Year: 1872

His VIEWS ON THE POLITICAL STU UATIoN--


CONSIDERATION OF THE RECoNsTRUc-


TIoN QUESTION.


p The following letter from Gen. James
Longstreet, giving his views ON political af-
fairs and the question ofreconstruction in the
Southern States, will be read with interest:


New ORLEANS, March %, 1872.
Senator W. p. Kellogg, Washington, d. c.:


DEAR SIR: Your esteemed favor upon the
relative merits of questions that should indu-
ence the voice of the people in the approach
ing canvass, and the leaders who should be
chosen as their representatives, finds me in
poor condition for a very satisfactory reply.
sition in the party, and have been so closely
confined to Louisiana, that fear to attempt
to look beyond its borders in forming opin-
ions or making suggestions.


The great question in this quarter is the
problem of reconstruction, and l am inclined
to think that it is the most important nation
al question. 1t is hardly worth our time, at
this late day, to ask whether the Reconstruc-
tion laws are the wisest that could have been
devised. They are laws and have been suffi-
ciently tested to convince us that their faith
full administration win lead to the results an
ticipated, by those who were instrumental in
their enactment. | think it better, there
fore, to adhere to- the original plan than to
start of upon some other theory, that may
lead us into new difficulties, and possibly to
disastrous confusion.


Our financial affairs are in such favorable
condition, and are so dependent upon COM
Portable reconstruction, that we may assume
the solution of the first problem as deciding
this also.


Our reconstruction is one of the weIghtiest
jobs that was ever saddled upon a Govern
ment: even more difficult than the effort of
| Prussia to reconstruct Elsass and Lorraine
For with the latter it is an affair of lifetime
with us, but four years are allotted to-the
task-unless the people have that patience
and forbearance that are necessary to give to
time its healing and salutary influence. Had
President Lincoln lived, it is probable that he
would have encountered as great difficulties
as President johnson, and with as little sue
cess. Yet l would not like to say that they
| were not as able political statesmen as any of
their day. Upon the advent of the present
Administration, the responsibility of previous
| failure was added to the already momentous
undertaking. 1t is evident that the duty of
the times has been met with a spirit of good
| faith, and has been as successfully met and
discharged as we should expect in so limited
time.


There was time when had serious
doubts OF the possibility of success, but the
law was before us, and we had no course to
except under its mandates. / think that it
has been faithfully executed; so much so,
that in some instances it is said to have been
done with severe justice. ] have said before
that we have reason to hope that we shall
have successful reconstruction. 1 believe
this is due to the firm hand of the present ad-
ministration. Will it not be better, then, TO
forego the exercise of our good privilege of a
quadrennial change of administration, when
we see, and feel, and almost realize that our
future will not be left in doubt?


Then, again, the personal claims of the
| President are very great. All things consid-
cred, am constrained to say that think the
people owe it to themselves and to the Presi-
dent to return him to the office that he has
filed so well, and with such entire good faith.
remain, very respectfully and truly yours,
JAMES LoNGsTREET.