITUATION
and sustain the reconstruction measures oA
congress as the best solutoa of the penang
problem.
The Rev. DR.. J. B: Hardwicke, of Corpus
Christi, Tex, has heard of this conference,
and having served in Virginia with General
Longstreet, and feeling that his old COM
mander has been unjus1ly abused, lie wrote
to him, and the following is the reply:
Gainesville, Ga, May Is, 1S94.--itev. ).
3. Eardwicke ST., Corpus, ChTlsu lex
My Dear Friend and Comrade: Referring
to your favor and inquiries, beg to say
there was no change. ] did not resign from
the United States army because MI Apra-
ham Lincoln was elected president, Dut
served under him several months, as ulu
also Generals Robert E. Lee, Joseph ana
Albert Sidney Johnston and many othef
southern generals.
"As q class the officers in the regular
army, without regard to section, were
union men in sympathy and interest, ana
many had given q lifetime service to IL as
Il nation.
'rThere may have been probably as many
as d dozen abolitonists and half as many
secessi0nists in the service: hut political
matters did not receive serious conSiIera-
ton in connection with official duties or
obligations.
General Grant, General Mcclellan, Cen
eral Meade, General Hancock, and very
many others, who became prominent IN the
union armies, were democrats but when
war between the people became the crucial
test they abandoned politics and, Ter the
time, joined the unionrepublcan party
against the south.
"When the south came under the Su-
preme pressure OF war, the issue or struggle,
with the SoutheTn-born officers in the ola
army was not politics, but the southern
people and their cause.
s"The point was, Shall we bear arms
against them for them"
I'VE had the unquestionable right to ten
der our resignation. and. when accepted.
We were free TO choose our course, put
while holding q commission in the Onltea
States army We We're not.
Il came south and reported at Richmond
about July /, 1881.
after the war the southern states
were put through a form of reconstruction
as ordered by President Andrew Johnson.
Governors and legislators were elected and
installed as state governments, all or nearly
all democratic. These governments were
recognized by congress, but laws were en-
acted comforting the ballot upon the negro,
and the acceptance oil such new laws by
these state governments was made the con-
dition precedent OF their complete restora-
ton Of rehabilitation. simultaneously con-
gress by law declared that in case of re-
lection of the condition that the state
government should be removed and military
or provisional governors substituted Ill the
south to enforce reconstruction under the
late enactmentS. The matter was SUBJ
mitted i'll the early months OF 1861.
"At this juncture one of the leading city
papers, of New Orleans appealed to the con-
federate generals for their advice i'll the
premises, stating the soldiers would give
more dislnterested counsel than the po!ti-
c.ans as to the course the people Should
adopt. My name headed the roll call, and
a urged by this paper l. responded.
."Thc New Orleans Times was the paper
4l7at made the call upon confederate com
nandcrs for their advice as to the recon-
struction measures. After calling for my
advice and receiving it, this aad other pa
rers burnt the bridges between us, called
me desc rter eto. The other generals, who
answered the call, advised reconstruction
but after the storm burst upon me, clam ed
IL cir plan was democratic reconstruction,
which was an after thought, a contr2dic-
y
negro suffrage at all hazards, While the
laws providing for reconstruction had
ceptance ratification Of negro suffrage
for its salient condition precedent and
chief cornerstone My letter OF 1867 was not
political, except in so far as it recommended
accepting the Shellabarger bill as the quick
est solution of our troubles. Doubtless this
bill was puIposely framed to force the
democracy to accept negro suffrage or the
consequent overthrow Of democratic gov
err crs and legislatures in all the southern
states. When Georgia refused it, for IN
stance, Governor Jenkins was driven cut
ana General Ituger installed as provisional
governor or military commander. J. was
to prevent the SubverSiOn of ali civil au-
thCrity and the overthrow Ct our state
governments, and to maintain the statu quo
il friendly hands, that ! thought it wiser
to accept the Shenab&rger bill than to re-
solve everything into chaos. etc There was
no conference between other eX-c0ufcderare
commanders and me about my letter. Aiy
al sWer to The call Of The New Orleans
Times was written without consultation,
nCr did any but one see it until ii was pub
Ish5d, but after the publication and storm
ne denied II: so it seems the mention OF
any other name in connection with it would
not be proper.
ne matter was quite simple, or seemed
SO TO my mind, and may be sumnarily
stated as follows: DO the interests of the
for recognition and acceptance of The laws
OF congress, the full recognition OF their
state governments, the preservation
of state autonomy, or do they
call Tor prompt rejection Of those
laws, the consequent subversion OF
state autonomy by military commanders
and the vigorous enforcement Of these laws
by the bayonet? My judgment was, the
interests OF our people called for peace and
putting behind us all spirit and feeling
and my answer was, in substance, that the
congressional reconstruction measures
should be in sood faith accepted--that negro
suffrage should DE given fair trial, and.
II 1t proved 10 be premature to go to c0i-
gress and ask its repeal or Withdrawal in
due course OF law That was all
But my response opened the food catns
of savage abuse and unprecedented ferocity.
IT was denounced as treason desertj0n
from my people to The enemy, and still il
goes.
Democracy made resistance to negro suf-
fraSe the exclusive issue Of the day 20 be
rejected at all hazards, military satraps