Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1861-09-06


view may be taken ofmy own course they
are innocent, In no way responsible legal
ly or morally, and have committed no Of
fence against the laws of the Confederacy
or the State of Tennessee; and ask thai
they be also discharged from custody by
: your Excellency. r .fs,.
Very Respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
THOS. A. X. NELSON.
To which the following answer was re-
turned f:
RICHMOND, Aug %, 1861.
SIR:-I have received your letter of the
18th inst, in which you ask to be dis.
charged from arrest aud prosecution, and
make promise that you will, "as citizen
of Tennessee, submit to her late action,
and religiously abstain from any. further
words or acts of condemnation whatever,
or opposition to her government"
The desire of this government being to
maintain the independence it has asserted
by the united feeling and action Of all its
citizens, it has been its policy not to en-
ter into questions of differences of politi-
cal opinions heretofore existing.
am, therefore, pleased to be spared the
necessity of inquiring whether the accu-
sation against you be well founded or not,
vexatious or not, and to rest content with
your submission as loyal citizen Of your
State, to her recent action in adhering to
this Confederacy and adopting its perma-
nent Constitution by an increased major
ity. l have ordered your discharge and
that of your companions from custody.
am, &c, JEFFERSON DAVIS.
To t. A. r. NELSON, Esq.
Since my return home, am thoroughly
satisfied that my friends would have risked
the action / dreaded and upon the most
mature reflection, am content with my
own course in the premises. But whether
| it was right or wrong, wise or unwise, L
feel bound, as an honorable man, to act up
to the spirit and letter of the obligation |
assumed. shall offer no plea Of dursss;
because neither the Southern Confederacy
nor any other earthly pwer could have
compelled me to make an agreement that
my judgment and conscience did not ap-l
prove in the situation in which was
placed - @
No terms or conditions, ex pressed or
Implied, public or private, attended my
release other than those plainly exptessed
in the two above quoted; but / have
thought it due to our past relations and
the painful solictude many of you have
felt in my behalf, that should thus
briefly address you. ... r. ....
! While | did not promise allegiance or
active support to the Southern Confede-
racy, and will not advise you to assume
any obligations contrary to your convic-
itionssof duty, I-feel perfectly free to, say.
that the failure of the Government of the
United States for four long months Ia sus-
tain us in our position; its apparent ina
Fbility to do 50, since the battle of Manas-
sas, within any reasonable time; the de-
liberate action of our State in the August
election; the assurances of public men
that no test oaths or drafting measures
will be adopted or required; the mutual
hatred which. has grown up between the
antagonists sections of the Union, and
tho recent confscation laws which have
been either adopted or proposed on both
sides, as we'll other causes, have painfully
impressed my own mind with the belief
that, unless some wonderful and improba-
BILE change is effected, our beloved Union
is gone forever, and it is our policy and
duty to submit to result which, however
we may deplore it, seems to be inevitable.
Aware that my advice as we'll as my
motives may be liable to misconstruction
would still most respectfully recommend
to my friends the propriety of abstaining
from all further opposition or resistance
to the Confederate authorities, or the ac-
ton of our own State, and should this be
done, altho' have no authority to speak
for them, | am satisfied that no militia
ry power will be exerted among us, except
such as may be indispensably necessary
to retain military possession of East Ten
nessee. And to those Of our citizens who
} have gone beyond the limits of the State,
either through fear or the purpose of arm
ing themselves to resist course of ao-
ton which is dsavowed in Gen. Folks
} letter, think | can safely say, without
arrogance, that from the course which was
adopted towards me, they would risk
nothing by returning to the State and sub
hitting to result which they have in
} vain endeavored to prevent.
THOS. A. r, NELSON.
Knoxville, Tenn, Aug II, 1861.
FAvoRABLB NEws FROM tbs INDIAN NAuoSs.--W'
l.