New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-03-29
Letter from Hon. John II. REAGAN.

|
The following letter, strictly private one
/ written to a gentleman of this city without any
idea Of publication, has been thought worthy OF
j being printed. Besides being of interest to the
i general reader it affords example of industry
4 in a gentleman who has occupied high public sta
! tionsl that others would do well to initiate:
4 FoRr Houston, NEAR PALESTINE, TEXAS,
+ 81 III cslsss March Is, 1866 II 1 &,
MI Dear FFiend-To-day received your letter
of the Sd inst, and was very glad toshear from
i you and hope to see you in Texas before long.
Oh nv return home l determined that it would
comport most with my. selfrespect, and with what
was due to my friends, for me to avoid all partci-
patton in public affairs, and choose not to engage
inthe prnctfcg of my profession, for the present
at least, and have quietly settled myself down to
farming. / found my farm in bad condition,
though Isam now getting it into good state Of
cultivation, and have improved itmuch since the
freedmen at work; have planted some fruit trees
and shrubbery, and most of my vegetable garden
and Irish potatoes, and bedded out my sweetpota.
toes, and planted thirty-ive acres of corn, and
have asmuch more ready to plant; have sowedl
down twelve or fifteen acres ID small grain, and
shall plant about thirtYefye acres in cotton. II am
orchardist and gardener myself, and when not
engaged at this, or in thae necessary superintend.
ence of the freedmen, i work on the farm con-
stanty with my own hands, and can do as much
work with apparently as little fatigue as any of
them! | make fence, grub, and pile and burn
brush, plow, etc, and am as thoroughly bronzed
as other laborers - ' - sE%a S4&sEs'-- y a-s's
You can hardly imagine the sense of relief and
repose OF mind enjoy in the absence of the cares
and perplexties OF official and public life, or the
great interest take and the enjoyment expe-
rience in my retired and quiet life. And if our,
country was again blessed with constitutional gov
eminent and civil liberty and my loved chief and
fewother dear friends were restoredsto their liberty
and families should feel perfectly contented and
happy. stsls
the people OF Texas, and which met with much
disapproyal here, was perhaps the most important
as it was certainly the most carefully prepared
paper ever addressed to my fellow citizens. 1t
announced simply and plainly the results of the
war and its necessary and logical consequences q
and advised them to a prompt acquieseence in
them as the surest and speediest means Of secur-
their return to condition civil liberty and
1 self government, the admission Of their members
into Congress, and the withdrawal from among
themo the military andthe freedmens bureau
/ 1t was written from a thorough knowledge of the
facts of their situation contains no statement Of
fact but whatis true, deduction but what think
wise. and no argument but whas1 think sound. Ii"
was not accepted and acted on simply because
our people had not seen their country rayaged and
IdesDated as had seen others-because it was not
occupied aud gaTrisoned with standing armies as
other States were and because they did not accept
the fact that they a conquered people. But
they are learning these facts now, and as they do
they appreciate and approve the advice I gave
them. And our convention is doing most of the
things which was condemned for advising them
to do. sezoi N1 m {i9g7l .taz5a Esas9et IA F4
stand as L always did, on simple truth and
irlght and Know my Judgment will ,mee, Jutimat
ssEergtruly, yonr friend, aoaRF ,s75ysQ
Jduy IT. REAGAN