John W. L. Tylee Letterbook, 1865-1873
John W. L. Tylee Letterbook, 1865-1873
Tylee's political sentiments often surfaced in letters to northern correspondents. On 17 April 1867 he wrote, "Gen. Sickles has given general satisfaction to I believe the whole community and seems disposed in the execution of his onerous duties to be mild and gentlemanly to all. I am glad we have such a man with us for instead of trouble and riot as many predicted every thing goes on more quiet and peacible than before and there is much more confidence exhibited than we had any reason to hope for. Gen. Sickles though vested with power has no inclination to use it and has and is making warm friends among our entire people."
A letter of 5 February 1868 comments on the Radical convention that was drawing up the new state constitution-"a greater set of renegades, scoundrels and theives was never convened together yet than is now making laws for gentlemen," while an 18 July 1868 letter suggests that "The Ku Klux Klan...is altogether an imaginary organization, the report being raised by the Radicals themselves for political effect, like a good many other reports of a sinister nature and all equally without any foundation."
In February 1868 Tylee contacted the New York book dealer and bibliographer Joseph Sabin, who had advertised for an original five-volume set of John Marshall's Life of George Washington. Tylee was acting as agent for a Charleston widow who owned the set. "They would not be parted with on account of being a family relic but the pinching time with many of our Southern people has compelled my aged friend to sever like the rest all that was near to her."
Still fuming a week later over the plight of his aged friend, Tylee vented his spleen in a letter to another correspondent-"Nothing prosperous, nothing bright, nothing to cheer us up, but the nigger supreme, takes the lead and almost makes me ashamed to say he is a citizen of the U.S. May God in mercy grant a change soon and put us once more under the constitution our forefathers fought for and won....Oh how my blood boils when I think of the way our Country is going to ruin and the people to want and destitution. While I am one of those who acted in the late struggle I am nor never was one to wish the constitution trampled under foot by any one and I am therefore bitter against those who will attempt it now. I wish the Country as it was in the time of Washington and there is no reason now that it should not be so."
at the South Caroliniana Library of the University of Sout Carolina, University South Caroliniana Society, Manuscripts Collections
Tylee's political sentiments often surfaced in letters to northern correspondents. On 17 April 1867 he wrote, "Gen. Sickles has given general satisfaction to I believe the whole community and seems disposed in the execution of his onerous duties to be mild and gentlemanly to all. I am glad we have such a man with us for instead of trouble and riot as many predicted every thing goes on more quiet and peacible than before and there is much more confidence exhibited than we had any reason to hope for. Gen. Sickles though vested with power has no inclination to use it and has and is making warm friends among our entire people."
A letter of 5 February 1868 comments on the Radical convention that was drawing up the new state constitution-"a greater set of renegades, scoundrels and theives was never convened together yet than is now making laws for gentlemen," while an 18 July 1868 letter suggests that "The Ku Klux Klan...is altogether an imaginary organization, the report being raised by the Radicals themselves for political effect, like a good many other reports of a sinister nature and all equally without any foundation."
In February 1868 Tylee contacted the New York book dealer and bibliographer Joseph Sabin, who had advertised for an original five-volume set of John Marshall's Life of George Washington. Tylee was acting as agent for a Charleston widow who owned the set. "They would not be parted with on account of being a family relic but the pinching time with many of our Southern people has compelled my aged friend to sever like the rest all that was near to her."
Still fuming a week later over the plight of his aged friend, Tylee vented his spleen in a letter to another correspondent-"Nothing prosperous, nothing bright, nothing to cheer us up, but the nigger supreme, takes the lead and almost makes me ashamed to say he is a citizen of the U.S. May God in mercy grant a change soon and put us once more under the constitution our forefathers fought for and won....Oh how my blood boils when I think of the way our Country is going to ruin and the people to want and destitution. While I am one of those who acted in the late struggle I am nor never was one to wish the constitution trampled under foot by any one and I am therefore bitter against those who will attempt it now. I wish the Country as it was in the time of Washington and there is no reason now that it should not be so."
at the South Caroliniana Library of the University of Sout Carolina, University South Caroliniana Society, Manuscripts Collections
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home