Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1886-10-28

ternai strife, making peace between the
North and the South, living in harmony
and concord and rebuilding The waste
places. We upbraided the Rennblicans
for waving the bloody shirt" and
keeping alive old feuds and wal conten-
tons, and insisted upon q general amnes-
ty for all. And In this we have had the
hearty concurrence of our Confederate
brethren. We all agreed that this was
the. wisest and most polite course.
During the war passions ragged, and
we had used all our energies In striving
for the mastery and In trying TO destroy.
each other. Both sides were sincere and
~earnests But this had served only to
make them more bitter and uncompro.
missing. You "for the last ditch" we
for the last man and last dollar" "To.
ries' and ''Lincolnites, 2 and 'rebels''
and TRAITORS were the terms by which
we then commonly called each other.
With such feelings and passions raging.
about the LIST Of April, 1865. having been
chosen by soldiers, more than one hun.
dred miles from home. Invent as an army
representative to this wal legislature.
Taylor and Smith were then at the head
of armies beyond the Mississippi; John.
ston was fighting Sherman In North Car
olina, and Lee had not yet surrendered
Virginia. had not been home in nearly
three years, and could not go there. for
the C~0nfederates had held, and were still
holding the country. Now, some prom
inent and leading East Ten nessee Demo.
crat, alive(O with that spirit Of concilia.
ton and amnesty which alone has given
Democracy such strength and conference
In this section, for the purpose of arous-
ing your prejudice. and with the certain
result of helping the Republicans to dis.
tract Democracy In East Tennessee,
and thus increase the Republican major
tiles here, telegraphs 10 you: Wagner
voted for disfranchisement and reward for
your arrest; hoping thus to defeat me.
You generously declare that you care
nothing for my action as to yourself, so
pass that over. only pausing to say that
1 do not remember how or whether / vo-
led on either of these subjects, and have
no record before me from which / can
speak. but presume l voted for both. In
regard to the franchise bill you intimate,
however, that a deliberate vote for that
should disqualify me from receiving the
Pension Agency. There was no deliber-
alton at that time. We were all in hot
blood and passion. And il favoring the
first franchise act of May or June, 1865,
Is TO debar a Federal soldier from Federal
office In Tennessee, then we may as well
all submit to perpetual Acknowledgement;
for ! assure you with confidence, that at
that time not one Federal soldier in q
thousand in East Tennessee favored gen.
eral enfranchisement; nor do l believe II
then generally expected Immediately
by the C~onfederates themselves. Nor do
/ think II the Confederates had succeed
ed we would have been invited to share
with them In the reorganization of Civil
government Those were fierce war
times'and can not be appropriately view.
ed and judged in the mild light Of peace,
nor can we Democrats of either side
proitably open those old wal issues. We
should doubtless disagree now as we did
then, and no good can come of 1t. And
1t would be strange, indeed, If after twen-
ty years of friendly service in the ranks
of Democracy with and for ex.C onfeder-
ates In the cause Of amnesty and frater-
nifty / were now to be made q victim of
war memories and resentments, and de-
MED a Federal office because / had been
a Federal soldier faithful to the last as to
what then conceived TO be my duty.
This would be Acknowledgement In the
year of peace, 1885, which you condemn
In the time of the fierce passions of 1865.
And 1t seems equally strange to me that
any ext Confederate should favor IT.
On the adjournment of the first session
OF the Legislature in June or July, 1896,
rendered my resignation and my career
as q legislator ended, and then went
home from the war to pursue the paths
of peace and quiet. / have lived In a
county where the Republicans have out.
numbered us ten to one; and where nc
one time mine was the only Democratic
vote polled in the county, and l must be.
lievc you have been misled, or have pas
sed hasty judgment of dissatisfaction at
my appointment; nor can / think that 1t
Is unsatisfactory to a Large majority of
the democrats Of the state" know Il is |
notin this section. for / have received
assurances TO the contrary, alike from
ex- Federals and ex,C onfederates from all
partsiof East Tennessee; and I have never
yet found an ex-C Confederate soldier who
has not met me half way In the cause of
amnesty and obliyious of all wal griev.
ances and complaints; and ! shall be dis.
appointed, II on recalling the time and
facts, you do not yourself overcome your
dissatisfaction. i,fqh r.slFiE 4siSg
regret the necessity that compels Ii,
but that my answer may be as public as
your letter. likewise send a copy Of this
to the Tribune for publication, with the
hope that with this all matters may be
brought to n satisfactory termination.
Very respectfully, j. II. WAGNER
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