Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1865-08-12

The following letter from Il. j. W. Bolts
to Mr. 3 ohm R. Woods, is published In the
Richmond papers:
AUBURN, NEAR BRANDY STATION,
August 9TH, 1865.
NV Dear Sir: Your letter Of the 3Oth July,
asking for my Interpretation Of the proclamation
of President johnson Of the 29th of May, 1885,
has been received, and [ avail myself of the
first leisure moment to answer it.
I think it clear that the oath of amnesty and
pardon is, by that proclamation, offered to all
with the exception of the fourteen different
classes of persons enumerated, and from them
the benefits Of the amnesty oath are withheld
until special pardon is obtained, and this
pardon, as [ understand it, when obtained,
only RENTS the penalties that have been incur
red BY those who have endeavored to over,
throw the Government, without conferrlng
any political privileges whatever, which are
controlled In some instances by the enactments
of the United States Congress, and in others
by the provisions of State Constitutions and
State laws las in this State), neither of which
are or can be disturbed by the pardon OF the
President.
In reference to the thirteenth section, which
reads.
s'All persons who have voluntarily partlci
pated in said rebellion, and the estimated value
Of whose property is over twenty thousand
dollars .
This clause seems to be less understood than
any of the exceptions contained in the procla-
nation; and there are very many making ap,
plication for pardon who are not at all embraced
in the exceptions.
Union and loyal men throughout the war,
persons of advanced age, and others who have
had no participation in the rebellion, either
voluntarily or involuntarily, all seem to think
that because their taxable property exceeds
twenty thousand dollars that it is necessarily
liable to con6scation unless pardon is obtained
from the President, and by their numerous
applications are not only unnecessarily lncreas-
ing the labors of the President, Attorney
General, and other officials in Washington. but
are throwing away their own means and time,
and making harvest for the lawyers who are
engaged in that branch OF business.
It's manifest that this thirteenth clause is
susceptible Of no such construction. 10 those
who have not voluntarily participated In the
rebellion this clause has no application what
ever, no matter what amount OF taxable proper
ty they may own; and whether they have
voluntarily participated or not IS matter that
must be best known to themselves TOR there
may be other modes Of voluntary participation
than that of actually bearing arms against the
United States in other words: there were
other means to be employed tor the overthrow
Of the Government than by bearing arms Tor
the worst of the secessionists were generally
those who were the last and the least willing to
take I'D arms These contributed all their
means and energies some by investment IN
Confederate stocks for the purpose OF aiding
the rebellion, others by running the blockade
and other bomb proof occupations, as they
we're called-all for the overthrow OF the Gov,,
ernment fthe United States. All this should
call voluntary participation in the rebellion
But you ask particularly whether detailed
farmers, in my opinion, would come under tne
class of excepted cases; to which | snoulo n
answer, not necessarily: | know myself OF a
number Of cases in which the most loyal men
~ the State became detailed farmers only tor
II the ~ nnrpose Of avoiding military duty in the
fold I : and Of obyiating the necessity for taking
nm MN: arms ms against the United States authorities
and vet detailed farmer might have done
MANY things that Wonld subject him to the
execution therefore [ think each particular
case would have to stand upon its own merits,
as no general or universal rule could De applled:
Every man best knows his own motives, ana
knows whether he did what he could, whether
in one capacity another, to aid the rebellion,
and rpon his own conscience must rest the
necessity for an application for pardon. Ii ne
is conscious ofhaving done nothing voluntarily y
to aid the rebellion, then Should say it would
be quite time enough to ask for a pardon when
steps were taken against him for the contlscatlon
Of bis property and in the meantime to save
his time and money for better purposes than
that of enriching lawyers and paid agents. |
am, respectfully and very truly, yours,
JOHN NJ. Bolts