Year: 1863

hOn


WAsnINeToy, May lS. 1863


GENTLEMEN: have just received your letter of
the 7th inst. inviting me. in behalf of the Wash
ington Union Club of Memphis to Join in pub
lie celebration of the anniversary OF the surren
der of that city to the Federal arms You also
speak kindly of my past efforts to induce the peo-
pie Of West Tennessee to consent cheeriully to
'the restoration of the national authority through
out the South"


If believed that by meeting you or the occa
sion referred to, / could be of service TO a single
honest law abiding citizen truly repentant
Rebel or that could contribute to the least ex
tent in ending the and restoring tie blessings
of peace under the Constitution, would certain
ly attend; but have no such faith in myself. and
therefore shall not go.


In your letter you express the opinion that, by
"direct personal appeal" | might encourage
the loyal or reclaim the disl0yal." | confess my
astOniShment such statement: and can at
tribute this opinion of yours to nothing but fail
ure on your part to comprehend the mastery pol
icy of our great and good President and the wise
statesmen who aid him in shaping and directing
the civil policy of the Government When you
have fully studied and understood the grand pur
poses of our most God tearing and law -abidin q
President; when You are more familiar with the
profound military strategy which, as Com
mander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the
United States" he is now displaying: and when
you further remember the astonishing success
we have had in reclaimlng our misguided cOun-
trymen" and in conquering "wayward sis
ters," shall be amazed if you continue to be-
iieve il necessary to encourage the lOyal" or
'reciam the disloyal." Why encourage the
loyal2 Is it possible they need encouragement
in Memphis, when. for nearly a year: YOU have
been inside the Federal lines: when every night
,foI l.l.-
yOu cry and at reveilIe Hail Columbia"
arouses the people TO a consciousness of the great
security which is afforded to the property of the
loyal people in Memphis and "all the country
round that (politicaD JOrdan?" How can YOU
or l encourage the loyal" when our matchless
President the late Congress, his sage counseIIors
and his peerless military sub0rdinates have al
ready done and promise1 all which wisdom can
suggest, which our sacred Constitution author
izes, and which the Christian religion tolerates
approves2 There remains nothing for us to
do, unless il be to obey our incompatible Presi-
dent in all his wise measures to conquer glOri-
Gus peace. True, we have among us croakers
and cOpperheads-silly, brainless men-who are
so unwise and Gnpairiotic as to question the wis
dom of our injefatiglble President. If you have
any such in Memphis you should at once de-
nounce them in sympathy with the Rebels; you
should send them to their friends down South"
or to the Dry Tortdgas, which is understood by
many to be place where everybody is tortured
with a thirst for rife whisky, and not a drop can
be obtained No good Union man will complain
of the conduct of the wise men who direct our
public affairs. They should be taught to re
member that scdndalum magRdfHm was formerly
a high crime-it Is a most heinous offense now
and nothing saves such copper colored wretches
but the Christian charity of our most pous
President.


AT the proposed meeting you should so arrange
matters as TO secure list Of all who fail to at
tend or omit to render a suitable apology, and
you should adopt resolutions of the most loyal"
kind. Allow me to suggest that the committee
on resolutions be selected IRON contractors and
Office holders. j particularly suggest one Coop
er, who has recently been appointed assessor for
the large, rich and populous district OF West Ten
nessee. He was originally from New York
True, he was never in West Tennessee until
sent from this city on his official errand; but he
no doubt knows by intuition the true value of the
goods and chattels, lands and tenements, &c
&c, Of people he never knew and a country la
which he never lived. But he Is so loyal-so
much 80 that doubt not he is better fitted for
the efice than any one of the native born sons
brothers or fathers Of the thousands of soldiers
who, before the 22d of last September West
Tennesse hid furnished to the Federal army. Lei
the committee initiate the Loyal Leagues o
Baltimore. ana resolve that you not only approve
all the present wise ana patrtotIc Administration
has done, but that you will sustain and uphold j
in everything il may hereafter do. Let the com
mittee make elaborate report. accompanied
with resolutions denouDcing all who find faul
with our most excellent President. For instance
The last Congress Tin July, 1862 passed Law
to confscate the property of certain Reb.ls. Thai
Congress, though very wise body, did not pos
sess much aggregate wisdom great anc
good President In proof of this reed but re
fer to the fact that the Congress aforesaid provId
Ell that, under this law, trial should precede con
viction and forfeiture and that guilt should b,
proyen. not presumed Worse still: il offered al
amnesty to repentant Rebels it mercifulIy CAV,
them sixty days in which to accept it; and pro
vided further, that our most noble Presden
might suspend for period the operation of thi
law as our armies advanced southward, 90 as {,
afford all an opportunity to accept pardon. Wors
still: this law actually applied TO one but th
Rebels And It IL astonishing that it applied t.
them everywhere, North as well South-il
Springfield, Illinois, as well as Springfield, Ten
nessee.


But. worse still. il did not effect the rights o
property OF Union men, womep and children, o
lunatics, in any section OF the country Iha
Congress, strange as il may seem, did not per
cieve that the way to end the rebellion and re
store affeetionate relations between the section
was TO place the Union men, women and childreI
and the insare upon perfect footing OF equalIt.
with the viest traitors in the land. That Con
gress believed that the crime of refusing obedi
ence TO the usurpation Of Davis K Co., in Missis
sppi. Arkansas. North Carolina and elsewhere
amid the terrors Of military dsspotism, did no
merit the same or worse punishment than tina
they had denounced against titled and oficia