The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-04-07
A Letter from the Rebel Postmaster
General.


From the New Orleans Crescent.
The following letter, a strictsy private
one, written TO gentleman OF tins city
without any idea Of publication, has been
thought worthy of being printed. Besides
being of interest to the general reader, it
affords an example Of industry in a gentle
man who has occupied high public stations,
that others wOnld 10 well to initiate:
'FoRr Houston, NEAR PALESTINE, TExAs, l
March Is, 1866.
"AIY DEAR FRIEND: To day / received
your letter Of the Sd inst, and was very
glad TO hear from you, and hope to see you
in Texas before long.
"On my return home / determined that
it would comport most with my self-respect,
and with what was due to my friends, for
me to avoid all participation in public af
fairs, and l choose not 10 engage in the
practice Of my profession, for the present,
at least, and have quietly settled myself
down 10 farming. / found my farm in bad
| condition, though l am now getting it into
a good state Of cultivation, and have I'M
proved it much since the first Of January.
| | have enc white man and seven freedmen
at work; have planted some fruit trees and
skrubbery, and most of my vegetable gar
den and Irish potatoes, and beddsd out my
| of corn, and have as much more ready 70
plant; have sowed twelve or fifteen acres in
small grain, and shall plant about thirty
| Eve acres in cotton. l am orchardist and
| gardener myself, and when not engaged at
| this, or in the necessary superintendent OF
the freedmen, work on the farm constant
| " with my own hands, and can do as much
work with apparently as little fatigue as
any Of them. l make fence, grub, and pile
and burn brush, plough, ETC., and am as
thoroughly bronzed as other laborers.
aYou can hardly imagine the sense of re-
lief and repose Of mind I enjoy in the alb
senee Of the cares and perplexities of Off
cial and public life, or the great interest
take and the enjoyment l experience in nv
refined and quiet life. And il our country
was again blessed with constitutional gov
eminent and civil liberty, and my loved
chief and q few other dear friends were re-
stored 10 their liberty and families, I should
feel perfectly contented and happy.
oThe letter which l wrote from Fort
Warren TO the people Of Texas, and which
met with much disapproval here. was per-
hans the most important, as il was certain
lv the most carefully prepared paper I ever
addressed to my fellow-citizens. It an
nouneed simply and plainly the results OF
| the war and is necessary and logical conse-
enepees, and advised them 10 prompt ac-
| duiescence in them as the surest and spec
| diest means Of securing their return 10 a
condition Of civil liberty and self govern
ment. the admission Of their members into
| Congress, and the withdrawal from among
! them of the military and the FTeedmens
Huraau. Il was written from q tnoroggh
| knowledge of facts Of their situation, Goa
/ tsius no statement Of fact but what is true,
| no deduction but what think wise, and no
argument but what think sound. It was
moi accepted and acted on simply because
/ our people had not seen their country raw
| ared and desolated as 1 have seen others
1 because it was not occupied and governed
with standing armies as other States were,
and because they did not accept the fact
| nat they we're q conquered people. Bat
they sre lesruiBg these issis nov, and as
/ thsy do they appreciate and approve the
| advice gave them. And our Convention
| Is doing most Of the things which was con-
8emned for advising them 10 do.
~ staad a. slWays did en- SIMPLE truth
and right, and know nay judgment viii
meet ultmste approval.
every truly your friend,
SJoHS II. REAGAS."