Letter from Fred Parsons to Mississippi Governor William L. Sharkey; July 25, 1865

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Letter from Fred Parsons to Mississippi Governor William L. Sharkey; July 25, 1865

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People

Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875 Parsons, Fred Sharkey, William Lewis, 1798-1873

Events

Criminal Procedure Criminal Procedure--Amnesty Criminal Procedure--Pardon Legislation. United States. Congress Legislation. United States. Congress. General Amnesty Act (1865)

Military Units

United States. Army

Organizations

United States--Congress

Businesses

Retail Stores

Places

Mississippi--Adams County. Natchez Mississippi--Hinds County. Jackson Washington (D.C.)

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[seal]

Natchez Miss.
July 25th 1865—

Hon W. L. Sharky—
Prov. Gov of Miss.
Jackson Miss

Dear Sir—

I take pleasure in writing to you to obtain information for myself and for many of my friends residing in this city—in reference to your Proclamation of July 7^th 1865. Ordering all persons egaged in any kind of business in this state to take and subscribe to the "amnesty" Oath prescribed by the President in his proclamation of May 29^th 1865.—

There are several of us residing here and engaded in various branches of business—who do not think it our duty to take this Oath—if however after examing the case you should deem us to be in the wrong, we shall as a matter of necessity subscribe to it—

We are all from the north most of us have srved under the Stars and Stripes during this Rebellion and all have been Loyal in very sense of the term—

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the President in his Proclamation of may 29^th 1865 declared "amnesty" to a certain class of the Southern People who had been engaged in the Rebellion, by their taking and subscribing to the Oath therein prescribed—and you in your Proclamation of July 7^th 1865, declared that "evidence of Loyalty shall be the taking of the President's Amnesty Oath.

Amnesty means pardon, and certainly a persons who have never committed offences against the Government cannot ask or recieve pardon—it was to the disloyal that the President extended Pardon. Now if we subscribe to this oath are we not asking what we are not entitled to, and swearing to that which is not true?

If we subscribe to this oath are not the copies forwarded to you—and thence to Washington to be recorded as so many more giving in their allegiance to the Government?

The form of oath used here is "I do solemnly swear that I will henceforth defend the Consti-tution of the united states &c"—Now does not the word henceforth clearly imply that ~~whe~~ we

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have been disloyal, that we have taken up arms, or have aided and abetted those who have been in open resistance to the Government? This we have not done but have openly, and devotedly aided both in our means and strength of muscle the federal Authority in assisting its supremacy.

In view of these facts is it right, proper, or just that we should be placed in the same catalogue with those who did every thing that was possible for men too do to destroy the Government—have we too, as well as the disloyal, to be "born again" into the "fold of the Federal Union" before we can be looked upon as loyal citizens—and before we can obtain those rights guaranteed to us by the constitution and the Laws of the United States—

hoping to receive an early answer if consistent with your many duties

I am
Respectfully
Your Ob't Serv^t

Fred. Parsons

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Aug. 2. 1865.
Fred. Parsons & others of Natchez Miss, who have fought under the stars & stripes, now engaged in business, think that taking the Amnesty Oath is a confession of previous guilt, desire information if absolutely essential.

Answered