The Oxford intelligencer. (Oxford, Miss.) 1860-18??, 1861-02-20
Hon. J. TnoArsoS, Washington.

& WAsHSGTog, FEnRuARY 4, 1861.
GENr1ENnN Your letter of this date has
iust been read. This voluntary trlbnte Of
your personal regard and testimonial of your
appreciation Of my services as a public Off
Ger is, under all the circumstance, very graf
flying,
In taking charge Of tAc Interior D,pqrt-
ment soon discovered that its chief officer,
who bad the nominal responsibility for every
thing, was almost entirely in the hands Of his
subordnates Cor The preservation Of his good
name. ~.-...-.--. 80.
While this fact Impressed upon me the
necessity OF great caution in selecting the
persons who compose our official association,
yet it was found indispensable Is, inspire
each officer of the Department with due
sense OF his individual responsibility, and
that the reputation to be won Was common
and belonged to all its members. You are
aware how far this pride in the Department
was felt by every one connected with its bu-
siuess N fr A,ttl..tl
The great duty imposed upou an exccatiyc
officer is TO execute Justice and to maintain
truth; to know no difference between the
citizens whose rights are to he affected Nv his
action, and to discard every influence which
the facts will not warrant in his decisions If
the labors of the Department have been ac
cepiahle to the country, YOU know best that
it arises FROM an infexible adhesion to these
maxims in its administration.
The honor of oar success belongs Justly to
you who performed the work Without
your cordial and sincere cooperation all my
efforts would have been vain aud futile.
1t gives me pleasure to bear my testimony
to your filelity and integrity, to yonr eiiicien-
cy and ability. You have had aud still pos
sess Iny mistaken confilcacc. Ii IS true,
and say it with regret, that / have been de
ceiyed ia enc 7iaemorable iHstanee,ia which
YOU sharc Che chasrin and modification I
feel. In parting with you it is source of
official pride that the business of each Bu-
reau has never been in a more satisfactory
condition
During nv eonnexion with the Interior
Department two of its Bureau officers have
been made Cabinet Ministers, and at most
trying and critical period; third was sent
to be the Governor of an important Terrific
ry aud since public questions arising in
these disjointed times forced me 10 sever our
official rc!atiohs n f5uah Buneau officer has
been rendered scat in the Cabinet, and one
of yonr own members IS now acting as INV
successor. This compliment by the Presi-
dent - The persoHNeLu f' tic Department. and
their success in the performance Of their re-
spective duties, was, as | verify believe, most
richly merited. e.n.tlr
What Providence has in stere for ms and
our country know not; leave you to link
my fortune with that Of my State. She
claims Of me at this time an undivided allie
glance, and at any sacrifice she shall have It.
But, wherever Providence shall take me.
whatever. may be my fare in life, shall re
member our common laboFs with pleasBre /:
snail be your friend, snd my PRAYERS shall
be for the prosperity and happiness Of eacli
one of you. With more feeling than am
willing to demonstrate, permit me to bid
each Of Won kind farewell.
You friend and obeslieut servant.
J. THOMPSON.
To Icssrs. MossEs KELLY and Others.