Robert ELee and the Southern Confederacy, 1807-1870 . ng social and political conditions in the August 26, Lee wrote out for Rosecrans the fol-lowing expression of his views: . . Whatever opinions may have prevailed in the past withregard to African slavery or the right of a State to secede from theUnion, we believe we express the almost unanimous judgment of theSouthern people when we declare that they consider that these ques-tions were decided by the war, and that it is their intention, in goodfaith, to abide by that decision. At the close of the war, the South-ern people laid down
Robert ELee and the Southern Confederacy, 1807-1870 . ng social and political conditions in the August 26, Lee wrote out for Rosecrans the fol-lowing expression of his views: . . Whatever opinions may have prevailed in the past withregard to African slavery or the right of a State to secede from theUnion, we believe we express the almost unanimous judgment of theSouthern people when we declare that they consider that these ques-tions were decided by the war, and that it is their intention, in goodfaith, to abide by that decision. At the close of the war, the South-ern people laid down their arms and sought to resume their formerrelations to the government of the United States. Through theirState conventions they abolished slavery and annulled their ordi-nances of secession ; and they returned to their peaceful pursuits witha sincere purpose to fulfil all their duties under the Constitution ofthe United States which they had sworn to support. If their actionin these particulars had been met in a spirit of frankness and cordial-. ROBERT E. LEEAS PRESIDENT OF WASHINGTON COLLEGE, VIRGINIA. 18701 President of Washhigton College. 451 ity, we believe that, ere this, old irritations would have passed away,and the wounds inflicted by the war would have been, in a greatmeasure, healed. As far as we are advised, the people of the Southentertain no unfriendly feeling towards the government of the UnitedStates, but they complain that their rights under the Constitution arcwithheld from them in the administration thereof. The idea that theSouthern people are hostile to the negroes, and would oppress it were in their power to do so, is entirely unfounded. They havegrown up in our midst, and we have been accustomed from child-hood to look upon them with kindness. The change in the relationsof the two races has wrought no change in our feelings towards still constitute an important part of our labouring their labour, the lands of the Sou
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