The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-02-09

HIS LETTER to IhE REBEL GUINNESS.
The following letter was writ IN ly
Hon. II S. Foote, just before he was
arrested, near Occoquanan:
OK THE BANKS OF rHr PoToMAc. N SIGHT orr
rrr BIRTHPLACE oF WAsHNGToN Pee "A. Is0s. I
Hon THos s Bocock, Speaker Of the House
Of Representatives Of Confederate States
SIR: In an hour or two, if some un.
foreseen impeachment shall not arise to
defeat the execution Of my present de-
sign, / shall cross the majestic river in
the neighborho0d Of which reposes the
ashes of my forefathers for many gen.
erations past and visit the City of
Washington to ascertain whether or
not il is practicable to obtain for the
people of the Confederate States an
early and an honorable peace, after the
most bloody and exhausting strugg Of
arms which has occurred in modern
times, and in all respects the most de
plOrable that has yet found record upon
the page Of history
No human being is responsible for
the movement bat myself, nor shorA 7
have undertaken it, but for the notori-
Gus fact that two executive departments,
at Washington and Richmond, have
relations with each other which render
it almost impossible that regular diplo
matte intercourse could occur between
them, and the additional fact that Il
two Houses of the Confederate Con
gress were altogether unwilling TO do
anything calculated 10 forward the cel-
sation Of hOstilities and the restoration
Of peace and unity between those who,
In my deliberate judgment, should neUer
hare ahl0l0ed themselves 10 hare been dram
info 10ar so unnatural and even fratri,
cidal in It's character so destructive to
the best interests of civ ilization and
Christianity, and which, shall it con-
tinue 10 be prosecuted for four years
more, must inevitably, from the natu-
raj operation Of that war itself, result
In the eztinguishmeDt of civil liberty
IN this hemisphere, and the establish
ment Of two of the most grinding des-
pOtisms that the world has yet known.
Should / succeed in my present un5
dertaking, my country and the cause of
freedom viii be materially benefited.
Should ] fail, discredit, ridicule, and
even contempt will be most surely Wis.,
tied upon me in full measure. Even
many sensible and good men will re-
cognize me az a mere visionary probes
tor, whilst envious, illiberal and malig-
nant, ignoble time servers Of the hour,
and slavish imitators of power, will not
fail to denounce me IN my absence as a /
traitor to the Confederate cause and the
noble State sovereignties by which our
present Government has been called
into existence. For all these | am pre-
pared, and l am alike prepared to be
tried as an alleged traitor to the Gov
eminent Of the United States, should
this undeserYed treatment be awarded
me.
1t can hardly be necessary that /
should here say, that ! visit Washing
ton City neither as a reVealer of secre. .
Of the Confederate Government, nor as
= spy upon the Government of the Uni
ted States. In the success of the en-
terprise in which / have enlisted. l |
have not as much confidence as / should |
desire to have. Two months ago /
should not have doubted the result, but /
alas in those two months events have /
occurred of a nature most alarmiDgly |
to such a mission as ! /
have undertaken. 1t is more than |
probable that / shall be recognized in |
Washington as q criminal offender
1t is not at all impossible. that / may /
die upon the scafold, in which case |
shall expect but little of commiseratiYe /
sympathy in any quarter, but / feel, |
Notwithstanding, that IN passing from /
this mortal stage shall be enabled sin !
cerely TO exclaim IN the language Of /
classic poetry, "Dalcc CT dccor5m est pro /
Uatlig mort
have the honor to ask that you viii /
do me the justice to lay this communi- |
cation before the House over which ]
you preside, In order that the members |
thereof may take such action in the /
premises as they may deem most adj
visable Should it be decided that ex-
pulsion from that body is necessary to |
the maintenance of its corporate dig
nifty Aristides himself did not more
serenly submit 10 the doom oil ostra-
cism, than / shall the punatory SEN
tence OF those with most Of whom /
have been for the last three years leg
islatively associated.
have the honor Is be your obe iie-t
servant,
(Signed) II. S. FOOIE.
p S-Since writing the above, have
concluded 10 resign the seat in the Con-
federate Congress which I now hold,
believing it will be better that | should
fulfill the selfimposed duties which lie
before me in the character of a private
citizen merely, thus yielding an oppor-
tunity to my honored constituents, if
they shall choose to do so, of electing
some other person to perform the func-
tons Of representative in their behalf
possessed of higher capacities for public
service than have been able to display,
and who MAJ prove more successful
than / have been in upholding the
principles OF heightened craftsmanship
and in stemming that rushing tide Of
evils, military aud civil, which now
threatens to involve our people in the
untold horrors OF utter subjugation, or
IN those of merciless and irresponsible
domestic tyranny. ] ask that this res
iguation shall be allowed to take effect
on the Dist day of December, 1864.
(Signed,) H. s. FOoTE