Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1865-08-18
JEFF. THOMPSON HAS A FAMILY
TALK WITH HIS MEN.

had assembled at Jacksonport, Ala, to be
Paroled, few weeks since. the redoutable
hero of the white plume mounted a barrel
and spoke to them after this wise:
Gentlemen, have come here to have lit.
tie talk with you, as this will be the last time
l may ever meet you together. | have come
here to tell you the news. Many of you don't
know yet that Vicksburg has fallen, and many
OF you don't know that Lee or johnson have
surrendered, but tell you it is all true
Many OF the 5000 men | now see around me,
very many of you, have been skulking for the
last three years in the swamps, within a few
miles of your own homes, skulking duty, and
during that time have not seen your children
l see many faces about me, that have not
been seen by mortal man for the last three
years, and what have you been doing all that
time Why, you have been lying in the
swamps until the moss has grown six inches
long on your backs, and such men call them
selves "chivalrous soldiers" A few DAYS
ago Gen. Reynolds sent flag of truce tu my
headquarters, and | sent out to gather up a
respectable force to meet those officers, ana
not one OF you responded; a few days later
when Col. Davis and Capt. Bennett of Gen
Dodge's staff, bore dispatches to me from
that General, again attempted to call about
me enough to make respectable show, and
how many of these brave 5000 men reported
at the call One sore eyed man with green
goggles. But you rally like brave and gal
liant men around Uncle Sans Commissary
stores, and l now come to surrender you, and
nope you Will make better citizens than YOU
have soldiers. Voice from the crowd, Gene
raj, talk to us like gentlemen Now dry up
until get through, and then you can get up
on this barrel and talk. / know there are
some gentlemen here, aud know there are
more sneaking, cowardly dogs who shave
done nothing on nary SIDE" and l am going
to talk to you all.
In the first place l want to tell you !:
The Federal officers who have come here to
parole you and feed you, have acted as gentle
men, in good faith. They have not gone a.
bout peepiag under your coats to see if you
have got pistols they have not spied about
your camps to see if you were secretng your
arms, but they have treated you as gentlemen !;
out tell you that yoa have not acted in good
faith. Those Of you who had arms, with
very few exceptions, have left them at home,
and those who had Government horses failed
TO report them here. Now let me say to you,
one and all, those Of you who have retained
your arms, as soon as you get home, take
them TO the nearest military post and deliver
them up, or burn them, or get rid Of them in
some manner, for as sure as there is a God
In heaven If they are found in your houses.
just SO sure will your houses be burned to
the ground, and nope to God every one of
you who keep good arms OF property of any
Kind In your houses will be hung, and you
will be too.
Now | want yon to 60 home and work
hard and take care of your families, work ear
~ and late and get up at night and see il
your crops are growing. Above all things
avoid political discussions. II any man says
Niger to you, swear that you never knew or
saw one In your life. We have talked about
niggers for forty years and have been out
talked we have fought four years for the
niggers and have been badly whipped, and
now 1t is not "your put" the Yankees have
won the niger, and will do what they please
with him and you have no say in the matter !;
II they want him they will take him, and if
thsy say you must keep him, you must do il
ana no mistake. tell you that you have no
say IN the matter, and you oughtn't to have
any 70 home and stay there don't go any
where bat TO mill be good citizens, and
those OF you who have been good, honest and
brave soldiers have nothing to fear, but
warn those oil you who have been nothing but
sneaking' cowardly jay-hawkers, cutthroats
ana thieves, that just retribution awaits
you. and hope to God that the Federal au-
thorities Will hang you whenever and wher-
ever they lind you, and they will do IL sure.
--.---
The class more Immediately affected by the
new Constitution of Missouri, and now in
great distress about its adoption, are the Sc
cession c!ergymen, who are required to take
an oath that they have neither borne arms or
sympathized with the rebellion. OF course
hundreds Of them cannot do it without pal.
pable perjury, and here is where the shoe
Pinches' They would gladly, a majority of
men, take an oath of allegiance to JEFF Davis,
out as they haven't the opportunity they
must perforce, commit perjury or Quit preach
ing In Missouri. The way OF the transRress-
OF 10 hafo' aud they are now illustrating the
uuth OF that text. There appears to be a
division OF sentiment among their number az
TO what Is the best course to pursue. Their
advocates have set up the cry that the nro-
posed oath 10 unconstitutional, although II il
. part OF the Constitution itself. few ara
willing to abstain from preaching until the
matter Is settled. But how to settle il ia the
question. The new Supreme Court promises
NO relief, as the Judges are claimed to be the
creatures OF arbitrary power. Turn which
way they WAL and there is no promise of re-
dress. The probability is the self-conyioted
preachers will have TO abandon the pulpits.
hsJor-deneral Burnside. since the accep.
lance OF his resignation, has gone into bust
ness IN Rhode Island, where he will continue