Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-01-02

ism Of the people, " il had not been
indorsed by the governor of the state
or some other equally respectable au-
tbo,ity.
J. You complain that oSnscription,
ruthless and unrelenting, has only
been exceeded in the severity Of its
execution by the imprestment Of prop
erty, frequently Entrusted 20 men un-
principleu, dishonest, and filed 20
ovefilnwing with all the petty mean.
ness Of small minds, dressed In little
brief authority. The files Of my Office
are piled up with the unavailing COM
plants OF outraged citizens TO whom
redress is impnssibie.n / win not as
sumo 10 say That in North Carolina, as
elsewhere, subo ,dinate officers may
MT have been guilty OF misconduct
aud harshness. have la
mented such abuses and done my
utmost TO correct them whenever
brought 30 my knowledge. But / am
at loss to conceive how you can as
sert that these complaints were "una-
vailing and that redress was inn.
possiblen IL you kept the papers on
our tile in Raleigh. l know that no
complaint has ever been received from
you on any subject without meeting
respectful consideration and redress.
as far as Ii was IN my power TO have
justice done. am sorry that the com.
plants OF the citizens OF North Caro-
lima we're addressed through a cham
mel by which they failed to reach me.
On what fact, then, do you base the
assertion that redress was impossible
for just complaint
> You do not hold tine responsible
for all the petty snnoyances, the inso-
l,nce of tflice under " hich our people
lose heart and patience i make no
comment ON this language. / must
suppose you deem It becoming our
mutual positions, and simply invite
you 70 state what position Of these
petty annoyauces, and this ''inso-
lence of Office you do impute TO me,
and the facts on which the imputatian
/ rests. ! cannot close without advert
| ing to the singular misconstruction of
my letter TO you Of the Sth ult. which
pervades the close of your reply. In
that letter l expressed, for 7 felt, no
/ distrust whatever of the noble people
OF North Carolina, nor did / allude to
! your efforts TO cunciliate them as
! il iudicious, for 10 diu not enter
limo my mind that they were at all in
question. ] warned you OF the error of
warming traitors into active lie by ILL
timed Difference or timid concession,
instead Of meeting their insioious at.
4 tempts 70 deceive the people by ttaring
the masks from the faces of the con-
| spirators Your present letter IL the
first intimatlon 1 have had frou any
| source that the people of North Caro-.
lima were suspected of disloyalty, aud
your needless defense of them takes me
by surprise. In my letter OF the Sih
nit. ! spoke of attempts that would be
made by some bad men ITO iuaugurate
treacherous movements,n OF the dan
ger OF suffering the designs Of "these
traitors" 10 make head, of your
over-earnest desire to reclaim, by
consideration" men whom you
believed to be Sound at heart, y
but whose loyalty is more than sus-
| pected elsewhere, OF your permitting
them to gather strength, OF the me-
cessitY of putting down the promoters
of unfounded discomfort. ] never did,
and do not now, Notwithstanding your
misdirected defense of them, entertain
aught but respect and admiration for
the people of North Carolina and her
gallant sons, who have on the battle
field Of this war won for her so glorious
q name. / did, and do, suspect kurt OF
traitors, who have been conspiring at
home while the mass of the states true
sons were az theirposts Of duty In the
army. This was the import OF my let
ter OF the Sth ult., and L find in 10
nothing TO Justify your answering Il
as though | mad counseled you to avoid
conciliating the people OF your state.
again express my regret At being com.
pelledto send you this reply, extracted
from me solely by senss OF duty to
the country, not by personal cnnsidera-
tons. Your arraignment OF my con-
duct would, ] repeat, have been re-
ceived ia silence but for your position
as governor of a state, which seemed
TO me to impose the necessity OF an
answer.
In respect to your general recon-
mendations touching the exercise of
any extraordinary powers conferred
on me by cOugress, ! can only say that
they will be used, ii at all, with due
: regard TO the rights of the citizens az
well as TO the public safety.
Arbitrary measures are not more
congenial TO my nature than 60 the
spirits OF our institutions. But should
the occasion unhappily arrive when
the public safety demands their emf
ployment. | would be derelict in duty
/ If ! hesitated TO use them to the eX-
tent required by the exigenee,
Should that contingency occur,
shall confidently rely for support on
the mass of the good people OF North
Carolina, in spite OF the threats or
blandishments OF those who would
persuade them that their liberties are
endangered, not by the wicked in
vaders Of their country, hut by their
own government, and their own fell
lOw-citilens ! have the honor to re-
main, very respectfully,
JEFFERSON DAVIS.