The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-06-24

= thorities to pass through their military
, lines. Then he appointed the commits.
siOners to the Hampton Roads conference
for the same purpose. And afterwards,
in 1865, he authorized Gen. Il. +. Lee
to try to negotiate through Gen. Grant
for the same purpose. | mention these
facts to show that it is mistake to sup
. pose that President Davis neglected any
means in his power TO end the war on hon
orable terms, and mention them because
of the many Misrepresentation which
have been made on this subject. He could
, not have made public all he did in this
respect ut the time without discouraging
; our army and people. And if at any
time he had proposed or consented to I'M
conditional surrender he would have been
in danger of violence at the hands of our
own people. Neither he nor they proposed
or intended to surrender Internationally
unless oyerpowered.
Reconstruction and Restoration.
After the overthrow of the confederate
government and the surrender of the con-
federate armies, the work of the restOra-
ton of federal authority in the southern
states was commenced, while the excite
ments and passions and prejudices of the
war were in full blaze, and were intensi-
fed by the assassination of President Lin
coin, with which it was then unjustly as
sumed the confederate authorities had
some connection, but which was regarded
by them as most unfortunate for the peo-
pie who had adhered to the fortunes of
the cOnfederacy.
Under the state Of feeling which then
existed on both sides, it was hardly to
be expected that Il wise and temperate
policy OF reconstruction would be adopted.
While many of the churches of the north
ern states were resolving and some of
their ministers of the religion of Christ
were preaching Il crusade of hate, pro-
scrlption and revenge against the south
ern people.
The plan adopted for the restoration of
the Union and the pacificaton of the
| southern people was to deprive them of
all political rights, put them under mill
tary rule and suspend the right of the
WIFI OF habeas corpus, so that there could
De no relief or redress for any wrong done
TO citizen, however unlawfully or out
raSeous. Our citizens were subject to
arrest by the military authority without
an affidavit, or formal charge or legal
| warrant, and to detention without know
and to trial by a drumhead courtmartial
| without the intervention of jury.
| large part of the southern states had
| Deen devastated by war; the people had
exhausted their resources in the endeayor
70 maintain their cause, and tens of
| thousands of their bravest and best men
| mad either fallen in battle or died in the
service. Beaten in battle, denied political
rignts ana by the negroes, carpetbaggers
ana scalawags land L mention them in
the order of their responsibility plunder-
ed ana robbed by employees of the treas
ury department and constantly menaced
ny loyal leagues, composed of the elements
above named, their condition seemed TO
De as hopeless as can well be imagined.
II, under the providence of God, the life
oE PRESIDENT Lincoln could have been
spared, so that reconstruction and the
restoration of the Union could have been
brought about under his supervision and
that OF the officers and soldiers who fought
the battles of the Union. believe the
country would have been saved from the
INTRODUCTION OF abnormal military govern
mehts winch are so unfriendly to civil
rights and political liberty, and so contrary
10 the genus OF our government, and that
the people of the southern states would
have been saved from much of the
enormous sacrifices and suffering which
they were compelled to endure during the
period of reconstruction. The dema-
gogues in politics, the unchrstian persecu-
ions by religious bodies, and the theying
treasury officials would not have had SO
wide field for their operations.
The Foregoing Statements Not Pleas
ant, But Necessary.
1t is unpleasant to me to make the fore
going recitals, and the more so because
the purpose for which they are made may
he misunderstood or misrepresented. The
restoration of peace, good government, the
rule of law and of good will between those
W. n -nrnn ntn,tn 81, b
me as it can be to any other citizen. But
the charge has been constantly made since
the war that the cOnfederates were rebels
and traitors, and the effort is all the time
being made to educate the rising generation
into the belief that their fathers and their
mothers were rebels and traitors, and,
therefore, lawless criminals. Without
malice against any of our fellow citizens,
| feel it to be my duty to the memory of our
heroic dead, to their surviving associates,
and to those who are to come after us, to
make the foregoing statements in vindica-
ton of the truths of history and in justif-
cation of the patriotism. the manhood and
love of justice of those who defended the
lost cause and offered their all i'll an effort
| to preserve their constitutional rights
against the aggressions of a hostile ma
jority.
All Now Citizens of Il Common Gov
| eminent
And now that we are again citizens Of
the United States, living under the same
government and constitution and flag, our
| late adversares ought not to desire to de-
grade us in the eyes of posterity, and if
| they would be wise and just they should
not wish to place our people in history in
| the position of being unworthy of the
rights, liberty and character of citizens of
| our great and common country.
And while | have accepted, and do ac-
cept, in good faith, the legitimate results
of the war; and while 1 am, and will be, as
true to my allegiance and duty to our COM
mon government as any other citizen can
! be, | shall insist on my right to tell the
| truths which show that in that great
struggle we were guided and controlled by
a sense of duty and by spirit of patriot
ism which caused us to stake life. liberty
and property in a contest with a greatly SUI
peror power rather than basely surrender
our rights without a struggle.
Offices Could Have Been Had by
| Surrender Of Principles.
1t is fitting and proper at this point that
| shall refer to matter which fifty illus
trates the character Of the southern peo-
| pie. There was never a time during all
1 = C -, ION,