Year: 1868

dENERAL II. K. LEE-Full of solici.
! stude for the future of our country,
come with my heart in my hand to Learn
the condition, wishes and intentions O.
the people of the Southern States, espeei
ally to ascertain the sentiments of thos,
brave, energetic and self-sY9rifcing men
whose trusted and below leader yor
have been, who, after Sustaining theil
eontldence for four years, laid down theil


arms and swore allegiance to the Gov
ernment of the United States.


see that interpreting State rights t.
,Ionfict with national unity has produced
/ 4 violent reaction against themp which il
drifting US towards consolidation anC
also that so great country as ours, ever
now is certain to be, must have Stat.
1ssfs 70 .rnments t. attends s. local de


exA M ~ .srs in ten ten


Statc' of our Union, largely increases


the dnger of Capitalization, swells the


uatioial expenditures, dimiSshes our
.produuens and our revenue, inspires
'doubs of our political and financial
stability, depreciates the value of our


national bonds and currency, and places


the credit OF the richest below that of


the poorest nation in christendom. We
know that our currency NIst be depre-
ciated SO long as our bondAire below par,
and that therefore the vast business and
commerce of our country must suffer the
terrible evil OF fuctuating standard of
value until we can remedy the evil con-
ditionef things at the South. We also
see other mischief quite possible, if not
probable, to arise, such as from failure
Of thecrops, a local insurreetion and
many other unforeseen contingencies
which may still more deprecate our
credit and currency, provoke discomfort
and disorder among our people, and bring
demagOgical agitation revolution, repu-
diation and a thousand unnamed evils
and villainies on us.


We know that the interests of the
South are for law and order, aud they
must share our fate of good and i'll. |
believe, and every one, [ know, who re-
fleets, believes that if the people of the
Southern States could be at peace, and
their energy and good will heartily ap-
piled 20 repair the waste of war, re-
organize their business, set the freedmen
peaceably prosperous and contentedly at
work, invite capital, enterprise and labor
from elsewhere to come freely among
them, they would soon rebuild their
ruined fortunes, multiply manifold the
value of their lands, establish confidence
in our stability, bring our government
bonds to a premium, our currency TO a
gold standard, and assure for themselves
and the whole nation a most happy and
prosperous future.


Seeing this aud how all Just interests
concur in the work, | ask the officers asd
soldiers who fought for the Union, | ask
every thinking man of the great West
and North, [ ask why it cannot be done?
We are told by those who have control
ed the Government for the last few years,
that the people of the South will not do
it, thatif ever done at all it must be done
by the poor, simple, uneducated landless
freemen and the few whites who, against
the public opinion and sentiment of the
intelligent white people are willing TO at
tempt to lead and make their living off
these ignorant, inexperienced colored
people, mostly men who must be needy
adventurers or without any of those at
tributes on which reliance for good guild
auce or government can be placed. We
are told that this kind of government
must be continued at the South until six
or eight millions of intelligent, energetic
white people give into it or move out of
the country.


Now. l think the Union army thinks,
and the people of the North and West [
dare say believe there must be or there
ought to be shorter or surer way to get
good government for all at the South.
We know that they who organized and
sustained the Southern Confederacy for
four years against gigantic efforts ought
to be able to give peace, law, order, and
protection to the whole people of the
South. They have the interest and the
power to employ, protect, and elevate
the poor freedmen, and restore themselves
and our country to all re blessings of
which / have just spoken. The ques-
ton we want answered is, are they will
ing to do it? | come down to find what
the people of the South think of this,
and to ask you what the officers and SOL
gdiers who served in the Confederate army,
and the leading people who SUSTAINED it,
think of these things?


l come to ask more. | want to ask
you, Yin whose purity and patriotisn1
herelexpress unqualified conf nee,


- pr
emily yconsult, to say what you think Z,


and lso what you are willing to do about


it. lsrant written expression of views


that can be followed by CONCURRENCE OF
sactiou. l want to know if you and the
rTgentlenen who will join in that expires,
sion are willing to pledge the people Of
E the South to chivalrous and magnani,
nous devotion to restoring peace ano


prosperity to our common country. ]


want to carry that pledNe high above the
level of party politics tS the late otficer'


and soldiers of the Union army and the


North and West, and to ask to consider
1t and to take the necessary action, con
fident that it will meet with response
so warm, SO generous and contiding, tha
we shall see its sunshine the rainbow o


peace IN our political sky, now black with
clouds and impending storm.


L Know you are a representative ma


IN reverence and regard for the Union
: the Constitution and the welfare OF tn
: country, and that what you would sa,
t would be indorsed by nine-tehths of tn


whole people of the South; but | shoul'


like to have the signature of all the rep


resentative Southern men here who con
5 cur IN your views, and expressions
their concurrence from the principal otil
I, GERS aud representative men throughou
the South when they can be procured
7 TINS concurrence of opinions and vii
t all tending to peace, order and stability