The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-08-02
1ETTER FROM GEN. /. JEFF
THOMPSON.

days Republican, containing tfc letter 'll"t
I wrote in 1867, which producedso much ex-
element among my old Confederate oo1sl-
rades and provoked 80 many ill-natured
remarks about me. Now thatEa thousand
Unifiers have gone even beyondme, and still
won't Gull themselves Republicans, is food
for the party to use. Gov. Helert says he
always thought so, Gov. MoutoI says nearly
the same thing, and with Beaur9ard, Hayes,
Gibson, and other commanders, and very
many of the representative creole gentle
men, have signed their names t. this move
ment You can surely let mr. "Cadian :"
friends down the Lafourche md over on
New River know that the Devil amt rs
black as they have painted him.
Yours truly, i
N. JEFF THOMPSON.
Tic following is the letter men
toned by the General:
Boston, Mass, September 3, 1867.
To the Officers and Soldiers who were under
my command during the late war:
GENrLEMEN-I have received various let
| ters from among you, asking what mean
by my letter to Mr.. Prentice, Of the Louis
| and what advice l have to offer you AZ to
your political course. l have delayed an
swering these letters in hope that would
soon return to New Orleans but, finding
that / can not return for several weeks,
and other letters having come that will
brook no delay, 1 have determined to ad-
dress you q circular, that l may NO longer
no tod dor
those who were my true friends in our dark
est hours, and with whom / have shared 50
many hardships and dangers, successes and
defeats.
One Of the letters received contains the
gist of all, and l will answer It. 1t says:
:. Longstreet is forever damned throughout
the country which became the theatre of
his immortality, and your old friends are
not reserved in their anathenas against
you. Give ME some argument with which
to defend you, for am too well acquainted
with the spirit which animated you in our
disastrous struggle, with your cheerful
endurance and suffering and your persistent
fealty to the last, to believe that you have
abandoned your devoted followers, or have
relinquished the principles or memories Of
the past"
For Gods sake what has Longstreet done
to damn him (! for what am / anathem-
atizcdl from what do / need defense
The war produced no purer or Drawer man
than General James Longstreet, and surely
IRON . the hrst to the Lust have proved my
self to be faithful and true, and I defy any
man to point to one word or sentence in
my letter to Mr.. Prentice that breathes q
want OF love for our people, or to q fact
stated that can not be substantiated. am
aware that some scribblers have assailcd
me, but they belong to the Tray, Blanch
ana sweetheart order, who simply obey
q nHfa 1f<I,
at what they do not understand" but am
10th to believe that any tried soldier will
doubt anothers honesty because he NAV
diner with him in the plans to accomplish
the general good, and ] have an abiding
ialth that they will let my comrado have
the privilege to exercise his own Judgment,
as 10 the best manner to build up the coun-
try, without being anathematixed. and 7
who IN, was leader III the beginning and u
follower to the end, and who, during the
whole struggle, was with you at the front.
prisoner OF war, will positively assert.
and nlanfuliy maintain my right to exnress
my opinions freely upon all subjects affect
ing ~ the welfare OF the South, to and among
Southrons, without fear or favor FINN
chimerical theorists or bomb nroof nh
ticians. pawn pun
me war was to defend the South in the
exercise of its belief Of the right IN .ecaJa
then do not regret the fight, though I may
g1eve over the death of this theory. If the
war was to preserve African slavery. then
no not regret the struggle, though do prieye
erty, and the sad fate that NAV await ~
poor negro. but if We fought four wears |
SIMPLY Tor the personal triumph Of soma NJ,
iitlcal partisans, a few of whom would I'll,
make us believe that tho country ia rn;"ed /
only because they are excluded from Office
men sincerely regret the conflict, and will |
men who fell around me. '''''o
q. l must again repeat that 81 did not 4;obt
IT, INC 1i s1 otates because l hated the
because . hated the North, but I fought
Tor what conceived to be the honor sho
safety and the material interests ~ the
southern people, and am STRUGGLING nor o
n another way, to accomplish the anne az
ec5 ana l will make as MANY saerifces
I'M. ,anof Us earsnestly and persistently a.
,ai elements to devise plans and nrd Iet
INC. 4 put IN successful operation enternr;ses'
NAT VII! build up our poor. desolataf ang
impoverished country. This is What tha
'outh really needs this is all the tr~lv ~, me
. raouc men OF the North ask: and viii XII
me best plans, in my Judgment to
sn =, 'ne object, regardless Of who
'rlena.es or supports them, Whioa Demo.
rats, Federals, Republicans. Rad;cals Gn.
ervatives or Eclectics. ''As' Son-
This Is all the defense 7 naaa ron.
'eopie am still for the honor, safety an. me
Material e prosperity of the south and y huu
w, VII NOT cast shadow on the prava. ~
y dead, or extinguish one raw Of fhe o,os ~
;1 our man manly struggle, yet I must bi9 tl;s
, W.. look to the future, and help bn;id , NC
ur common country from the 4,i"n.; a up
he r. :; from the lakes to the pnIf 70
,; ae1 IT. them to remember that poiit;c., -.
res hke sectarian (religious) theor;as me,
n, only in the minds Of the h;aa are
nj foolish to and demagogues are onIg ted
bem 70 G1nsapply these terms, to misle s1
oe changes, by legal means and bv subject ser9
1a ana no when changed are to he oh hesoM
nc no 1T II the lessons sad experience ts:ska;
re not heeded then are people n ssaseee
can SME ea;cn ~; and ID, the sad Bepb
1, ene hmlts to State rights Il 1890
ND fhs len, Jefferson and Alexander Hsm;itoS
o; ,ie afpitrament Of the sword, and u .
p na;t they were decided both against my
,,;. neither our honor, nor our infsraats u.s.
ulfe further contest for thorn feses re-