Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-05-23
JACOB THOMPSON
Answers Certain Structures Of Gen.
CliHgman, of North Carolina, in
avery Emphatic Way,
Believing Them to Have Originated in a
Desire 10 Reflect Upon the Late
President Buchanan.

believing lnom 10 HAVE originated In u
Desire TO Reflect Upon the Late
President Buchanan.
In q recent issue of the New York Sun we
found the following letter with Enclosures
from the vell-known ante beLium statesman,
Gen. Thomas L. Clingmap, of North Caro-
Ina, severely rejecting upon our distin-
guished fellow-citizsn, the Hon. Jacob
Thompson, for his conduct while a member
Of the late President Buchsnan's Cabinet:
To the Editor of the Sun:
sIE-I find in your paper of to-dsy . letter of
MI George Ticknor Curtis, in which he sssails
mine to the action of President Buchanan and
the Hon: jacob Ih .SI SOP l ask you to give
justice to me and also 10 the truth OF history.
hold that every man ought 10 be willing that every
stand as made before the eyes Of all Mr. Curtis
refers 10 ar. Thompson's letter in reply to my
statement but he takes notice of my answer 10
Mr.. Thorn pson, published at the time. Had he
been aware of it, cannot suppose that he would
have written his present letter wish you could
too much space in your columns. 1t can all be
found in the second edition OF my book, published
that neither Nj. Thompson nor Judge Black
thought # f RsSisa MO TSnnosoS any state re-
nents which refer TO are true then they leave
Mr.. Buchanan in quite as bad position as my
original publication had done. In tnst puo!i.cs-
| that he 'unbosomed himself TO him with the ut
most frsnknes. referring to MT Bue e!a that
up North Carolina in the path OF secession" will
| ask you to Print merely the opening part of my
GsR and sa then e ad two %
| present the substance of the case Yours very
| truly. THOMAS l.. CL1NGAAN.
GEN. CLINGMAN's REPLY TO THE HON.
JACOB THOMPSON.
The reply to the Hon. Jacob Thompson,
above referred to by Gen. Clingman, is as fol-
lows:
AsHEvnLR N. c., October s. 1877.
| To the Editor of the Citizen:
s1R-since my return home have learned that
| the Hon. Jacob Thompson has caused 10 be pub
lished letter addressed to the Hon: ]. 5. Black,
in response TO a statement contained In book re-
| ter entire but only extracts in the New York
| Times and the Charlotte Obserrer, which have
MT. THOMPSON, though admitting that he had one
| conversation with me- emphaucally denies inst
| there vas a second one between us, and also dis
putes material parts OF the conversation as re-
ported by me. The recollection of those
| Two conversations is so distinct in nay
| memory that am well sstistied that we had
| two as / am that ever saw Mr. Thompson, aud
| am confident that / have fairly stated them
What does Mr.. Thompson say furtherf 1t will be
| seen that the statement given by him spstsins
| the material allegations made by him. He de-
careS that there was then IN progress In nus stat
few weeks after our interview his state did secede
He says that he received from the governor OF the
State letter requesting me to act as com mis-
soner of that State TO the State of North Carolina
and urge her to cooperate with Mississippi in
| measures for the protection and maintenance OF
| Southern rights )" and that he accepted this COM
mission. Could he have accepted it unless he in
| representa- To have accepted the trust with a
| purpose to defeat the intent of those giving the
| authority would have been inconsistent with his
| personal honor. Remember, too, that the COM
| mission came from the governor only, and that
also before his State had, by seeding, released
| HIM from obligations TO the Federal government
No secessionist has ever far as am advised, as
serted that the governor of the State had power by
his mere act to abEolve from his obligation TO
| the United states Again, Mr.. Thompson says he
| differed from MI Buchanan, who denied the
right of secession, and that he held that the right
was reserved and might be exercised by the State.
He was, however, at that time opposed TO separate
STATE action, and thought that the States
| point future day for united movement" He
| says fut ther that by going Il could hurry up
North Carolina; she could thereby acquire an in.
| huence to hold back Mississippi and the Gulf
| states" tits clear from Mr.. Thompson's state
ment that any difference that existed between
| him and those for whom he undertook 70 act was
| merely as 10 the mode of action or policy to be
adopted. II held that by united action the States
| could succeed in their purposes with more eer-
lainty than by detached movements Like q
| prudent general. he did not wish his cavalry to
begin the attack until his infantry and
escape responsibility for homi-
eide by saying that he had opposed the policy OF
having single man.shoot the deceASed, and pre-
| fe1red that whole platoon should be brought up,
so that by firing altogether, they would be more
| certain 10 kill the party aimed at With such
views Mr.. Thompson decided to accept the COM
| mission, and made known his purpose to MI.
