Year: 1867




LETTER TO GEN. GRANT ON TIE POLICY Oh
ADMITTING PROMINENT REBEL LEADERS
TO ACTUAL PARTICIPATION IN RECON
sTRUCTION MEASURES.


BD Q'Rs Sd MILITARY DIST,


GEORGIA, ALABAMA AND FLORIDA


ATLANTA, Ca July "a, 1857.


GENERAL IL have the honor TO send inclosed q
newspaper containing speech made in this city by
B. b. Hill, Of this State, late Senator in the Rebel
Congress. This person only few weeks since was
pardoned by the President, and, in common with
almost every pardoned rebel this is the use be
makes of the clemency Of the Government. You
readily from the speech itself the character
Of the man, who is the representative Of q large
class and the hopeessness of any satisfactory re-
construction Of the Southern States while such men
retain influence


Il has been and win continue to be my course 10
permit and encourage the widest latitude Of speech
and Of the press in this district consistent with the
law and the public peace. / do not include among
those who permitted 70 exercise this latitude Of
speech the civil officers Of the provisional State
Governments already prohibited by orders from
using any influence whatever to deter or dissuade
the people from taking an active part in recon-
ftructing their State Governments under the recon-
struction acts. No such advantages as the use Of
the machinery Of the existing State Governments
ought 10 be or win be given to the Anti-reconstruc
ton party. consider it desirable that the Gov
eIhHitub huu pbopie OF inc OuiLeQ states should
thoroughly understand the feelings and purposes of
these leading politicians Of tho South in order that
the country may know the result Of the coming
elections precisely the amount Of influence possessed
by these men, and the kind and extent OF egisla-
tion required to counteract its baleful effects In
my opinion, no reconstruction can be satisfactory
at all reliable as TO future results unless these
men are permitted TO discuss openly and according
TO their nature the issues presented. If they still
retain ind9ence enough with the masses Of the
whites at the South 20 enable them by active efforts
70 defeat reconstructon under the late acts of Con-
gress, Il is better that the country should know it
before than after the readmissien Of the Southern
States into the Union. 1t would not be difficult to
hnd in the violent speeches Of such men, abundant
cause for siencng themi but reconstruction accom-
plished in this manner would be no index Of the
public sentiment and might, and probably would,
result after year or two in relapse Of the people
into The same condition of bondoge TO these leaders
That would lead necessarily TO areproducton Of the
same condition of things which demanded the pass
age Of the reconstruction acts.


Is is better that the battle sbenla he fought ont
zId UpUnfy II the people Of these States have
the common sense and the manhood to Withstand
the influence of The secession party and Of the DO
ltical leaders who have long controlled them, who
have led them into their present desperate condi-
ton, and who seek TO plunge them still deeper into
misfortune and If they prove able and willing to
reconstruct their State Governments upon the only
true principles OF government in defiance of lead



ground for hope that reconstruction viii be salts
factory and permanent. If they cannot Do ems It
may well become question whether roconstruction
any reasonable terms possible so long as these
unrepentsnt and reac.lonary political leaders arc
suffered % remain IN this country. tits better that
the country should know the truth on this subject
nos than run the risk Of learning hereafter that
irreparable mistake has been made in the plan and
execution Of the reconstruction acts.


I need scarcely repeat that reconstruction 10 be
N tho enirit acts of (lonpreeq and be
manent must be The act Of the people themselves
after the fullest and reest discussion. Congress has
done wisely in enabling them to make this hght by
disfranehisng the leading rebels and at llesst ma
king IL impossible for them 70 vote OF hold Office.
II would have been still better 10 enforce their per-
mAnent absence from the country The personal
influence they might Bring TO bear if they were can
didstes themselves is thus greatly weakened, and
they forced 20 discuss issues and not appeal to
personal feeling in their own favor. The people
are thus left freer than they ever were before 10
choose their own candidates and are forced to think
for themselves, as they have not hitherto done


So far from being willing 10 see the dsfranchised
classes relieved from political disability, consider
these disranohising clauses Of the acts TO be among
their wiseet and best considered provisions. If
they do no other good than 10 relieve the people
from the incubus Of the old political leaders they
have accomplished incalculRble service. Il is not
doubted that many worthy ana now legal men who
could be safely trusted are now disfrRnohised by
these clauses Of the military bills; but such result
was unavoidable, and in their cases be easily
remedied II will, no doubt, be wise st an early
day TO relieve by name such Of the disfranohised
persons as have hitherto proved, or shall prove by
their conduct in the of the next six months
that they are worthy Of IT, While il was unavoid-
able that some good men would be dsfranchised by
provisions Of law against classes Of persons, the
remedy IS easy. To undertake the converse of tbis
that is 10 give general amnesty and except indi-
viduals by name-woud certainly result in leaving
large numbers enfranchised who ought not 10 be.
Such improper persons might decide the coming
elections before their unness could be ascertained
and even when 1t would be than difficult 10
remedy the evil. / consider the method set forth
in the reconstruction act by far the wiser course Of
the two, and can hardly understand how any man
familiar with the facts can think otherwise


These disfranchised persons include generally the
whole army Of those who now hold or have h.sAer.
10 held Office With few exceptions, all these per-
sons were active rebels and bitterly opposed 10
reconstruction under the acts of CongTess-opposed,
in fact 20 any reconstructien whatever, except such
as would leave them in precisely the same political
condition as IL there had been no rebellion and no
war Even such reconstruction as this they
would only accept necessity of the situstion,
with the purpose 70 renew In Congress, and perpet-
uate among themselves as nearly ss possible, the
same conditions which existed before the war
With these reactionists dominant in the South, free
dom Of speech and Of the press cannot exist The
Union men, aud even these who we're secessionists
but have advocated reconstruction under the late
Acn OF NuuEress, would ma no peace ana no pro-
lection "a these States. The last condition Of the
freeesnen would be worse than tie first.


need only point TO this speech of Mr.. Hill, his
numerous letters shs letters of Gov Perry OF South
Carolina, of Herschel V. Johnsen. of Georgia and
many ether such men, Tor sufficient evidence that
have not overstated the case Thesa mar are the
representatives Of large and novVe-f,1 element
bent reaction, Gni they have bssr - a. 6sh,s
Of controlling the Southern white. n t.i.;
posite sides Of political question ~. L-ss y
times past divided the Southern whites ~ s.i =.
personal grounds and have thus created ~ s5 se.5
preston elsewhere that among the masses thers IL -.


political question decided instead Of a purely ,


sonAl one. United as they now are against recon
Struction IL is wise 10 ascertain how far their In Ru
ence can prevail with the people The dsfranchi.
sing clauses Of the acts Of Congress put il out of the
power Of these men TO be candidates for Office One
great element Of their strength Is thus DESTROYED
and the people et 70 choose other leaders and vote
for other candidates, have really a freedom which
they never had before, and lnd themselves under a
necessity for thinking which they have not hereto
fore felt. Congress has given them this privilege
and imposed upon them this salutsry necessity Il
remains 10 BE- seen how they will use them III they
can win the battle against their former leaders sitter
an open fight all may be well in the future If
not then not.


do not al al asree in the opinion that there are
not enough competent men IN this district 10 hold
the civil Offices who are not disfranchised I have
think reason 10 know otherwise But even ad-
hitting that it is So Il IS better 10 have an ineom-