Year: 1866

under me. If you had not confidence


in me, you ought at least to have had


it in the Major General Commanding


this Department. You mu have


known that it would injure both him


and myself TO permit. any one TO talk


treason, whether in secret OF openly.


will remark that it is singular that q


majority of the people should have


talked treason before you, while not s


word of the kind has ever reached me,


though | am IN daily communication


with the people from every portion Of


the State. ! have heard much COM


plant among the people that the State


is not allowed its representation in


Congress-much desire expressed to be
recognized as fhlly in the Union-much
regret that the Presidents policy does
not preYail-but not one word have
heard from any person, whatever, that
was calculated or inten ded to incite q
war against the Government or to
destroy the Union. To be candid
with you, ] must say ] do not be-
lieVe that you have heard more than l
have, for the desire of the people 10 be
in the Union and not out of il, is so
universal and notorious, that cannot
believe any other has been expressed.
That you have heard our people ex-
press bitter complaints against those
who are known here a.. ',Northern dis
unionists," / have no doubt. that those
complaints hase grown in bitterness
the last three Or four months, is also
true But after our people have mani
tested their loyalty and desire to re-
turn to the Union, by taking the oath
prescribed by the President ito support
the Constitution of the United States
and the Union Of the States thereun-
der, and to abide by and faithfully sup
port all laws and proclamations which
have been made during the existing re-
bellion with reference to the emancipa-
ton of slaves after their Convention
has annulled the ordinance of seces-
sion, Tepudiated all debts contracted
by the State since the date of seees.
all the slaves FREE
opened to them all the Courts-admit.
ted them as witnesses in all cases in
which they are interested, and declar- !
ed that they SHALL enjoy the rights of
person and property without distinction |
of color r"-and adopted the amend |
ment to the Constitution of the United |
States prohibiting slavery every where |
in the Union-I say, after our people |
have done s1 this, and every thing else |
they understood the Government TO /
desire them to do, that any portion of
them, much less q majority, should /
talk treason either openly or secretly, i
is too much for my oredulity. 1t is sin
gular that you should have interpreted
the solicitude and impatience of the
people to be recognized as fully in the
Union, into manifestations of treason.
There is no treason in Florida. / will
guarantee that if the President should
call upon her for volunteers to sustain
the Union, Florida would furnish as
many troops as any other State in pro
portion to her population


| complain of you also for saying that
the sentiments of the people of this
State have changed for the worse "be-
couse of the leniency manifested by
the present administration" | think
you have done the people Of this State
great injustice as describing them as
Ingrates who have abused the kindness
Of the President l feel satisfied that
they duly appreciate the msgnanimous
course of the President, and that upon
ali suitable occasions they will prove
themselves worthy of it


think also that you have done the
President of the United States iniust-
ice in saying that his course has led the
people of one of the States to talk trea-
son and feel bitterness against the
general government The action of
the President needs no defence from
me. BY his reconstruction policy he |
has done more than all other men put
together to recall the affections of the |
people to the Government, and his re-
cent veto messages have satisfied US
that we still live under a constitutional
government. | do not know a dozen
citizens of this State who are not ready |
10 rally around the President in sup
port of the Government


/ need hardly add that under the
deem it my duty to APP
point some other person than yourself
10 act as Superintendent of Schools for
The freedmen in this State, and that
your commission is vacated from this
date. am, respectfully,


Your obedient serV't,


. d g WAITE