Year: 1865

na earnestly urged fellow citizens of Tennessee TO
send commissioners the place whers that convention
xpccted assemble for the purpose OF soicmny
protesting against such action or the Empire State OF the
would ultimately drag ali the Southern states into the
vortex OF disunion. Those 10 whom appealed
and no such commlss oners wcre therefore, sent No
one Mr. President knows better than you do that the
cotton States of tho South had all seceedcd that vr-
GINA NorthsCarolina Arkansas had followed their
example, that the government had been formed in
S sns a ~ Sum
occurred in the streets of,S Louis and that President
Lincoln 's4roclamaon calling for scvcntyavc thousand
soldiers had been scn FORTH before any considerable
ber of the Tennessee people were found Wiling take
up in defence OF the South. TO the last
never did FORMALLY adopt an ordinanceor accession IL
Is true, B.. tina. we agreed son 70 60 into % the % wal.
ly And here sir. win make frank admission Had
been able that toNead the lamcnted LincoIns
inaugural address by the light Of subsequent events,
tion TO the federal government will go further and
say that had anticipated such astounding abuses Of
government never should have consented to assume
position OF hostility to Che government established by
sure that could maize declaration in behalf Of
enths Of the people of Tennessee and Of the South
generally. After Tennessee had concluded TO assume
warlkc attitude under the painful conviction that
this had become indispensable alike to h0r safety
and her honor, consented to occupy a seat in
the Confederate Congress Of her represen.
tatves l am neither ashamed nor afraid to avow all
that did and said in Richmond during the dolefu three
years that struggled there to prevent the establishment
Of military despotisnto suppress corruption to bring
to punishment the atrccious abusers Of entrusted power
peace. did not vote for single measure calculated
unduy polong hostliies or to heighten In the least
in Opposition conscrpon connscation, forcible i'm
suspension Of the writ Of habeas corpus
the % @ @p Of
for what populary called incivS and intcrfered
actively and .. much personal rssponsibsy 70 prevent
ers OF war. I was constantly insisting upon sending
commissioners. with peace propositions 70 Warrington
was such that the two governments would never
bc able hold diplomatic intercourse with each other
tiou and When plainly saw in addition that before tho
month Of May great military calamities would occur
which would render almost % % 9p.sn % ios tho
pies Of equality and right upon which the federal Union
itself had been established came forth from the Con-
federate States open defiance Of the Richmond auth0
Lincoln and his Cabinet which, had been acccded by
the South in accordance with which the States
South would have back at once within tho fold OF
The Union African slavery wRud have been given up on
brohery feeling would long snce have been restored
thousands Of PRECIOUS lives have been saved and tho
troublous scenes through which we Arc n6V Passing
would have been enectuay precluded.


Such is frank ond explicit statement Of my public
conduct for the last G four years III n with that
close. 1t has been my fate TO have been grossly mis-
judged and misreprcsentcd by men OF extreme views,





gate editors have abused and rdcu me without stint
all the land have been deprived of my personal
liberty in the South because would not submi. to
military tyranny there have been twice shut up in
common Jail in the city Of New York. by command OF
those in power in Washington, Because under circum
stances such have described united with my South
brethren in effort to prevent that 'ntolcrabc
oppression with which then honestly believed our
selves be mcnaced No has accused mo anywhere
Of pecuiat0n OF fraud of scrvilty, Of selfish ambition
of rckery and management Of insincery OF pro1gacy
of ntemperance OF attempted assassination or OF muir
der My conscience, both in my private and public ca
pacity Is 'vod of offence towards God and man y and
though II should be my fate again TO be allowed to
reys my native country yet feel in my hoar of hearts
that no loves that country and that whole coun
try more truly and intensely than do that no man
ppess OF great republic which have so long cndev
ored most faithfully serve; and that man is moro
solcitious than that liberty-constitutiona lib
ey-libcry regulated by law and consistent with order
and peace should be the precious and enduring heritage
OF my countrymcn in all time to ~
Sincerely wishing, that with sturdy and elevated
patriotism with enlightened judgment with soul
alike free from prejudice and from passion, you, Mr.
President may, with diligence, with fcrvont and
your country honestly disnteresedy, and independ
emily, succced in restoring the blessings of peace and
concord TO bleeding and sracted land, and that you
act In all things, a all times and under all cir
cinsances, TO secure TO yourself permanent and
deserved honor, tho lasting gratitude OF your country
and the respect and admiration Of the whole world
have the honor to be, your banislcd fellow citizen


H :. FO0TE


p s-Ifc bound to add that do not believe that
you ever the Stanton letter above referred TO.


leave you decide whether You justified in keeping
me in exile. H s. +.