ASHEBORO, May 28, ’61
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I think there is no reliable date on which to base any opinion as to the continuance of the war. If Lincoln and his cabinet exhibited any marks of statesmanship, I should think there would be peace very soon. I think, however, that he and his advisers want common sense, and hence I can draw no conclusions as to what they will do. There seems to be no alternative to the South, only between independence and humiliation. I have feelings that we cannot be conquered—if Southern Democracy will permit the rest of us to co-operate with them on terms less humiliating than absolute vassalage to them. This is doubtful. Their unmanly course towards us thus far is only less galling than submission to Lincoln. The war, however, is so manifestly suicidal that I still hope that the good sense of the free States will get into the movement and arrest the war before rage and passion shall have ruined the land. I fear the incident at Alexandria will add fuel to the flame North and South.
Randolph, like myself, was slow to come to the conclusion that Abolitionism and Secession were the only Commanders in the field—both, as we believed, moved and instigated by the Devil. The moment we perceived that we had to be the followers of the one or the other we all enrolled ourselves as true and liege vassels of Secession. We now have at least 350 volunteers in fragments of companies. I think three or four companies will be made up within a few days.
B. F. Hoover, Doct. Lane, aided by others of like caliber, have lied so persistently as to make Tom. Waddell, Adgt. Genl. Hoke and other such fools believe that I was not true to the South and that Randolph concurred with me. It sometimes makes my blood boil a little when I know that men, having no connection with slaves, excepting with one sex, and that connection not that of master and slave, endeavoring to make the impression that I favor abolitionism. It is the privilege, however, of such poor devils and does me no permanent injury.
We are all well.
SOURCE: J. G. de Roulhac Hamilton, Editor, The Correspondence of Jonathan Worth, Volume 1, p. 151-2
