Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1867-03-27
: House NV Rens

III LEAR olk- nv GUILT LldouCh W
the SENT Nv the Yoonited States TO the
posishen Nv Postmaster at the COnfedrit y
Roads, witch is in the State Nv Kentucky,
bein somewhat jeopardized by my opera
shens in the pohtikle field doorin the past
two years, l hev the honor to explane
that, notwithstandin the fact that l wuZ q
originel Demokrat, early in the war 1
took up arms FOR the ~preservashen Nv u
beloved Yoonion. The precise date l can
not give, OWN TO the demoralIzed con-
dishen NV my mind at the time, but that
700 kin asserIane for yourselves. 1t wuz
about two weeks after the f st draft. That
l laid down arms gin ez soon ez the reg
iment struck Suthern sile will not, when
the motives witch actooated me are known,
be allowed to weigh agin me. 1t hez bin
sed l Gesertid TO the enemy-so it wuz sed,
NV John Champe, but hisIry subsekently
vindicated him-he went to ketch Arnold.
1 will not stop to reply to my defamers,
but eff it comes out finally that l went for
the purpose Nv satisfyin rebels by okular
demonstrashen that they he'd nothin to
hope for from the Northern Democrats, Nv
whom l wuz q average specimen, wat kin
my enemies say then
L do not deny that l wuz a ardent sup
porter Nv President johnson from the be-
ginnin NV his career 1 wuz filed with q
drafted mans ~magnanimity toward 8 con-
kered foe, and up TO the very day / re-
served my cemmishen 1 favored eonsiiitory
measures. l accompanied him on his-I
will not say disg=aceful, for he is my 500
perior ofieer-tour thro the Northern
States, and slung my hat higher nor any
body else's at his-I will not say drunken
for reasons above acknowledgements,
and aboozed the highly intelligent popu-
laces at Cleveland, Indianapolis, Spring
field, and other pints in a ann which,
now that l think Nv it, wuz trooly shame
full. Also l organized q johnson party in
various parts Nv the Northern States, and
vigorously supported members NV Con-
gress pledged to the policy Nv wich l wuz,
vt the time, a deceived supporter. About
this time l wuz appinted Postmaster, and,
fndin q needed contirmashen, my views
undergrad q Radikle change. Time and
observashen heV taught me that instid Nv
consilashen, coershen is our best holt, and
that now military measures are nessary IN
the South, ontI them rebellyus people
completely acquiesee in the terms imposed
by Congris for restorashen. My present
views on this interestin topic is best de-
fined by the recent speeches nv Hon.
Charles Sumner, the eminent and trooly
great Senator from the enlitened State nv
Massachusetts,, and also by the recent ut
terances NV them lovable Representatives,
Hon. Thadeus Stevens, Nv Pennsylvany,
Hon. d Gen. Benj. F. Butler, nv Massa-
Ghosts, and Hon. jas. NJ. Ashley, "
Ohio, in all Nv whose sentiments, sich ez
they hev now, and also them ez they hev
alluz he'd, ez well ez them witch they may
hereafter hev, l most heartily and entirely
cOncur.
With this explanation, witch 1 hope viii
prove entirely satisfactory, and with the
addishinel asshorence that l am now q
very warm supporter Nv the Congresslon-
al policy, and that when / look back and
see what 1 hev been dom for the past two
years, l so loathe myself that l kin hardly
be restrained from sooisidin, may 1 ask
700 to personally urge my conhrmashen
in the Sennitf
Trooly and Respectfully Yoors,
PETROLEUM Y. Massey.
1 read this epistle to A. johnson, who
wuz pleased to approve it, and also to Ran
dali, who wuz delited with it, and to
Welles, who, after forcing me to read it
twice over, wantid to know if it had any
thing to do with the Navy Department,
and then ret rned to the President with