The New York herald., 1865-05-20

Letter from Henry 8. Footo to President
Johnson.
MosrasAI, May Is, 1895,

matter which, though In s0m0 OF t8 Aspects personal 70
myself ys Ii others involves considerations Of moment
importance to the whole Of that vast country whose
chief executive magistrate you now are shall be a.
.mp9 %hoS @ Ss
by yourself and By others ~ alike courteous and kind
and Sope no 70 &c . Desiring Dohns
the way Of impunity for alleged political offences n
connection with the deplorable civil contest which
Of my Southern fellow countrymen shall be also
allowed 70 enjoy left the South in January last solely
behind me from tho sesous caamties which have
since come upon them and which then felt could only
be averted by timely efforts TO obtain an early and an
honorable peace Ny oxerions for the attainment Of
this end have been most jealous and untriRg though
thus far must confess, they have resulted only in
6oth Of obloquy and Of hostility among extreme
alike in the North and in the South, and in exposing me-
in addition to large amount of physical discomfort and
Having thus promised, proceed to say that on the
day previous TO my leaving the city OF New York for this
handed to at the headquarters Of General Dix
9 % that :
@ Iss tina s Ss R%Gn ny Mr. Eeo e ss. so
cevns notice he win be arrested with for
and rebellion against the government OF the United
Ss viii report he sS%N f%es viii S ers
Not desiring add In tho least degree to tho present
dsguetude of the country and yet dcemng it not alto
gchcr safe to surrender myself ncontnenty to the
holding It's dark sessions in Washington cty-(such
tribunal, will add, has not been known before in any
country pretending to be free for two hundred ycaI
resolved 10 come within the British domnions where
now am and where all subjected to polti al rsecuton
in other lands yet secured safe asylum from op-
preston elsewhere, so long as they conduct them
selvos with crcumspeciion and proprcty. r
1t is true sir that did ask about ten days ago TO DO
allowed to journey to the faroG Pacific coast where as
made known you, had four children, eight grand
children, only sister and humorous relatives and
friends besides all Of whom are very dear to me- and IN
had tO'h cd
remainder of life, now somewhat protracted in quiet
and repos,, after public which has been pecu
arly marked in all lis stages with turmoil, excitement
and conflict My just and reasonable application for this
purpose has been most decidedly negatved and in Ian
GbcstersoId or PaImsrson would bo expected to en-
poy such OCCASION would seem In the least
degre to comport with the elegant amenities supposed
to prevail in hghbred and refined society. or these
things do not feel inclined to complain II you, sir,
really copsidr me guilty Of treason, I rather
lie, and I have no special right 70 crticiss the
has Thought consistent with his own official dignity to
ue since he is responsible in this regard to yourself and
the country whose manners he Is understood TO
sent and not at all 70 myself in particular could
scarcely reasonably expected to be very deferen
TALLY kindly treated by functionary who has not
hesitated a late memorable occasion to illuminate
Diogckosiic and snubbing kilograms against distn-
guished military oiccrs General Shermanl, who had
just filed the civilized world with his fame as warrior.
statesman and phanthropist, and who had moreover
secured claims 10 the universal admiration and esteem
OF enlightened and vrtuous men everywhere by evinc-
ing that while more uniformly successful even than
Alexander or Napoleon in the winning Of splendid mill
tary victories upon great and rous battle fields, Caesar
himself had never displayed in grander and more i'm
posing manner the high virtues OF clmency and magma
nimty towards subdued andtfalen foe. To be sure,
General Sherman has advantage over all ordinary
men when made the subject Of Mr. sautons hypercriti
cal malevolncc for he claim the consolation which
springs from a knowledge OF The truth that
lie who surpasses or subdues mankind
Must look down tho hate OF those below.
fl,c full evid of IVA
respect OF his counrymen everywhere he has no rea
son to that, in relation TO himself, II will ever be
truly said
Was by mousing owl hawked at and killed.
Our modern Dogcnes who would to have ins
aancd that his precious sunshine had been
less otructed by che intervening form OF the hero or
hundred battles, b. now sukily sneaking back TO his
own tub baled and disconnected, having been taught
this salutary lesson from which IL Is 20 be hoped he will
less profit that is not always safe for upstart
ipsolence TO snarl ut the heels of its superior
will here add that is L., perhaps upon the whole not
little fortunate for that have been received by
the washington authorities my character of q volun
tary and scf-accredted minister OF peace with more
striking indications OF respect and sympathy since, had
been rrac'ousy treated In that quarter should,
whom left behind me in She South last winter of having
sought to personags In power In Washington for
purely sesh purposes, perchansc for the at
tanmcni Of ends yet more unworthy
Let me say TO you, s'r in your high official char
acter that whenever shall ascertain that shall be
cd to return TO the United States and undergo trial,
before jury of tho country, upon any charges which IL
may he deemed proper to prefer against me- shall loso
no Tine in crossing the Canadian border and
confronting ms acCuacrs before one of our acCus
toned tribunals os criminal Justice.
In CORNER aud happier days Mr. President had the
honor of serving with you IN the national Congress- you
being thcn Representative. and Senator. We were
upon intimate terms nor indeed held familiar
intercourse either socially politically which suppose
must rccoxiizo 10 extent my part cir
cumsiance of personal NJ fort | am graiiGcd to
member though, that there the period referred
much smlitudc IN our general political opinions and In
our upon the floor Of Congress We both supported
President Polk administration We both sustained his
Mexican war policy, The famous Monroe doctrine M
ably expounded In Mr.. Folks messages and pre-.
s.nted the stcrncst opposition to what was known
as the wiimot proviso We both warmly ad.
vocacd Mr.. Clay's celebrated compromise mca-
sures Of 1850. When, afterwards, the Kansas
Nebraska bill was brought forward and then again the
Iecompon const tuition BILL though not then in Congress
I opposed them both, on the lroundsuhat they were
likely 90 lead TO renewed sectional agitation. How you
when in 1890 sectional faction In the South, abettcd
and sustain by certain slippery and neutrality-suspicious.
of the North, succeeded in modifying the democratic
Presidential platform, giving thereby TO that platform,
for the trs time In history, aggressive aspect IN
regard TO slavery did not unite with them, believing
and openly predicting that this would be fatal
60 the unity of the democratic partywoud separate the
South most unpropiiousy from natural political allies
bring about the election Of sectional President from tho
North and thus supply 10 the secession lenders of the
South the opportunity for which they had been
30 long sighing, Of withdrawing tho slayehold ng
STATES from the federal nion, nt the hazard-
OF Of the blocdicst wars which has occurred
am panied TO remember, Mr. President, that y2p advo-
Gated the modified democratic platform and both spoke
and voted for Bro- kinrldgc and Lane which did rot
do for the stated did NOT suspect you Of doing
hepe things with view to disunon, and have ncvr 30
charged Whom Mr.. Lincoln ascctancd TO have been
elected TO the Presidency YOU and concurrcd again III
asserting that being elected according to the forms OF
the constitution, that event could hot Justify the WIN,
dtpwal cf the southern States from the Union You dd
not ~ Southern Senator withdraw from Congress, as
others d. aud sure you acted wisely in not doing
80 Vhcn Afterwards the state Of South Carolina, o.
thought most iudiscrcoy, adopted ordinance oi
secession, | openly condemned her cCnduCti YOU dld
lin ssfu .r .nI
ton for tho purpose oi deciding whether They
would scccde 10 mi alton gf Che cxalDDc o South Caro-