Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-07-26
ALEYA. GAZETTE & VIRGINIA ADVERTISED
The Confederate Archives.

had access to the papers sold by Col. Pickett
to the government furnishes the following :
The Herald has quoted certain damaging,
charges against Jacob Thompson, and it will be
the object Of the present article to give state
ment OF facts.
Imprimis The writer first offers the follow
ing letter from Judah P. Benjamin, addressed
TO Jacob Thompson in Canada:
Department Of State, Rtchnsond, March 2,
1868 Hon. j. Thompson, &c. &c, &c.-Sir:
| have the honor to acknowledge the receipt Of
your several dispatches Of 4th, Sth aud I'D
January, as we'll as of your full report, from
hands of COL Denison The President instructs
me TO forward to you the following directions
Oh the various points embraced IN your cores
pondence:
fr,t-In regard to our escaped prisoners,
place in the hands of some person IN whom you
have confidence such sum of money, not ex-
cecding SO 900, as you may deem necessary,
to be applied solely to the purpose of assisting
such Of our soldiers as may need aid to return
to the Contederacy. No money is to be ap-
piled to any that do not wish to return here.
Second-ln regard to DIR. 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. We are de-
tcrmned not to permit any just complaint Of
breach of neutral rights by our authority or
sanction. -.
Third-Pay over to the gentleman referred
to in my dispatch Of Goth December last $780,
600 to be used by him at his discretion in our
service, and to be accounted for by him. Should
he hereafter need more money inform him that
| will send it to him on being notified OF his
wants.
Fourth-Reserve in your own hands such
70
home.
Ftth-Remit the entire remainder in your
hands to Messrs Fraser, Trenholm & Co., cf
Liverpool, to be placed to my credit IN a sepa-
rate account to be called Secret Service Ac-
count. Make this remittance as soon as pos
sitle and let me know the ammount of it, as
we are in pressing need of those funds already
for important service there.
Sixth-Procure for us complete record of
Burey case that We may make it the basis OF
official action, from its beginning to the tua
judgment 10 appellate court.
Seventh-Return to Confederacy as soon as
you can Your own discretion must be exer-
cised as to the best mode. / would, however,
tral vessel, thence through Texas. This route
is long, but is the only one that can be con-
sidered entirely safe.
| believe this covers all points. am neces-
sarily brief, iu order to conceal this dispatch
more securely. As soon as you receive this pub
hsh in the New York Herald an advertisement
for one week as follows:
'For;Sale - acres of Illinois prairie lands
For description. price and terms apply 6y let
ter to n S. DoNELsoN, Chicago, LII. .
Fill up the blank before the word acres
with the number of pounds sterling that you
remit to Frazer. Trenholm Il Co. l am, sir,
very respectfully, your obedlent servant,
j. p BENJAMIN, Secretary of State:
At about the time of the reception OF this
letter the Conttdcracy was obviously extinct.
! can only judge as to the disposition OF the
funds by the following extract from alctter dis
patched from Naples in the subsequent year by
Mr. Jacob Thom psop to the compiler of this
record p
Nh Dear Sir: I am obliged to you for your
letter. have been here aud in Rome TOR the
last three mouths. | shall 60 from here to Al
exandria and cannot say when shall return
As for myself, | have not retained dollar OF
Confederate money. Before | left Montreal i
received orders from Richmond to turn it over,
and retained portion at that time. but see
ing Mr.. BENJAMIN atterward, and wishing to
obtain his receipt in full, turned over what
was retained. | have his receipt for all the
money in my hands, paid over in performance
of orders received from Richmond, prior to the
evacuation of the same While feel lndepen--
dent vet do not wish to be slapdered aud
pursued. | travel very quietly and cheapiy,
and confess would somewhat prefer to return
to America. for in truth, I fnd no such place
or country as that. -e
Your information from Montreal was quite
acceptable. There are many fine people there
think of returning there next fall after have
finished NV wandering over Europe. Very
truly, yours. JACOB THOMPSON.
These letters are offered as the clearest proof
Of the motives under which Mr. Thompson
acted, and the strict fidelity with which ne oo
served every official order 10 his delicate posi-
tou as Confederate agent 10 Canada, :.
Mr. Thompson has been accused OF naSlne "
authorized the burning OF the city OF ;, New
York, and of being accessory to the ~. A1Dan
raid :. u -! -
Let us briefly examine each of these charges
in the grade of their enormlty. FIRST "itn
reference to the St. Alban's raid, the estlmony
that has already been adduced before the lni
vcstigatlus committee 10 Congress proves lnel :
dentally not only that MIR. Thompson d,sap-
proved of it, but that he had ordered the lead-
er Of the party to return to Richmond ana re,
port himself for duty When this party showed
determination to disobey the order ne ap-
piled for relief from this order to another co9i-
missioner, as ride Lieut. Youngs letter'to Mr'
Clay, adduced before the congressional com-
mlttee
This makes it clear that Mr.. Thompson re-
fused to sanctiou the raid upon St. Aloans, 1s
Gauss he was under the impression that 1ne
movement was impolitic. 1t ls.true, however
that when these young men we're q, arrested h9,
der the extraditIon treaty, Mr.. InothPsou, .l 70
generous compliance with the solicitations OF Of
the friends of the parties arraigned stood BY
them in their hour of need in order to save
them from being delivered up to enemies Tho, { >
In their existing state Of excitement. would oe
incapable of giving them a fair trial. .ln Sc
doug he discharged a simple act OF justice, !, l1l
Difference to impulses Of philanthropy and aio
tstes of duty ! .E"H
And now to approach the present more seEt