Letter from J. W. C. Watson to Mississippi Governor William L. Sharkey; June 17, 1865

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Letter from J. W. C. Watson to Mississippi Governor William L. Sharkey; June 17, 1865

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People

Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875 Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 Watson, J. W. C.

Events

Conventions Conventions--Maryland. Constitutional Union National Convention (1860)Conventions--Mississippi. Special Convention (1851)Criminal Procedure Criminal Procedure--Amnesty Political Office--Appointment to office Political elections Political elections--Election of 1860 Secession. American Civil War

Organizations

Confederate States of America--Congress Political Parties Political Parties--Union and Southern Rights Party (Miss.)

Occupations

Legislators Newspaper editors Politicians

Places

California Maryland--Independent City. Baltimore Mississippi--Marshall County. Holly Springs

Social Identifiers

Political Identities--Confederate War Dissenters

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Holly Springs June 17^th

Dear Sir,

I see that you have been appointed Provisional Governor of the state, and I greatly rejoice thereat. I hope that it foreshadows a wise and beneficent policy on the part of President Johnson in effecting a reconstruction of the Union. I beleive that the masses of the peo-ple are prepared, in good faith, to return to their allegiance to the United States, and the sooner such a result is brought about the better I think it will be for all concerned.

I am myself about applying for the benefit of the amnesty oath and it has occurred to me that it is in your power greatly to aid me in the matter. If not disinclin-ed to render this aid, you will place me under many obliga-tions by doing it. My petition sets forth among other things, that I was a member of the Union Convention held in this state in 1851, and concurred in the action of that body in denying the right of State Secession, and in recommend-ing to the people acquiescence in the compromise meas-ures passed by Congress, on the admission of California into the Union, as a state: that in 1860 I established a newspaper in this place, at my own expense, and plac-ed it under the editorial charge of a gentleman of ability for the express purpose of upholding the Union, the Con-stitution, and the enforcement of the laws: that though polit-ically opposed to Mr Lincoln, I distinctly took the ground that his election to the Presidency would be but the exercise of a constitutional right by his supporters, and would not there-fore be a sufficient cause for any violent action on

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the part of the Southern States: that I was opposed to the secession of Mississippi, and was defeated as an anti secession candidate for the convention by which the ordinance of secession wa^s. passed: that after the state had seceded by the almost unanimous action of the convention, and the alternative was presented of taking sides for, or against my native section &c, I beleived it to be my duty to acquisce in the decision of my fellow citizens; that accordingly I did so acquiesce, and accepted office under the "so-called Confederate States," and in 1863 accepted that of Senator in the Confederate Congress, from this state, my term commencing February 18^th 1864: ~~I add~~ that I was conscientiously prepared to take the amnesty oath and to assume the duties and responsibilities of a good, true, and loyal citizen of the United States &c. &c.

I have made the foregoing statement by way of reminding you of my political antecedents. Of these, however, I dare say you have some personal recollection. You cannot, I am sure, have forgotten our trip to the Baltimore convention, and the views which we there mutually avowed and cherished. No one could have been more opposed to dis-union than I was, and no one, to the extent of his abilities, labored more earnestly to avert it. Under these circum-stances, I hope you will feel at liberty to write a letter in my behalf to President Johnson, to be presented with my petition. In this way I am sure you can render me an important service, and I feel confident that you will never have cause to regret having done so. Please let me hear from you at your earliest convenience.

Most sincerely your friend

Jno. W. C. Watson

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J W C Watson

congratulatory letter