ana SeGd to resign MS place IN Inc Pc
| dissuade Ann from going, aud thereupon he IN
| bosomed himself to him with the utmsst frank
| ness" He also assured Mr., Buchanan that, as
nothing could occur during his administration
that would justify revolution or secession, which
favor OF any movement until the administration
should end. In fact, M. Buchanan had only q
little more than two months to serve and MI
Thompson therefore did not propose to attempt tc
break up the government until that time had
T6Pmpson's PURPOSES the President FRANKLY
replied that while he feared (Thomp
sonl would be subject to misconstrucIion, yet he
could not say he wished me to resign And, with
that leave of absence, visited North Carolina
This statement also sustains what heard from
Buchanan earnestly entreated tie members of his
Cabinet and others to let him go out in peace
4ih OF March. He reminded me of the Frenchmar
who said After me, the delugel" But the move
against the government OF the United slater O
which Mr.. Buchanan was for the time the Chic
Executive Is not this statement in substance
aud efec; quite strong as made it? MAJOR
ty of the South were then in favor of
united movement to begin at the close of NJ. Blu
cnsnsn's administration. The action of the five
States that formed in the first instance the Consti
luton If the Confederate States was a surprise tC
most OF US. and very unsatisfactory to many.
GEN. oLINeMAN's FURTHER EXPLANATION
The following is the postscript referred Il
by Gen. Ciingman 10 his letter to the New
York Sun, and which was published at 5
later period than the letter to the Asheville
IN, CT Citizen, as a further explanation o
Gen. Clingman's views of Mr.. Thompson,
conduct during the momentsus days preced
ing the war, especially in North Carolina:
Since my reply to Mr.. Thompson was published
have seen letter OF Mrs. Harriet Lane Johnston
in which it is stated that in allowing MT. Thomp
sons visit 10 North Carolina the presidents OBJ
ject was to strengthen the border States in theil
undouDted loyalty"
But Mr. Thompson's own statement is entirely
inconsistent with this view. Mississippi hAo
called convention looking to secession, while
Sorth CaroIina remained quiet and to ali appear
ances loyal, so that, in fact, Nj. Thompson say:
he went to hurry her up SO that she might Co
pose was to check the movement, he would
naturally, it should seem, have said: Your State
Mr.. Thompson, is moving to secede; you ought &c
have more influence at home than anywhere else
therefore you should hurry home to arrest Alssls.
auiet yon CO can aord to let her alone II one Of
| two carriage horses TO start to ruiz away Ii
would seem to be the duty OF the driver TO try To
check that horse. What would be thought of him
| IT, instead If trying to hold bsck the running
horse, ne should begin TO whip the quiet horse TO
| make him cooperate with the running horse? Mr.
| Thompson declares that ne came to hurry up
| North Carolina, that by moving with Missis-
| sippi she might be ready for a united movement
| sgainst the government of the United States
| Those gentlemen who were members OF the legls-
| lature and others who saw M thompson at thai
| time unite in declaring that he by his presence
and conversation gave great in pulse 10 The move
| ment and encouraged the seeessionists very much.
| He was presenteS TO the Legislature and had q
public audience on the same day that Messrs. Gar
| rot and smith, commissioners from Alabama
| made their address to the General Assembly IN
joint session. THESE gentlemen, IN the address
| published, declared expressly in faVor OF
| dissolving the Union. Mr.. Thompson, in his al
dress, does not dissent from their views but SUI
| stsntially sustains them in mis- communication TO
| Gov Ellis, which was communicated 10 the two
houses in lieu OF speech to them; ms Saaress
| and highly infiammatory in some OF It's language
| He declares That the Legislature OF Mississippi
has pass d IN act calling convention OF the peo-
uIe Of the State TO consider the threatening rea-
| lions OF the Northern and Southern sections oil
the United States, aggravated by the recent cleo
| ton of President upon principles OF hosunty 70
the South, and to express the earnest nope OF hl,
sissippi that North Carolina will cooperate with
| her . ut is certain that an uhresisdng
submission to the aggressive and hostile polley OF
| the Northern States will inevitably involve both
| in a common humiliation and ruin Inc Crisis oe'
| mands action 1t is unbecoming free people to
close their yes to the issue forced upon them, and
| TO cry peace, peace, when there Is no peace The
| antagopism OF opinion has at last eliminated in
the adoption by ejority of the Northern people
of the doctrine of the lrrepressl ole CONNECT Inc
leading idea of this creed is that the Union can
| not endure half OF them slayeholdlng ana the
| other half non-slayeholdiug. The conflict is TO be
1 inaugurated under the forms of the constitution
on the 4th of March next, and If adhered 10 and
carried out the assertions OF the most violent ad-
| vocates that freedom is triumphant and that
| slavery is oveithrewn, are selt-evident PROPOSE
/ tons"
Later he says that the guarantees of the eonsti-
| tuition, though ample, ARE found in psTchmen!
| only. The people of the Northern States nave not
| kept faith with US" Instead of the constitution,
| we are TO be governed by ''the will OF numerical
| majJriIy-a majority trained from infancy 70 hate
| our people and their institutions"