Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-01-08
Letter of J. Wilkes BOothe.
WRITTEN ON THE DAY PRECEDING THE
NIGHT HE KILLED LINCOLN.

WRITTEN ON THE DAY PRECEDING THE
NIGHT he KILLED LINCOLN.
"Right or wrong, God judge me, not
man
'For be my motive good or bad, of one
thing am sure. the lasting condemnation
OF the North. love peace more than life
have loved the Union beyond expression.
For four years have l waited, hoped, and
prayed for the dark cloud to break and for
a restoration of our former sunshine. To
wait longer would be crime; all hope for
peace is dead. My prayers have proved as
idle as my hopes. Gods will be done! l
go to see and share the bitter end. l have
ever held the South was right. The very
nomination of Abraham Lincoln four years
ago spoke plainly war-war upon southern
rights and institutions. His election proved
it.
THE SOUTH WAS WISE.
s'Await an overt aet." Yes, till you are
bound and plundered. What folly The
South was wise. Who thinks of argu.
ments of patience when the fingers of an
enemy press the trigger. In foreign war
too could say, "COuntry right Or wrong";
but in struggle such as ours, where the
brother tries to pierce the brothers. heart
for Gods sake choose the right. When a
country like this spurps justice from her
side she forfeits the allegiance of every
| honest freeman and should leave him IN
trammeiled by any fealty soever to act as
his conscience may approve, and justice,
people of the North Ito love liberty, to
hate tyranny, to strike at wrong and op-
pression-was the teaching of our fore
fathers. The study Of our early history
will not let me forget, and may it never.
THIS COUNTRY FOR WHITE MEN
This country was formed for the white
man, not for the black, and looking upon
African slavery from the same standpoint
held by the noble trainers of our Constitu-
ton, for one have ever considered it one
of the greatest blessings both for them.
selves and US God ever bestowed on a
favored nation. Witness heretofore our
wealth and power; witness their devotion
and enlightenment above their race else
where. 1 have lived among it most of my
life and have seen less harsh treatment
from master to man than 1 have beheld at
the North from father to son Yet Heaven
knows no one would be willing to do more
for the negro race than /, could hut see
way to still better their condition but Mr..
L;nco]n's policy is only preparing the way
for their total annihilatiop. The Sonth are
not now nor have they ever been fighting
".
battle [Bull Rum did away with that
idea
Their causes sigcs then for war have
been as noble End greater far than those |
thu urged our fathers on.
Even s5onld We allow they we're wrong
at the beginning of the contest cruelty and |
inj as,ice have made the wrong become the |
right, ard they stand now before the won
der ard admiration OF the world as a noble |
band of patriotic heroes. Hereafter read |
ing of their deeds Theymopy'se will be for. |
ten.
JOHN BROWN.
When I aided in the capture of John
BrOwp, who was a murderer on our west |
erp bosGsr, and who was fairly tried and
convicted Of treason before an impartial
judge and july, l was proud of my little
share in the transaction deemed | was do
ing my dniy in helping our country to per-
form az act of justice. But what was a
crime in poor John Brown is now consider
ed by themselves as the greatest and only
virtue of the whole Republican party
Strange transmigfation! Vice to become
virtue amply because more INDUCED in
| thought then as now, that the Abolition.
lists wee tie only traitors in the land, and
that tne whole party deserved the same
fate as poor John Brown; not because they
wish to abnlish slavery, hut on acoouut of
the mesns ttey have ever endeavote to
use to effect that abolition. II Brown were
| living | doubt whether he himself would
set slavery against the Unicp. bIos5 or
many in The North do aud openly curse the
| Union, if the South is to return and retain
a single right guaranteed to them by every
tie which we once revered as sacred.
DETERMINATION OR SLAVERY.
| The South can make no choice. l. is
either ex'ei Tiiination or slavery for them
selves - worse than death to draw from. Il
know ny choce.
have .tudifd bard to discover upon
what errui.ds The right of State to So.
csf;e has. h,s u denied, when our very Dame.
''Unied States" and the ''Declaration of
| Independence" both provide for secession.
! But this is DO time for words, | write in
haste.
know how foolish l shall be deemed
| for undertaking such step this-where
90 he one side | have mary friends and
everything 70 make NE happy, where my
| pFu'cssi al, re has gained me an income
RI moe than twenty Thousand dollars
| SO r, AID where my great personal am
bitten IN Try profession has such a crest
| fisld for labor. On the Other hand. the
South has never bestowed on me one kind
word-a place where | have TO friends ex-
cept beueath the sod; place where must
either become private soldier or beggar.
! To give up all the former for the latter, be-
sidss my mother and sisters, whom l love
| so 'ea'iy Though 'hey so widely differ from
me in opinion, seems ipsane-but, God is
my judge.
LOVE JUSTICE
more than do country that disowns it;
more shan fame or wealth; Enore-Heaven
pa,dpu De if wrong than happy home.
have never been upon battle field
but, Oh! my country men, if you could all
see thu effects Of this horrid war as l have
seen them in every State save Virginia
know yon would think like me and would
pray the Almighty to create in the porth- |
ern mind sense of justice and right, even
should it possess no seasoning of mercy, |
and that He would dry up this sea of |