The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-07-26
pssiinen seeras Service Letter.
IIr,brlmis rbe fol blowing liter from Judah
=. Benjamin, addressed to jacob Thompson,

4 Al SpHEt11faM HeGEHsrS61RlCS 1o asssAss;
| In,brlrnis The fol loving rom Judah
II. Benjamin, addressed TO Jacob iilompson,
= &. s. s. DsraarnESr or STATE,
RICHaosD, March SD.
4 Hon. j. Thompson, de-, de-, Gc.:
Sir.-I have the honor I'd acRnowiedge lle
/ receipt of your seyeral dispatches OF 4en;
Sth, and ed january, as well us OF your j, luti
report from hands of Colonel Denison. ihe
President instructs me to forward TO you
4 the following directions OF the various points
4 embraced i'm your correspondence:
First-In regard to our escaped prisoners,
place in the hands of some person in whom
Won haze confidence such sum pflmaaHey, not
iexceeding $4,000 as you may deem neces-
sary. TO be applied solely.to the purpose of
| assisting such OF our soldiers rs may need
4 aid TO return to the Confederacy. No money
is to be applied to any that do not wish 10
return here.
Serond-In regard to DR.. s., the President
does not wish any more money advanced TO
him. nor does he desire that any interference
of any kind be undertaken by the Doctor.
i We are determined not to permit any just
COMPLAINT of breachof neutral rights by our
authority or sanction. , - tt ! r.. Ne
4 Third-Pay,over to- the gentleman referred
to i'll my dispatch of 3Qth December last
10000. to he used by him ut his discretion
4 in our service and to he. accounted tor by
him. Should he hereafter need more mo-
nev, inform him that will send it to him on
being notified of his wants. :"
1 Fourth-Rescrvc in your own hands such
sum as you may need TO pay your expenses
home.
!, Fifth-Remit the entire remainder IN your
hands to NIessrs. Fraser, Trenholm ~ CO., Oh
Liverpool, to be placed to my credit III
separate account to be called Secret Service
Account" Make this remittance rs soon rs
nossibIe and let me know the amount of it,
as we are III pressing Deed OF those iunds
; already for important service there.
Siyth-Procllrc for Us complete record OF
Burlev's case that we may make it the basis
of official action from its beginning TO the
final Judgment in appellate court.
Seyenth-Return TO Confederacy rs soon
~ Won can. Your own discretion must he
exercised as to the best mode. would,
| however. suggest Havana, thence to Matamo-
f ras by neutral vessel, thence through Texas.
This route is long, but is the only one that
, can be considered entirely safe.
believe this covers ail points. l am ne
cessarlly brief, in order to conceal this dis
, patch more securely. As soon rs you re.
ceiyc this publ h in the New York Heratd
au advertisement for one week rs folloWS:
"For SALE acres of Illinois prairie
. lands. For description, price, and terms, ap-
ply By letter to
+ an. S. DoSELsoN. Chicago. H.
Fill up the blank before the word "acres
: with the number Of pounds sterling that you
? remit to Fraser, Trenholm II Co.
t | am sir. very respectfully, your obcdlcnt
servant, J. =. BENJAMIN,
: Secretary of State.
&, At about the time Of the reception OF this
: letter the Conledcracy was obviously eX-
. tinct.
LETTER FROM JACOB THOMPSON.
I NV Dear Sir,-I am obliged to you for
! your letter | have been here and in Rome
for the last three months. | shall go from
[ here to Alexandria and cannot say when |
l shall return. As for myself, ] have not re-
tanned dollar of Confederate money. Be
fore left Montreal | received orders from
, Richmond to turn it over, and | retained Il
portion ut that time, but seeing Mr.. Bcnja-
[ min aftcrward, and wishing to obtain his re-
rript i'm full. turned over what was retained.
; | have his receipt for all the money in my
I hands, paid over in performance OF orders
. received from Richmond prior to the cyacui-
!, ton of the same. While feel independent,
| vet do not wish to be Slandcrcd and pur-
| sued. travel very quietly and chcapy, and
confess I would somewhat prefer to return TO
America for in truth find 10 such place or
: country as that
Your information from Montreal was quite
acceptable. There are MANY iinc people
there. think of returning there next fall
: after / have finished my wandering over
: Europe. Very truly, yours,
JACOB Thomson.
These letters are offered is the cIcarc>t
proof ofthc motive, under which Nr. Thomr.
son acted, and the strict fidelity with which
he observed every official order in his deli,
cate position as Confederate agent i'll Can
. ada. Something further may bc stated rs tu
. the three most serious charges that have
been laid ut his door, and even now, when
: the dead issues OF the plst are buried. II Is
sought to rcyamp Gillette rlImors by the pro-
, duction of mll>ty and Iong-huricd documents.
The utter ialSity Of gratutorls charges can
be COntlrdictcd by Il simple statement OF
, facts.
: THE BURNING OF TUE NEW YORK HOTELS.
, And now to approach the charge as to the
: burning of this city. Many fair homes Of
the South had already been dcsolatcd, burned
| and RACED to the ground. Irritatcd by these
. wanton acts of destruction, wild and despc-
t rate young men lsSfmcd an irresponsible IL
: ccnse of retaliation. Mr.. Thompson never
justified the burning Of private property,
: but in Il general order authorized the de-
,trrlction of Federal stores wherever they
could be found.
The public property used rs war material
/ in New York was immense and the public
, stores without limit. lis navy-yard WAS re-
. fitting Sims with ruuility which were car
| ryiny dcsoiation to southern homes To burn
+ or destroy these was Il lltlStiiiajlc war meas
c urc. War can only be defined as licensed
: crime. To take life in state Of peace is MUIR
| der; to burn house is arson; to piIlage or
t take that which is not your own by force is
4 robbery yet bclligcrcnts, rs war measures,
| commit all these acls from compuSion OF cir
cumStances. So of many acts committed
+ during the last unhappy conflict.
/ When the effort to destroy public stores
} failed Mr.. Thompson ut no time and i'll no
way sanctioned any subsequent effort TO de-
strOy the private property OF uon-comDl-
| tants for, however much this might have
!; been jtlstifiabIe as retaliatory, il WAS not
S sanctioned by the rules OF civilized warfare.
2 There are many acts, however, in a state OF
war to which the most honorable man may
, give his sent, the commission Of which III Il
/ time of pcace would be an!.orrent.
!; 1t may be asserted, but is yet TO be proved
that Mr.. Thompson ever exceeded these
9 Unsuitable limits. 1t is true, when the young
;, men who made the efforts to burn the hotel:
: escaped to Canada, they applied for MD to re
| turn to their homes, and Mr.. Thompson
] being charged with the duty of returning
c escaped Confederate soldiers to the Govern
r ment TO which they then adhered felt bOuuC