Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1867-01-18
Some of our Southern exchanges have be-

Some OF our Southern exchanges have be-
rated Gen. Beauregard at rapid rate on ac-
count of the sentiments imputed to him in a
speech at Canton Miss, to the COMPRESSION
al excursionists to New Orleans, as reported
in the New YorF Herald 1t turns out, from
the subjoined letter Of Gen. Beauregard, clio
tied by the republication Of the speech re-
ported to have been made by him at Canton,
that so far from Objectionable sentiments be-
ing uttered by him, he made no speech at
Canton. This letter will be read with inter
est by all, as expressing the sentiments of one
Of the prominent military leaders in the late
war, who fought for what he believed to be
the constitutional rights of the South, and
surrendered only when every hope of secu
ring them BY separation was lost, and in
yielding gave in his adhesion to the govern
ment Of the United States. to which, and the
laws, he will be as faithful, as he was true to
the cause of the South:
New ORLEANS, Jan. 10, 1867.
WIN. II. G. KING, Esq, Editor Of the Nev
Orleans Times
In your paper this morning you publish an
article from the New York Xerld containing
some remarks relative to the speech am re-
ported to have made at Canton Miss. to the
Congressional eycursionists lately iii this city,
The Herald is in error. | made no speech
at Canton or elsewhere to those cxcursionists;
but converscd with them freely, and openly
told them the South had fought the North SO
desperately because it was defending what it
conceived to be its constitutional rights; that
having appealed however to the arbitration
of arms it yielded to the decision which was
against it that believed the people of the
South were now willing 10 accept the Consti-
tuition as made by the war and understood by
the Supreme Court of the United States. |
said also, in my opinion, questions of scces-s
sion and slavery were forever settled; and SO
far as | was concerned, under no circunstall-
ces would countenance any effort to revive
them; that we must now direct our energies
and our vitality to repairing the damages of
war and restoring to our homes some of those
comforts, and that prosperity which they for
merry enjoyed. In answer t, the questions
of some of the cxcursonists. if thought the
South would accept the Constitutional amend
mcnt, replied that, eschewing politics, and
strictly to private business and the
duties Of my position, had little opportuni
ty, except through newspapers, to ascertain
the public sentiment on the subject; but if
they desired to know my individual opinion,
| would say that the South would not and
should not accept those amendments, even if
presented as finality, for its interest and
manhood forbade it; that we well knew we
are now at the mercy of the North, but that
the South would never do anything whichits
honor could not approve to protect It's inter
est, and believe would remain passive spec
tators Of the struggles for power going ON at
the North, reIyingon the sober second thought
and sense of justice of both parties to protect
Us. added though, at the fall of the Con
federacy instead Of going to a foreign coun
try to swear allegiance to its government,
preferred remaining in my own and swearing
allegiance to what / conceived to be its new
government.
If in conversation with the excursionists |
used the words consolidated government when
speaking of the United States Government,
| meant of course the common Federal Ma
'ional Government, operating under the Con !
stituti' as interpreted by the 81 re Court
Of the United States.
remain, yours, very respectfully,
(Signed) P. G. L. BEAuREoARD,