The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1872-08-01
THE CONFEDERATE ARCHIVES.
An Extract from a Letter by John
Il. Pickett, the Man who Sold them.

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As to anything in the whole mass mil
itating against Horace GreeleY's triumph
ant election, that were the merest moon.
shine. All that Niagara Falls confer!
euce is an old story "played out" long
ago. 1t we're simply absurd to pretend
to implicate him in an attempt to burn
his own city. ! hsnOr him for his no.
Bile endeayor to stop the %effus;on Of blood
aud that alone would entitle him to my
support; and | call upon my aequaintan-
ces, friends, kindred, old flibustars, fell
low.soldiers, and all, to-
"Take their stand, and bear the brand
As in the ancient day."
And 90 for Gratz and Grcelev.
My only objection to the former
rhythm required the names in that or
DER being that, inosmuch as | am one Of
his "fys hundred Kentucky cousins,"and
being opposed to nePotiGm, | do not see
how it would be in my power to take Of
fee under the new administration, unless
it we're a very good one.
The truth is, these famous archives
have no political significance whatsoever.
Historically and financially they are val
liable, | dare say. All gOud citizens and
tax payers are interested in them in the
latter aspect. They may save money to
the Commonwealth by defeating the
claims Of those who threw up their caps
for jeff. Davis aud shouted death to the,
Yankees" during the war and now come
up here with their claims and perjure their
souls by swearing they were always "troo-
ly loil." have no sympathy with such.
The conquerOr stripped me of every dol
lar, reduced my children to the verge Of
want and degradation, and coAsigning me
to insigni6cancc and endless toll; but If a
mere expression Of regret at the part |
took could insure the return Of the last
cent, with compound interest, ! would
scorn, with 4 scorn unspeakoble, 10 re-
ceive it on those terms. l do notpretcnd
to have been troOiy Toll. But, as la
Dor under the impression that the war is
over at last, | am willing to take q fresh
departure and Gndeavor, by the arts Of
peace, 20 relieve the party now in power
from the care of administering the CON-
mon Government any longer.
Ihave omitted that the person who
spirited the papers away, and who held
them IN his grip, lately swOre that if |
shouldn't dispose Of them without delay
he would, aud thus | should have lost my
reward for my attention to a seemingly
interminable aud most laborious piece OF
business. Ia short, | had a very vora-
ciouS white elephant on my hands, and
was very glad indeed to turn him over to
UuClo Sam, That the person referred to
is not a myth | can most fcelingly declare
for he hid the greater part of the money
forever from my sight, aud took the first
train.
Finally, whilst | am not so Quixotic as
to undertake to cnlighten all those who
grope in the dark, Twill say that if there
be one in our broad Southern land 50
imbuod with the spirit of CaIiph Omar,
or who is SO emulate of "tho ambitious
youth who fred the Ephesian DOME" as
to have cOunSelied the destruction of these
precious archives, near ten years after
hostiiities ceased, him, indeed have | Of
Tended. JNo. Il. PIcKErT,
AttOrney-at-law,
Confederate States diplomatic agent near
the Government OF Mexico Z