Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1890-01-16
WILKES BOOTHS LETTER.
Said 80 HHafe Hecm Written BY HSm
AprsI "A, 1868.


49, 50 t@HN - L - tN+f - ~ t&e' - -
Il was briefly referred 10 ii. gester.
days dme1Ecdu The letter, the Dis,
patch says. WAS obtained from a gen
tieman ii Frederichsburg. Va TITS
is how il reads
Right Or wrong, God judge me,
net man. For be my motive good or
bad, Of one thing | am sure--the last
ing condemnation Of the North. I
love peace more than life-have low
"a the Union beyond expression. For
: four years have waited, hoped and
prayed for The dark cloud to bseak,
and for restoration Of our former
sunshine. TO wall Jorge would BE-
crime; all hope for peace is dead.
NY prayera have proved as idle as
hopes. God will Be donel 7 80 to
sec and share The bitter end. ] have
ever held the South was right. The
very ncninationof Abraham Lincoln
four years ego spoke plainly war Wat
upon Southern rights and Institutions
His election proved il.
Await an overt act. Yes, till
you are bound and plundered. What
folly The solta was wise. Who
thinks Of arguments Of patience when
tie fingers Of an enemy press the
trigger? In a foreign war !, too,
o,uld say, Country right or wrong
but in a struggle such as ours, where
the brother tries 10 pierce tho trolh
ers heart-for Gods sake choose tie
right. When a country like this
spurns justice from her side che for
fats the allegiance Of every honest
freeman, and should leave him IN.
trammelled by any fealty soever to
act as his conscience may approve,
and justice, people Of the North-to
love liberty, hate tyranny, to strike
at wrong and oppression--was the
teaching Of our forefathers. The
study Of our early history viii not
let me forget, and may itnever. This
country was formed for the white
man. not for the black. aud looking
upon African slavery from the same
standpoint held by the noble trainers
Of our constitution, !, for one, have
ever considered ii one Of the greatest
blessings, both for themselves and up,
God ever bestowed On d favored na
ton. Witness heretofore cur wealth
aud power witness their devotion
aud enlightenment above their raea
elsewhere ! have lived smong II
most Of my life. and have seen leas
harsh treatment from masier 10 man
than I have beheld at the North from
father to son. Yet Heaven knows no
one would do more FOR the negro race
than I, could ! but see wsy to siill
better their condition; but Lincon'e
policy is only preparing the way for
their total annihilation. The South
are not now nor have they ever beer
fighting for the continuation Of sla.
very. The first battle [Buli Rnnl did
away with that idea.
Their causes since then for war
have been as noble, and greater far
than those that urged cur fathers
on.
Even should we allow they were
wrong at the beginning Of the con-
test cruelty and injustice have made
the wrong become the right, and they
stand now before the wonder and id
miration Of the world as a noble band
Of patriotic heroes. Hereafter read
ing Of their deeds Thermopyla will
be forgotten. Wien aided in tie
captnfe cf John Brown, who was q
murderer on our Western bord r, and
who wac fairly tried and convicted Of
treason before an impartial judge and
juiy, was proud Of my little ehare
in the transaction deemed / was do.
ing my duty in helping our country
to perform an act Of justice. But
what vas crime in poor John Brown
is row considered by themselves as
the greatest and only virtue Of the
whole republican party. Strange
trausformationl Vice to become a
virtue simply because more INDUCED
Iii. ] thought then as now, that the
Abolitionists were the only traitors
ii the land, and thatthe whole party
deserved the same fate as poor John
Brown; not because they wish to
abolish slavery, but on account Of the
means they have ever eEdeavored to
use to effect iliat abolition. If Brown
wereliying doubt whether he him