The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1866-06-15
Sound Ideas.

The following letter was handed us
by an original 2lster. The writer.
like the majority OF our brave boys,
does not seem inclined to go "back
on his record" Our readers will
find a number OF good points therein
which will repay them for the trouble
OF reading.
OAK X %. FARM, June 8. &C.
DEAR JouS:-I have not heard
from you since we were mustered out
You have not forgotten me, know,
and / presume the cause Of your 81
Ience has been because Of your bust.
ness. But / have been thinking OF
our old times; of the dangers through
which we passed, side by side, while
we were in the old 2lst. The memo.
ry Of those olden times, john, come
over one like the perfume Of q spice
laden gale, or rather like the fra
GRANGE of dead flowers carefully
pressed in our book Of memory me.
mcntoes OF hallowed scenes; and ]
thought, rs / cannot work from the
rain, that would write you; perhaps
I may he so fortunate rs to cheer
you up, if low spirited, or / may pre-.
adventure open correspondence
with you, which may benefit us both,
and cannot fail to please. Do you
have much excitement in political
circles out your way? How we have
been disappointed in Andy Johnson;
YOU know how he "blowcd" before
his election, of treason and traitors.
lie certainly presented tair exteri-
or, and promised well, but he is q
rotten egg, John, rotten egg. The
other day l received some printed
documents from the National John.
son Club" Montgomery Rleir, Psosi.
dent, and Chas. Mason, of Iowa, Sec.
retary.
Now ! did not believe that could
find much sound doctrine in the pa.
pers, but l thought l would read them
over, may be they were right, and i
could derive some benefit from their
perusal. You know it was always
our doctrine in the service, to give
even the Dtr ! q chance, provided he
did not icPihpash. Here is a little
extract that struck me as being rath.
er happy. After adverting to the close
Of the "bloody civil war that threat
cned the ruin of our happy Govern
ment," they go on to speak of the
"magnanilnous feeling that was ex
hibited by both sides "Tbe victors
who were well supplied, gave to the
vanquished whatever was necessary
to their comforts" True enough
We would not see dog starve while
we could get him bone-and both
with a just appreciation oil the noble
courage amt sense of patriotism,
which had animated each army thro'
the four years struggle, justly proud
that they were kindred race, and
the offspring Of the free institution
which had made them heroes. -
There it is, John, we have been la
boring undera total nlisapprehcnsion
Of the facts III the case. You remem.
Der when We fought them, we thought
we were fighting rebels and traitors;
when you had that hole bored through
your leg at Stone River, you know
you said something about the id
vQifo,s; when we heard that they had
hung John Scott of Co. "F," we
thought and expressed ourselves.
that IL was foul deed done by trai.
tors, and when we heard that they
were literally starving our boys who
were captured at Chicamauga, in foul
and loathsome pens, that we would
not put hogs in, yon recoliect We
said they werc,a set OF traitors insti
gated by the devil; and you know
when we heard that they had killed
Walter Burns. of Co. "B," and cut
his throat afterwards, we attributed
the foul deed to traitors. But we
were mistaken all the time. These
men who did all these things, were
patriots-patriots, John, "in whom
there was no guile" That fellow who
shot you in the leg, was a pure pa.
triot, heroically performing his duty,
and you were very wrong in apply
ing such an odious epithct to him as
cd d traitor"-very wrong How
blind we have been during all this
time, 10 think these persoIs traitors,
we have committed all these crimes.
ANDY" though the medium of his
club, says that they were patriots,
and ANDY" knows, "for he is an hon |
orable man. John, how does that go
down? I've been "gagging" on it
for some time but suppose / must
swallow it, for they append proof of
all this. Who do they prove it by?
Why, hy that pure and iucorruptable |
patriot, Alex. ii. Stephens. You
nave heard of him. What has he
been doing for the last four yearsi
Patriotiealiy upholding the govern
ment d olr fathers. In proof OF
this 1 cite you to the N. j. Club ofl