The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-02-25
ally diminished their strength, and l
learn, still more weakened their conf


with Sherman, and agreed on suspen-
sion of hostilities and the reference of
terms of pacifcation. They are secret,
and may be rejected by the Yankee Gov
ernment
'To us they are hard enough, though
freed from wanton humiliation and
expressly recognizing the State Govern
mepts and the rights of person and
property as secured by the Constitution
of the United States and the several
States.
"Gen. Breckinridge was party to the
last consultation and to the agreement.
Judge Reagan went with him and ap-
proved the agreement, though not present
at the conference.
each member of the Cabinet is to
give his opinion in writing to-day first,
upon the acceptance of the terms
second, upon the mode of proceeding if
accepted. The issue is one which it is
very painful for me 10 meet. On one
hand is the long night of oppression
which will follow the return of our peo.
pie to the Union : on the other the
suffering of the women and children and
carnage among the few brave patriots
who would still oppose the invader, and
who, unless the people would rise en-
masse to sustain them, would struggle
but to die in vain"
In relation to his own hopes and those
of his wife and children he says:
"How are they to be saved from degra.
dation or want is now my care. During
the suspension of hostilities you may
have the best opportunity to go to Mis-
sissippi, and thence either to sail from
Mobile for foreign port, or to cross the
river and proceed to Texas, as the one or
the other may be more practicable. The
little sterling you have will be very
scanty store, and under other circum-
stances would not be counted, but if our
land can be sold that will secure you
from absolute want. For myself it may
be that our enemy will prefer to Danish
me; it may be that devoted band of
cavalry will cling to me, and that'I can
force my way across the.Mississippi, and,
if nothing can be done there which it
will be proper to do, then I can 60 to
Mexico and have the world from which
to choose location.
"Dear wife, this is not the fate to
which invited you when the future was
rose-colored to us both, but I know you
will bear it even better than myself, and
that of us two I alone will ever look
back reproachfully on my past career.
Farewell, my dear, there may be
better things in store for US than are now
in view, but my love is all have to offer,
and that has the value of thing long
possessed, and sure not to be lost. Once
more, and, with Gods favor, for short
time only, farewell.
Your HUSBAND"
AS intimated in his letter to his wife
the various members of the Confederate
Cabinet submitted opinions on the advis.
ability of continuing or concluding the
civil war. Each of those officers iuvesti
gated the matter thoroughly and stated
their conclusions. From the opinion of
Judah P. Benjamin, secretary of State,
the following extracts will give what, in
his opinion, was the proper course under
the circumstances:
'The Confederacy is, in q word, unable
to continue the war by armies in the
field, and the struggle can no longer be
maintained in any other manner than by
guerrilla or partisan warfare.
"Such warfare is not, in my opinion,
desirable, nor does it promise any useful
result. 1t would entail far more suffering
on our own people than it would cause
damage to the cuemy, and the people
have been such heavy sufferers by the
calamities of the war for the last four
years that it is at least questionable
whether they would be willing to engage
in such contest, unless forced to endure
its horrors in preference to dishonor and
degradation.
"The terms of the convention imply
no dishonor, impose no degradation,
exact only what the victor always
requires, the REIMBURSEMENT by his foe Of
the object for which the struggle was
commenced.
"seeing no reasonable hope of our
ability to conquer our independence,
admitting the undeuiable fact that we
have been vanquished in the war, it is
my opinion that these terms should be
accepted, being as favorable as any that
we, as the defeated belligerent, have
reason to expect or can hope to secure"
John R. Breckinridge, secretary of
war, says:
II respectfully advise: First. That
you execute, so far as you can, the second
article in the agreement Of the 18th
instant.
Second. That you recommend to the
several States the acceptance of those
parts of the agreement upon which they
alone can act.
"Third. Having maintained with
faithful and intrepid purpose the cause
of the Confederate States while the means
of organized resistance remained, that
you return to the States and the people
the trust which you are no longer able to
defend"
S. r. Mallory, secretary of the navy,
gives among his opinions the following:
"The arms of the United States have
rendered the great object of our struggle
hopeless have conquered reconstruc-
ton of the Union, and it becomes your
duty to secure to the people, as far "a