The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1869-05-06
Letter from one of Gen. Amess
AppOinfefs
OsrkA, Mss, April Is. 1869.


EdHor Clyion Permit me TO say through
your columns that I have through unseel
/ agencies, been appointed By Gen Amei
/ Probate Judge Of Pike county; an honor
/ that has come to me, entirely unsought anc
unexpected, and which the exigencies Of
/ the public, and the outspoken desire of my
friends, would not allow me TO decline.
The traditions OF the distant and mysteri-
Gus East. Informs Us, that when a citizen
had lived seven years within one city, with
out mingling in strife, without sueing OF
being sued, that he was complimented with
i white Gazelle, made of alabaster If he
I still continued to dwell there, seven other
years, without legal strife, neither sueing
lor being sued; the gilt assumed a larger
proportion, ard he was rewarded with a
Parin Camel; and If fortune still smiled up
on him as formerly, and he dwelt seven
more years, thus completing his full round
of twenty-one years, had lived without
strife, never sued or been sued made his
pilgrimage to Mecca and peace stiI reirned
within his Harem, he was then given a tri-
une honor and made a Cad, or Il dispersal
tor of justice. I'm strange imitation of this
old Eastern custom, | after having dwelt in
peace in this county the full term of twenty
one years, neither sueing nor being sued,
never holding or running Tor office. and
passing by the Intermediate orders OF both
Gazelle and Camel, suddenly. and at once.
find myself metamorphased from plOwman
to a Judge
Ia accepting the ofice,I have done so with
the most trembling difiidence, dltlidcnce
! could in no wise have surmOuuted had |
not met the warmeSt and most cordial en-
enlargement from all the prominent men in
the county. When many expressions of
confidence come in 70 sustaiu, from all
quarters, il seems invIdiOus in me to partic-
ulariZe, but L cannot refrain from mention
ing in this connection the names OF Judge
Lamkin and Hon. >. y. Matthews, whose
warm and earnest solicitations, taken in
connection with host of others induced
me to pursue i course which my own iudg-
ment should have declined.
In coming into the office [ shall endeavor
to keep myself clear from the maclstrous of
politics wholly, except so far rs genuine
reconstruction of the State is concerned
which is now no longer question of policy
but one of stern necessity. / have no polit-
zeal record to embaTraSs me farther than the
one OF simple devotion to this Union, and it
shall ever be my aim to so strive 20 educate
the public mind that 1t may be enabled to
look eyond the fields of Shiloh. and Antic-
tam, and ChickaInauge. and the WILDERNESS.
back TO those of Bunker Hill, and Brandy
wine. of Monmouth, and Saratoga, and try
to arouse that old love for the Nag that an
mated our fathers when old 1oTktoWn's
bloody day WAS done. 1t il the flag that
has made the names ofPala Alto, and BucEa
Vista, and Resaca de la Palma famous in
our history.
II has often been asserted that because a
man loves the whole Union, that lac is I'M
true to his own state. Nothing can be more
absurd. Because / love my old native
Louisiana, it is no reason that ! am faithless
TO Mississippi. ! love every part AZ por-
ton of this widc-sp rcading land and though
by birth one spot is mine, yet dear are all
the rest.
Dear to me this Southern land,
Dear our central mountain band,
Dear New EnglaHd's rocky strand,
Dear our prairled West
From PASSPORT to the Golden Gated CITY.
from the glacial SUBMITS of Alaska. to the
rolling Rio Grande, it all is dear. All that
God gave 10 our fathers, all that Anglo
saxon enterprise has redeemed from the
savage and the wilderness. and all over
which freedoms banner to-day is lowering:
all, all is dear. ! want no 'pcnt up Utica"
for me but give me the wide-s spread limits
of this continent for my home, Gge, and its
lucent Isles!
1 sincerely trust that the day is not far
distant when a complete reconstruction up
on some modified basis. may enable our
State TO again fall into line TO the music of
the Union. and be found proudly marching
amid the bright consultations of her sur
sisterh0od.
inclose you an old article cut from the
New Orleans Times OfJuly 1861, which will
show what views | held then and with what
moderation l advanced them. ! shall be
happy to sec this letter and the article re-
ferred TO in print. | would have written
you longer one, giving fuller views, but
fear to launch out upon the pCrilOus and
tempestious sea.
l remain very truly yours,
Il. f. TATE.
We have printed the foregoing letter
with pleasure, and regret that we have
not room for the contribution to which it
refers. The Summit Times speaks Of
Judge Tate a. Il conscientious magis
''trate who will discharge the duties of
his post with impartiality, fidelity aud