Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-12-13

Y
single right guaranteed to them by ev-
cry tie which we once reveroBss sacred.
The South can make no choice. II ID
extermination or slavery for them
selves lworse than DEATH to draw
from. l know my choice, and has
ten to accept it. / have studied hard
to discover upon what grounds the right
Of q State to secede has been denied
when our very name, United States, and
the Declaration Of Independence pro-
| vides tor secession. But there is now
no time for words / know how foolish
shall be deemed for undertaking such
a step as this, where on the one side, /
have many friends and everything to
make me happy, where my profession
alone has gained me an income Of more
than S2O, coca year, and where my great
personal ambition in my profession has
such o great field for labor. On the other
hand, the South have never bestowed
upon me one kind word, q place now
where have no friends, except beneath
the sod, place where ! must either be-
come soldier or a beggar To give up
all Of the former for the latter, besides
my mother and sister, whom love 80
dearly-although they so widely differ
from me in opinion-seems insane, but
God is my judge. love justice moro
than ] do a country that disowns it !;
more than name and wealth; more
Heaven pardon me if wrong-more than
a happy home. have never been upon
a battlefield; but oh! my countrymen,
could you all see the reality or effects
of this horrid War, as have seen them
in every State save Virginia, know you
would think like me, and pray the al
mighty to create in the Northern mind
a sense of right and justice, even should
it possess no seasoning Of mercy, and He
would dry up the sea Of blood between
us that is daily growing wider. Alas, /
have no longer country. She is fast
approaching her threatened doom.
-Four years ago ! would have given
thousand lives to see her remain--as /
had always known her--pow erful aud
unbroken, and now lwould hold my life
as naught to see her what she was Oh,
my friends, if the fearful scenes of the
past four years had never been enacted,
or if what has been had been frightful
dream from which we could now awake,
with what overlooking hearts could we
bless our God and pray for his contin-
ued favor.
How have loved the old flag can
never be known. A few years since and
the entire world could boast of none 30
pure and spotless. But have Of late
been seeing and hearing Of the bloody
deeds Of which she has been made the
emblem, and shudder to think how
changed she has grown. Oh, how I
have longed to see her heart break from
the mist Of blood and death circling
around her folds, spelling her beauty
and furnishing her honor. But mol
Day by day she has been dragged deep
or and deeper into cruelty and oppres.
sion, till now, in my eyes, her once
bright red stripes look like blood gashes |
on the face of Heaven. | look now
upon my early admiration Of her glories |
az a dream. My love is now for the |
South alone, and to her side 90 penni-
less. Her success has been near nv
heart, and have labored faithfully to
further an object which would have
more than proved my unselfsh devotion
deartsick and disappointed turn from
,he path which | had been following
INTO q holder and more perilous one.
Without malice, ! make the change.
have nothing in my heart except al
ense Of duty to my choice. 1.-THE Sonth
to be aided, it must be done quickly.
t may already be too late. When Cae-
ar had conquered the enemies Of Rome
nd the power that was his menaced
he liberties Of the people, Brutus arose
nd slew him.
The stroke Of his dagger was guided by
we for Rome. 1t was the spirit and
mbition Of Caesar Brutus struck at. II
/, then that we could come by Caesars spirit. II
nd not dismember Caesar, but alas, Ii
aessr must bleed for 1t. n
answer with Brutus. He who loves b
is country better than gold or life, n
JOHN WILKES BooTH. rs
Following Mr.: Booths SIGNATURE D
r. Mathews continued, (which was ey-
emily written in great haste, were ;,
% names Of Payne, Harold and Atze- :
tn, all in Booths own handwriting, =