Year: 1868

kindled should have died out in the
magnanimity which great success ought
to inspire-suffer a whole State, full OF
your kindred civilized white inhabitants
mot only those who had opposed the gov.
ernment, but women and children, and
loyal men who had adhered to it), to be
thus delivered over to the horrid rule of
barbarian negroesi Do not compel the
honorable officers and brave men of the
armies of the Republic to hold US down
while such fetters are forged in our
view and In yours, and then ignomini-
ously fastened upon us. We are COM
patriots of Washington, and Henry, and
Jefferson, and Madison, and Marshall,
and the Pinckneys, and Marion, aud
Jackson, and Clay, and Taylor. Are
there no names among these potent
enough to arouse any respect for us in
your legislative halls


1t is said, and by frequent repetition
you are made to believe it true, that the
negroes and self-styled loyalists cannot
have justice done them, and are unsafe
among US, and that We are still in state
of rebellion. The charges are false.
Ever since the war our courts, and
upright judges in them, have admin
istered Justice as impartially as any


where else in the Republic. And to-
ward the negro [who aided the South
as cheerfully while he was in the Con-
federate lines, as he afterwards aided
the Northern armies when and where
they had power) we have been, both
from inclination and interest, humane
nd L.. L.. IL h.
otherwise are those who are seeking to
enslave us by your aid. They arrogate
to themselves the majesty of the Gov
ernment of the United States, and call
our opposition to them in their nefarious
endeayors to subject us to new and
unheard of despOtism, dislOyGIty to the


United States.


When our people surrendered their
arms they did so absolutely, and with
out any purpose Of ever again employ
ing them against the Government.
Upon its requirement, we also emanci-
pated our slaves, and thus reduced our
selves from wealth to poverty. Not
only this, but in every negro we set
free, we placed over us and our families
guard for the Government upon the
fidelity of our allegiance. This, 1t was
supposed, would be the extreme de-
mand Of the conquerors. Yet, although
by reason of our impoverishment and
the terms of the instruments creating
the war debts of the South, it became
impossible that they should ever be
paid-and therefore, the demand that
we should repudiate them was useless
1--WE thought) forany other purpose than
that of humiliating us, that demand
was made. And we submitted not with
out anguish, to the enforced humiliation
of expressly repudiating these debts.
Standing TINS, stripped of arms, stripped
of property stripped even of credit and
honor, and with negroes at our doors t.
strike us down whenever your officers
shall command them to do so, who can
believe that the people of the South
contemplate anything else than submis
sion 10 the United States What high
or evidence, besides this, could be given
Of the universal good faith, and entire
ness and frankness of our surrender,
than the fact that Notwithstanding the
great provocations of intruding pOliti-
cal adventures, not n single guerrilla
band has existed and been kept up
against your authority, since the abdi-
cation of the Confederate authorities,
under whose orders the war was waged.


Continue over ms, if you will do SO,
your own ruls by the sword. Send
down among us honorable and upright
men of your own people, Of the race to
which you and we belong, and ungraci-
Gus, contrary to wise policy and the in
stitutions of the country, and tyrannous
as it will be, no hand will be raised
among us to resist by force their au-
thority. But do not, wo implore you,
abdicate your rule over us, by transfer
ring us to the blighting, brutalizing,
and unnatural dominion of an alien and
inferior race, race which has never ex.
hibited sufficient administrative ability
for the good government of even the
tribes, into which it is broken up in its
native seats; and which in all ages, has
itself furnished slaves for all the other
races of the earth.