The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-07-18

a Family TaIk' with his Fasa.
mullins.
81 Rhs-tOllOwing very funny but rather
sensible speech was made by the rebel
Gen. JEFF Thompson to his army when he
disbsnded them. We commend it to our
readers, not doubling that their sides win
split with laughter on reading it.
When JEFF. Thompson's men had been
assembled at Jscksonport, Arkansas to be
paroled, a few weeks since, the redoubtable
hero of the white plume mounted q barrel
and spoke to them after the following
fashion. A portion of his address has al
ready appeared, but it will bear repetition {:
GENTLEMEN 81 have come here to have
q little family talk with you, as this will be
the last time 1 may ever meet you together.
1 have come here to tell you the news
Many ofyou don't know that Vieksburg
has fallen, and many Of you don't know
that Lee or johnson have surrendered, but
l tell you it is all true. Many Of the 5000
men l now see around me, very many of
YOU, have been skulking for the last three
years in the swsmps, within q few miles of
your own homes, skulking duty, and during
that time have not seen your own children.
I see many faces about me, that have not
been seen by mortal maj for the last three
years and what have you been doing all
that tims2UsWhy, you have been lying in
the swamps until the moss has grown six
inches long on your backs, and such men
call themselves "chivslrous soldiers" A
few weeks ago General Reynolds sent a flag
of truce to my headquarters, and l sent
out to gather up q respectable force to meet
thoseoficers, and not n of you responded;
a few days later, when Colonel Davis and
Captain Bonnet, of General Dodge's staff,
bore dispatches to me from that General, l
again attempted to call about me enough
OF, you to- make q respectable chow, and
how many of these brave 5000 men re-
ported at the csll2 One sore eyed man
NTH green goggles. But you rally like
brave and gallant men around Uncle
SANS commissary stores, and 1 now come
10 surrender you, and hope you will make
better citizsns than you have soldiers.
'TVoice from the crowd: General, talk to
us ike gentlemen" Now you just dry
up until / get through, and then y,u esn
get up on this barrel and talk. l know
there are some gentlemen here, and l know
there are more DID snesking, cowardly
dogs, who "have never done nothing on
nary side" and 1 sm going to talk to you
all,
In 9he first place, I want to say this to
you: The Federal officers who have come
here to parole and feed you, have acted as
gentlemen, in good faith. They have not
gene about peeping under your coats to see
if you had pistols; they have not spied
about rro7r aapnnu 70 eaa IF mann
'creting your arms, but they have treated
you as gentlemen but 1 tell you that you
have not acted in good faith. Those of
you who hSd arms, with s very few excep-
tions, have left them at home, and those
who had Government horses have 1siled 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, tske 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 house, just 60 sure will
your house be burned to the ground, and l
hope to God every one of you who keep
good arms or property of any kind in your
houses, will be hanged, and you will, too.
q Now l want you to go home and work
hard and take care of your families; work
early and late and get up at night and see
if your crops are growing. Above all
things avoid political discussions. If any
says "nigger" TO you swear that you
never knew or saw one in your life. We
have talked about the niggers for forty
years and have been out-talked; we have
four years for the niggers, and have
been DID badly whipped, and now it is
not HyOur putt the Yankees have won
tho niGGer. and will do what thew please
with him, and you wn1h~--asa in the
matter if they want him They will take
him, and if they say that you must keep
him, you must do it and no mistake. /
tell you that you have no say in the mat
ter, and you Oughtn't to have any. Go
home and stay there. Don't go anywhere
but to mill. Don't go to church, for the
ministers win put knots and mischief in
you heads and get you into trouble. Be
good eitizsna- and than EhoaA &c g~- 49,
have been good, honest and brave soldiers
have nothing to fear, but ] warn those of
you who have been nothing but sneaking,
coWsrdly ~j4whswkers. cut Threats and
tbas q just r~etribution awaits you,
and l hope to God that the Federal sutho-
rites will hang you wherever and whenever
find you, and they will do it sure.
Now, 1 want TO talk to you Missourians.
You are talking about going to your old
home to live again. What did every one Of
you say last fall, when you went into Mis-
souri, and expected to remain there2 Why, 1
that you would make every Union man
iclimb s tree, "snd manythrests of a similar
character. Now, do you think that those
Union men whom you threatened with a
halter q few days ago, if goW got the pow
or, are now going to permit you TO come
and live among them, and have all the
rights and privileges they enjoy? Not
much. Now the tables are turned if you
back there they msy Uake you climb
and l hope they will, for many of
you richly deserve it.
IAbout this time q loud murmuring was
in the crowd, and 8 bystander sug-
yested to the General that they might mob
him HMob hill I don't scare worth a
replied the General.
i want you all to go home and be peace.
able, quiet citizens, and if marauders and
come among, do not take the law
n your own hands, but if you can do it,
lrrest them and deliver them over, with
uch evidence as you can obtain, TO the
commandment ofthe nearest military post;
" this means you will place the RESPONSE
'ilities upon Others, and avoid n~eighbor-
lood qusrrels and strife.
Do not complain if you are not permit
ed to have 8 voice 10 elections and civil
tfsirsIn You have forfeited all such rights,
nd it now becomes you to submit to such
Avs and regulations as the Federal author
ies may deem proper to enact. 1 believe
nd know that they will do the best they
an for you, especially if you show
that you now desire 10 merit
heir confidence by q strict obedience to
be laws where they may reside.
We Rre conquered-subjugsted we
ave no rights, but must accept such priv
eges and tayors as the Government may
fit to bestow upon US.