The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-04-28

are not nor a0re teey oeen, E9hteny lOr the con-
tinuance of slavery. The first battle of Bull Run
did away with that idea. Their causes SINCE
for car have been as noble and greater far than
those that urged oar fathers on. Eren should we
allow they were wrong at the beginning of
this contest, cruelty and injustice have made the
wrong become the right, and they stand noao
| (befOre the wonder and admiration of the
world) as a noble band of patriotic heroes.
| Hereafter reading of their deeds, Thermopyle
| will be forgotten.
When | aided in the capture and execution
| of John Brown (who was murderer on our
| western border, and who was fairly tried
| and conrscted, before an impartial Judge and
| jury, of treason, and who, by the way, has
since been made god,) was proud of nv
duty, and that was helping our common coun-
| try to perform an act of justice. But what was
a crime in poor John Brown is now considered
| (by themselves) as the greatest and only virtue
| of the whole republican party. Strange trans
| migration! Vice to become rirtue simply
| because more indulge in it.
l thought then, nor, that the abolition
lists the only traitors in the land. and chat
| the entire party deserved the same fate as poor
| old Brown; not because they wish to abolish
| slavery, but on account of the means they have
ever endeavored to use to effect that abolition.
| If Brown were living doubt whether he HIM
self would set slavery against the Union. Most,
VI mduy III LILO NOIlu w, duu OPENLY curse
| the Union if the South are to return and retain
| a single righ guaranteed to them by every tie
which we once rerere3 as sacred The South
| can make no choice. 1t is either extermina-
ton or slavery for themselves (worse than death)
! to draw from. know my choice.
| have also studied hard to discover upon
| what grounds the right of a State to secede
! has been denied, when our very name, United
| States, and the Declaration of independence,
| both provide for secession. But there is no
| time for words. | write in haste. 1 know
| how foolish shall be deemed for undertaking
| such step as this, where, on one side, have
| many friends and everything to make me
! happy, where my profession alone has gained
me an income more than twenty thousand dol,
lars year, and where my great personal am.
| bition in my profession has such great field
| for labor. On the other hand, the South has
never bestowed upon me one kind word !; q
place now where have no friends except
beneath the sod; q place where / must
either become private soldier or beggar. 10
give up all of the former for the latter, besides
my mother and sisters whom love 90 dearly,
(though they so widely differ from me in opin-
ion), seems insane; but God Is my judge. Hove
justice more than do s. country that disowns
l.; more than fame and wealth; more (Heaven
pardon me if wrong) more than happy home.
l have never been upon battlefield; but oh
my cOuntrymen, could you all but see the real
them Gin erery State, save Virginia), know
You would think like me, and would pray the
Almighty 10 create in the Northern mind
sense of right and justice (even should it possess
no seas )ning of mercy, ard that He would dry
up this sea of blood between US, which is daily
growing wider Alas poor country, is she to
meet her threatened doom? Four years ago l
would have given thousand lives to see her
remain Gas had always known her) powerful
and unbroken. And even now I would hold
my life as naught to see her what she was. Obi
my friends if the fearful scenes of the past four
years had never been enacted, or if what has
been had been but frightful dream. from
which we could now awake, with what over
| flowing hearts could We bless our God and pray
| for his continued favor! How have loved the
| old flg can never now be known. A few years
| since and the entire world could boast of none
| so pure and spotless. But have of late been
seeing and hearing Of the bloody deeds of
| which she has been made the emblem, and
| would shudder to think how changed she had
| grown. Oh. how l have logged to see her
break from the mist OF blood and death that
circles round her folds, spelling her beauty
and furnishing her honor. But no, day by day
| has she been dragged deeper and deeper into
| cruelty and oppression, till now Gin my eyes)
| her once bright red stripes look like 6loodq
! gdshes on the face of Heaven. | look now upon
my early admiration of her glories as dream.
| My love Gas things stand today is for the
| South alone. Nor do l deem it a dishonor in
| attempting to make for her prisoner of this
| man, to whom she owes so much misery. If
| success attend me GO penniless 10 her side
| They say she has found that last ditch !"
| which the North have SO long derided and been
endeavoring to force her in, forgetting they
| are our brothers, and that it is impossible to
| gOad an enemy to madness. Should 1 reach
| her in safety, aud find it true. I will proudly
beg permission to triumph or die In that same
ditch by her side.
| A Confederate doing dut. upon his o.o, respor
si5iti!y. J. WILKES BOOTH.
| THH CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH THB LET
| TER WAS RECEIVED BY Mr.. CLARKE.
From the Philadelphia edger, April 10.
J. Wilkes Booth, the wretched assassin
of President Lincoln, 10 January last left
a letter, in sealed envelope, directed to
himself, at the house of Mr.. ]. 8. Clarke,
his brother-in-law in this city, with the
statement that they contained oil stocks
and bonds. They remained at the house
unopened until after the crime of Friday
night, when Mr.. Clarke opened them and
| handed them over to the United State:
Marshal.
This letter is undated, but it could moi
have been written later than January, an6
was probably written in November. Il
shows that if John Wilkes Booth did MOI
then contemplate killing the President, ht
had at least resolved to aid the rebellion il
some striking and startling way. It is prob
able that he was then bound by an oath t
obey some secret band of conspirators, AMI
his object in addressing the letter to him
self was to ensure secrecy till he bad takel
some step which would give the family req
son for opening it So strong were hi
sympathies for the rebel cause that b
would undoubtedly have joined the rebe
army at the beginning of the war, it it ha,
not been for the firm opposition OF hi
family and the grief Of his mother hi