The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-10-08
LETTER FROM NJ. JEFF THOMPSON. r
THE LESSONS OF THE Wharf.-The ONLY
HOPE OF THE SOUTH.

Gen. JEFF. Thompson has addressed
the following circular letter to those
who we're under his command during
the late war: ...Fi.
BosToN, Mass, Sept. 3, 1867.
GENTLEMEN:-I have received varl-
Gus letters from among you, asking
what | mean by my letter to Mr.. Prem
tice of The Louisville Journal, indors-
ing Gen. Longstreet and what advice
l have to offer you as to your political
course? have delayed answering these
letters, in hopes that Iwonld soon return
to New Orleans; but finding that l
cannot return for several weeks, and
other letters having come that will
brook no delay, have determined to
address you a circular, that [ may no
longer be misrepresented and misunder
stood among those, who were my true
friends in our darkest hours, and with
whom Ihave shared so many hardships
and dangers, successes and defeats
One ofthe letters received contains
the gistlof all, and I will answer it; it
saws: Lonestreet is forever damned
throughout the country which became
the theatre of his immortality, and your
old friends are not reserved in their
anathemas against you. Give me some
argument with which TO defend you,
for am too well acquainted with the
spirit which animated you in our dis
astrous struggle, with your cheerful en-
durance of suffering and your persistent
feality to the last, to believe that you
have abandoned the principles or MEM
ories of the past" ..5-r. .r:..,.
For Gods sake what has Longstreet
done to damn him2 for what am [
mathematical from what do need
defence? The war produced no purer
or drawer men than Gen. James Long
street, and surely from the first to the
last 1 have proved myself to be faithful
and true, and 1 defy any man to point
to one word or sentence in my letter to
Mr.. Prentice that breathes want of
love for our people, or to a fact stated
that cannot be substantiated. l am
aware that some scribblers have assailed
me, but "they belong to the Tray,
Blanch, and Sweetheart order, who
simply obey the instinct of their own
natures, by barking at what they do not
understand" but am 10th to believe
that any tried soldier will doubt an
others honesty, because he may differ
with, him in the plans to accomplish the
general good, and | have an abiding
faith that they will let any comrade have
the privilege to exercise his own iudp-
ment as to the best manner to build
up the country without being anathe.
matised, and who was leader in the
beginning, and a follower at the end, and
who during the whole struggle was
with you at the front, or prisoner of
war, will positively assert and manfully
maintain my right to express my opin-
ions freely upon all subjects affecting
the welfare of the South, to and among
Southerners, without fear or favor from
chimerical theorists or boomb proof pol
iticians.- s..s-,s. a~s.sr,..E a-yfyr
If the war was to defend the South
In the execise Of its belief of the right
to secede, then do not regret the fight,
though | may have to grieve over the
death of this theory. If the war was
to preserve African slavery, then [ do
not regret the struggle, though do,
grieve over the loss of 81 ,0OO, 900, 900
worth of property, and the sad fate that
awaits the poor negro but if we fought
four years simply for the personal tri-
mph of some political partisans, a few
OF whom would still make, us believe
that the country is ruined only because
'hey are excluded from Office, then sin
cerely regret the conflict, and will grieve
anew over the graves of the brave men
VINO fell around me. ...,,.,a .,r. n:
s l must again repeat that " Iadid not 4
nght the United States because Ihqte9 II
Me- United States. I, did not fight the !
fo"aI fUaSh because L hated the North, but |
tbass osnS lor what | conceived to be honor, j
. the 'Siety, and the material interests of ri
southern people, and I am strug. I