Year: 1879

necessities of the afflicted people of Missis-


sippi required it,


have not been altogether insensible to


the injustice attempted to be done me by


some of the citizens of the State, as well
as a portion of the press, to which 1 feel


sufficiently charitable to attribute to their
utter ignorance of the true condition of


things, rather than to any disposition to


magnify their own virtues, or to inflict any
injury upon me. But feel fully acq1it-
ted by my own conscience; feel that | have
done no wrong to our suffering and dying
fellow-citizens, and betrayed no trust re-
posed in me by the people of Mississippi.
I thank nv God that l was not con-
structed of that material which pliantly
Yields TO the feeble demands of a popular
clamor, at the expense of the deliberate
convictions of conscience, truth, and JUS
tice. / have not been an idle, callous
looker-on, while so many hundreds of the
best people of the State were falling before
the terrible pestilence that was sweeping
over the land Since the breaking out of
the fever at Grenada and Vicksburg, and
up to the present time, have thought OF
little else, and it has been my constant aim
to do that which would go farthest toward
relieving the suffering of the sick and dying
of the State | sought all the means at
my command to ascertain the condition and
necessities of the people in the districts
where yellow fever was prevailing. L found
that the hearts of the charitable people
everywhere were responding most literally
to the silent, but eloquent appeals of suf-
fering humanity, and I have found no time,
since the first few days, that they have
anywhere in the State, been in need of
money Private charity has kept them
constantly supplied, and if any have,
at any time, been in want, it was because
the means of communication were inter
rupted, and the relief, although ready for
them. could not be conveyed to them in
time. Private charity has always been
equal to the necessities of the sick and
suffering while public aid for such pur-
poses is slow and uncertain. The result OF
my inquiries and deliberations was, that
State aid was not demanded, and that any
attempt to apply it would be dangerous to
the best interests of those for whose benefit
it was intended, It's tendency would have
been to divert the streams of private charity
which were flowing so freely, so literally
and so abundantly to them, while any aid
the State could or would have afforded |
would have been wholly inadequate to the
demand. Thus our people, by the act OF
their own State Government, would have
been robbed of their charitable income and |
left to suffer, starve and die. Had the me-
cessity for State aid ever existed, which l
em2hatically deny, it could have been ex-
tended only by an act of the Legislature.
The Treasury of the State, as any one who
will give the subject single thought must
know, is as far beyond the reach of the
Executive as that of the humblest citizen
IF the State. He cannot command dol
ar of it, and the sug estion that he pledge
he credit of the State for a loan, seems to
ne as impracticable as it is absurd.
If the necessities of the people suffering
rom yellow fever had ever demanded it, L
hould certainly have called the Legislature
ogether and urged them do grant relief
o the full extent of their necessities.
l have written in great haste, and must !
reg you to excuse any errors and omissions
.ou may discover.
1 respectfully request that you consider
his letter personal, making only such prl-
ate use of it as you may think proper. 5
With many thanks for your kind, salts
actory and statesman-like letter and my {
nqualifed Endorsement of your views,


I remain, sincerely your friend,


J. NJ. STONE. :