[Draft] Oak Forest 20 Aug. 1864 Capt. J. W. Francis Dear Sir I have your favr. of the inst informing me of the order of Genl. Sheridan as to the quality & composition of the Commissioners of election with a copy of the oath to be taken by such commissioners - If any thing could induce me to Vary from the Resolution I have come to on full information, it would be from a sincere regard to oblige you personally & to carry out your very proper wishes on the Subject; but I trust you will properly appreciate my feelings when I say to you that I could not consistantly with my views on the subject consent to perform the duty you require - To show you that it does not arise from [any] want of respect for you I will add a word of explanation. I am sincerely & I think patriotically opposed to Negro Supremacy over my own race in every Shape & form and believe that those who have originated this policy are enemies of the South, enemies to the Union, enemies to good government, & above all violators of the Constitution of the United States, which I hold as sacred only to the Bible itself. There can be no true freedom without its terms are observed & its persons maintained - It is, and has always been a white mans government & whilst I am forever pledged to maintain the freedom [2] of the Negro & to guarantee him every right of the White Man, I am persuaded that the best interest of both races, the good of Society at large the Public peace & tranquility absolutely require that the right of Suffrage should be withheld or its restrictions rigid if extended to that race - how then should I feel to Sit as a commissioner of [station] & witness the entire freedom with which the poor semi-barbarian would cast his vote, perhaps for some miserable designing white man ten times worse than this Newly pledged instrument of party calculation & party Revenge, and then to witness [inserted: the] exclusion perhaps [illegible] of numbers of the most intelligent, the most patriotic & the very best men in society - No, no. let this Service be performed by others - It may be just, it may be all right - It may be that the moon is the primary Source of light & heat, the Sun only the Secondary - The Earth may be the Center of the Copernican System, The Sun Moon and Stars revolve around the great earth, So the White may be the African, and the [strikeout] [inserted: Leopard] [in] the view of the modern Naturallists may have lost his spots - The s[illegible]n may have changed color with the Raven - God's mercy may be turned to wrath & the Devil may have become an Angle of light but to be candid with you my friend, all those things are alike [illegible]ble in my view. - And hence I must respectfully decline to change all my school boy lessons & to adopt a faith which Consigns the land of Washington & Jefferson [3] of Jackson Clay and Calhoun to the [illegible]tion darkness of the primitive ages with African Chiefs and African Statesmen [strikeout] to be installed in their places - So your duty my young friend, but I trust you will [inserted: not] expect such as I am with the opinions I entertain & the sensibilities with which I am possessed to assist in that which I honorably believe is to ruin My whole Country & to adulterate a race of people long the superior & destined by God himself to be kept distinct and above all other races - I have sent the papers to Mr. [Moody] to whom I have suggested the named of [inserted: a] colored man and some white man or men as [this] can may be according to the decision he may make as to himself acting as a Commissioner - You will hear from me as soon as Mr. [illegible] sends me his c[illegible]. With much true Regard I am your's T. Gibson