Year: 1867

Ine rcDel General James Is. Chalmers,
Of Mississippi, who has been in Washing
ton recently, has written letter to Rever.
dy johnson, commenting his course on
the Military Reconstruction law, and Civ
ing his own opinions on the subject. He
says that the terms imposed by the Presi-
dent We're dstasteful, and the severer poll
cy Of Congress still more SO; but the
North appears to be growing more deter
mined every day, and unless the South
checks the movement toward radicalism
by accepting the conditions now offered,
she will fare far worse. He continues:
There must be an end to these troub-
les rs soon Us possible, and the names Of
Southern rebels which are now used be-
fore Northern populace like the red flag
before the Spanish bull-to arouse, In
flame and madden thsm-must be with
drawn. If this ean be done by accepting
the terms now offered by Congress,
and I'm assured it can be, for one am in
favor of it. The terms offered by the Pres
ident were to my mind unconstitutional,
and those offered BY Congress arc still
more 80. We accepted ONO fos p-nsu, asd
| can see no sacrifice of principle in accept
ing the other.


"In great revolutions men never stop
for logic. or consistency. or Constitution,
and it is idle in US to hesitate now upon
any logical or constitutional grounds, or
to expect anything from the fact that the
position Of the radical party of to-day, is
inconsistent with its position during the
war. If the Southern representatives can
once get into Congress they will, if united,
form power that will be sought after, and
they will be able when great questions Of
tariff and governmental science shall d.
vide the East and the West, to hold the
balance of power and to demand favors
for their support.


81 believed firmly in the doctrine of Sc
cession, and believe that we did secede,
and that when We were conquered we were
foreign nation; and l therefore believe
that the United States have right to pre-
scribe new terms if we should make new
alliance with her. Believing this, and
knowing that the President alone cannot
make a treaty Of peace with foreign gov
ernment. never have believed that the
action of the President, in his efforts to
reconstruct the Union was right; but l
gladly supported him, and supported his
plan, because it was more liberal to our
people than the Congressional plan. But
since he cannot carry out has plan, since
adequate protection and may soon be
changed so as to be hostile to US, and
since the Louisiana bill and the confsca-
ton bill are being pressed by the extreme
radicals, with fair prospect of forcing
them on us if the agitation continues, am
for closing the contract with Congress on
the terms which she proposes. 1t is true
that l, and many like me, who have held
positions in the South, will be prescribed,
but we have had our day, and should be
willing to yield persona. ambition for the
public good. But our young men can,
under this bill, come forward and repre-
sent US in the government.


''If we delay until fanaticism has gath
cred strength, and that she is gathering it
is evident from the advance made in six
months on negro suffrage, not only will
we ourselves be excluded, but all who can
not take the ''iron-clad sath'' will be dis
franchised and excluded. That will leave
US to the mercy of the negro and the white
men who lay hid in our swamps while we
fought for our ideas Of constitutional lib
erty. grant that this bill is uncoustitu-
tional; but since secession has been de-
MED US, we have no means of enforcing
our constitutional rights when the majori.
ty is against us. grant that it is illogic-
al; but in times Of great excitement
successful party laughs at logic,
and an excited mob would cruelty Saw
iour and shout over the release Of rob-
ber. grant that the terms Of the bill are
unjust and oppressive to the South !; but
III =
and the same feeling which animated the
breast Of Lee when he submitted to the
modification of surrendering his sword to
save the lives of the men he loved, should
induce every Southern man who was
prominent either in the events that led to
the war or during its continuance, to sac
ri6ce something for the peace of his peo-
pie. Therefore, publicly sanction and
approve your course, at the same time be-
lieving that it will subject me to some
o1.,,,o IS ..