The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1876-08-03
Jefferson Dayis aud Mississippi Repa.
diatlOaD.

We reprint from the New York Even
5xgaF Pest aahs soaisuing Prixatss letter in
relation to matter not generally un-
derstood, even in the State of Missis-
sippi:
MEMPHIS, TENN, Sept 3, rs.
"My Dear Miss r: had
no more to do with the reputation by
Mississippi of the bonds issued than
either of you had. was sent to college
when boy; from college went to West
Point, from West Point into the Semy,
and served on the Indian frontier until
1885, when I married and left the army.
I took up my residence in very retired
place, distant from the country in which
my father lived and where I had been
so that was stranger in Mississippi,
seldom leaving the canebrake in which
l lived, when, in 1886, the last Of these
notorious bonds were issued.
"It was seven years thereafter before
1 was brought into any political discus
sion, aud then only in the c,untry in
which I resided. Before that time
- 1888 the famous Union Bank
bonds had been repudiated, and
though the question still entered into
party politics it had little more than an
historical existence.
upon the question as a politico-
moral one opposed the doctrine of re>
pudiation, insisting that governments,
like individuals when CLAIMS were made
against them, had no right to make any
other issue than one of fact. Is there
debt, or is there not?
"For that publicly declared opinion the
partyof repudiators made war upon me in
the beginning of my political life, using
both stratagem and concentration of
their forces to defeat my nomination
for Congress in 1915. / was in full fell
lowship with the Democratic party of
Mississippi, aud though most of the
repudiators we're in it, they were still in
minority. and, sustained by the party.
I was nominated.
"About this time the new phase OF
reputation presented itself in bill to
cancel bebts due to banks which had
violated their charter. This was relied
upon as popular thing to control the
Democratic party, and to check my
political progress. Before the nomina-
ting convention met wrote letter and
printed copies of it.
"These were distributed among the
members when they met. The letter
severely condemned the project as
againt good morals and integrity. even
if it could be sustained at law. Some
of my best friends strongly advised
against the circulation of that letter,
pronouncing it an act of political sui>
eide, while admitting that it stated
what every honest man must feel. I
am glad to say that their fears we're not
f6al1Zeu, Cuc uOlc6G luStluCeo Va LILY lCi-
low w-citizenf sustained the right.
II may here add that never at any
time held any civil Office in the State Of
Mississippi.
"When the Federal Government
sought to discredit the Confederacy in
foreign markets, they sent-to Eng
land to present me as repudiator. No
man knew better than he the falsity of
his representations, for he was an ac-
tive politician in mississippi when re-
pudiation occurred, and it was years
afterward before he knew of my exis-
tence.
"To his misrepresentation, and to
my defense, in your fathers paper. OF
the honor of Mississippi long after the
act termed 'repudistion' had been
done, is suppose, to be attributed the
current slander which has provoked our
friend Mrs. NJ.
"With tediousness of detail / have
given you the facts as they bear upon
myself connected with the question,
and you can give Mrs. NJ. as much or
as little as you please.
Gas ever, truly your friend,
JEFFERSON DAVIS"