The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-10-05
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PETITION OF
JOSIAH TURNER
Remarkable Letter of Eccentric
Character Asking The Bene-
fit of JOhnSOn'S Am
nesty proclamation

nesty Proclamation
Few people ever heard of Josiah
Turner's remarkable letter to Presi-
dent Johnson asking the benefit OF
the amnesty proclamation, and fewer
have read it. The full tex of this
petition, following the style Of the
author in punctuation, capitalization,
etc, is as follows:
State of North Carolina,
Orange County,
The President of the United States.
The petition Of Josiah Turner Jr.
Of the county and State aforesaid ask
ne the benefit Of your Excellency's
amnesty proclamation and stating
that he was a private in the Confed-
crate Army in 1861, and was subse-
quently a captain OF cavalry. IN Ieo5
he wa elected a member OF the Con
federate Congress-. And now having
stated all that is required he proposes
(and in it he is encouraged by the
example of others) to indulge in a te"
reflections and observations upon the
late Democratic Rebellion.
An undertaking he admits OF great
delicacy for if he fails to give the true
causes he becomes ridiculous. II he
should give the causes that led TO the
Rebellion it will come so near persons
Of weight and consequence that tneS
with their host of followers will be an
gered at the exposure of their errors
rather than for the occasion
of correcting them.
| now tate. and will endeavor to
make good the assertion. tina the doc
trines and teachings of Thomas JEFF
ferSOn as laid down in his resolutions
Of $3.50 and practiced by his fol
lowers in 1S6O-61 were neither con-
stitutional nor patriotic though no
treason thew led to treason and the
civil war from which we have just
emerged. 1t was inevitable Jefferson S
principles and party had to destroy
the constitution, or the constltutloh
had to destroy Jefferson's principles
and the Jeffersonian democracy. Ihey
could not evist in concord together.
After sixty years dispute and tour
years war Jefferson's principles are
destroyed by the constitution ana
buried in a bloody grave.
One of the wisest and most profound
of English statesmen we'll said, The
foundations on which obedience to
governments rest are not to be con-
stantly discussed: that We have a gov
supposed the discussion al
ready made and the dispute settleo.
The error of the J~efferSonlan scnooi
was that they constantly discussed the
Main and well settled principles of the
constitution interpreting that lnstru-
ment not by its plain letter and read
ing but by the resolutions OF 98-9 de-
bates in convention and the sayings OF
Thomas Jefferson.
In 1896 Mr.. Adams beat Mr.. Jeffer-
son for the Presidency no platform but
the constitution and personal merits
of the candidates.
In 1900 Mr.. Jefferson runs upon his
D0litical PLATFORM. The resolutions OF
1889 which had been prepared in
times of high political strife to over
throw the Adams administration Mr..
Jefferson was the author OF the Ken
lucky resolutions of 98-9 n they
claim in express terms the right of a
State to Secede.
am not ignorant of the fact that
the virginia resolutions of 98-9 do no
claim in express terms the right OF a
State to secede, but they DO claim the
right of a State to "1nterpOSe' when
the general government exercises
powers not granted. TO use the words
Of the resolutions THE States have a
right to interpose for arrestlng the
Ogr of the evil and for MAINTAIN
ing within their respective limits the
authorities rights and liberties ap-
pertaining to the same
This right of interposition was
claimed by the State of Virginia IN
her legislative capacity in the years
1883 when the Constitution was no
Il years old, and most Of those VINO
made it were living. This right to IN
terpose and secede was from that day
claimed by South Carolina in common
with the Democratic party.
South Carolina exercised this right
in December, 1860, by peaceab1y Sc
Ceding.
Sacaen;o, oo,ld mot oopoa1 tho deed
which South Carolina had made to the
United States for Fort Sumpter SO she
l~nterposed for the fore On the - CT
April, 1861, through the agency CT
Edmond Rufin. who was a Virginia
Democrat and firm believer in the