Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-05-24
MR.. FOOTE'S LETTER.

letter Of the 18th inst, addressed to His Ex
celency, President Johnson, gives q state
ment of his public conduct for the last four
years. His compulsory exit from the United
States is explained as follows
On the day previous to my leaving the ci-
| ty of New York for this place, the follow
| ing communication from Mr.. Staunton was
handed to me at the headquarters of Gen.
| Dix -
Major General JOHN A. DIX =
The President directs that you inform Mr..
Foote that his letter asking leave Of the
Pres ident to go to California has been re-
ceived and the application refused. The
President further directs that you notify
Mr.. Foote that if he does not leave the
| United States within forty EIGHT hours after
receiving this notice, he will be arrested
and dealt with for treason and rebellion
against the government OF the United States.
You will report whether he complies with
| the orders OF the President.
EDWIN M. STANTON.
Not desiring to add in the least degree to
| the present disquietude of the country, and
yet deeming it not altogether safe to sur
render myself incontinently to the mercies
of that extraordinary Star Chamber tribunal
now holding its dark sessions in Washington
city such tribunal, will add, as has not
been known before in any country pretend
| ing to be free for two hundred years. re-
solved to come within the British dominions,
where now am, and where all subjected to
political persecution in other lands are yet
secured a safe asylum from oppression else
where, so long as they may conduct them
selves with circumspection and propriety.
He expresses a willingness to return,
thus:
"Let mo now say to you, sir, in your high
official character, that whenever | shall as
certain that shall be permitted to return to
the United States and undergo trial, before
Jury of the country, upon any charges
which it may be deemed proper to prefer
against me, shall lose no time in once more
crossing the Canadian border, and confront
ing my accusers before some one Of our ac-
customed tribunals of criminal justice"
He recurs to a political reminiscence in
the following language:
"When, in 1860, a sectional faction in the
South, abetted and sustained by certain slip
perry and intriguing politicians Of the North,
succeeded in modifying the democratic
Presidential platform, giving thereby to that
platform, for the first time in our history,
an aggressive aspect in regard to slavery,
did not unite with them, believing and open
Nv predicting that this movement would be
fatal to the unity of the democratic party
| would separate the South most unpropitious-
| ly from her natural political allies, bring
| about the election of O sectional President
from the North, and thus supply to the Sc
cession leaders ofthe South the opportunity,
| for which they had been so long signing, of
withdrawing the slaveholding States from
| the federal Union, at the hazard Of one Of
| the bloodiest wars which has ever occurred.
am panied TO remember, Mr.. President,
| that you advocated the modified democratic
platform, and both spoke and voted for
| Breckenridge and Lane, which did not do
| for the reasons stated. l did not suspect
you of doing these things with view to dis
union, and have never so charged"
After recounting his Jealous efforts to pre-
vent the withdrawal of the Southern States
from the Union, he makes "frank admis-
sion," to wit
| "Had been able at that time to read the
lamented Lincoln's inaugural address by the
| light of subsequent events, never should
| have consented to take up arms in opposi-
tion to the Federal Government. VIII go
| further, and say that, had anticipated sucn
astounding abuses Of power as have been
since perpetrated by the Confederate Gov
ernment, l never should have consented to
assume position of hostility to tine Govern
ment established by our fathers. And when
thus declare for myself, 1 am sure that 1
could make similar declaration in behalf
of nine. .tenths of the people of Tennessee,
and of the South generally"
After Tennessee seeded, he consented,
he says, to occupy seat in the Confederate
Congress as one of her representatives.
His career in this capacity is thus set forth !:
am neither ashamed nor afraid to avow
ali that did and said in Richmond during
the doleful three years that struggled there