Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1849-03-17
GEN. SHIELDS AND HON. $. nREEsE,

|
tion, and shows the amiable state of feeling
that subsists between those two gentlemen
WASHINGTON, Feb. 90, 1S49.
Hon. SIDNEY BREEsE--Sir: On my return
to this country from Mexico--broken in con
stltutlon feeble in health, and still suffering
under the effect of wounds, you were the
Only man in the city of Washington who re.
ceived me with coldness and unkindness
When the City honored me with public
dinner, which was generously intended moi
only as a compliment TO me but to my State,
you were the only man who declined to al
tend that dinner. You went further; you
propagateda report here in Washington, and
circulated it afterwards in Illinois, that was
ineligible 10 the office of Senator, and this
too after had poured out my blood like wa
ter on the battle-felds of my country. You
published an article in the st. Louis Bepubli-
can, charging me with ineligibiti'y--doing
that which | thoughtno man in these Z. States
would have been mean enough TO do in my
case even if il had been true. You, however
On thissubjec, have simply to say, that
had been defeated by you on that ground
had sirorn in my heart that you nercr should
hare profted yo,r success, and depend upon
il, would have kept that vow regardless of
consequences. That, however, is now passed
and the vow is cancelled by your defeat. Why
| address you now is simply this In 1910
you gave me something in the shape Of a
final Certificate of Naturalization in Eiiingham
Court You knew at the time that was na-
turalized by law, and by naturalization of
my father while | was minor. told you
the circumstances, and, as then talked of
going to Canada in case of war, you offered
to give me a certificate which would simpli-
fy the proof in case of difficulty. Now
wish you 10 give me letter acknowledging
| these facts write you private letter for
the purpose. should have sent friend at
once and imperatively demanded such let
ter, but felt that in disgracing you should
disgrace the State that had made you and my
self Senators, and also wished TO give you
an opportunity to make this acknow ledgment
quietly. If, however, you persist in your
course of injrstice toward me rstd refuse this
request, here give you fair warning. Let
the consequences fall on your own head.
shall hold yselfacqui,ted, both before God
and man, for the course shall feel bound to
pursue toward you.
Your obedent servant
Copy JAS. SHIELDS.
Mr.. Breese. in his letter to the National
lntelligencer, says:
Not the least so of the many remarkable
passage of this letter of General Shields is the
following ton this subject have simply
to say that, had been defeated by you on
that ground, uhe ground of ineigibiity,) l
had sworn in my heart that you nerer should
hare profhed by your success and, depend
upon 1t, / pould hare kept my row regardless
Of consequences" Certainly it is fortunate for
the honor Of the country that this rash "vow"
has been ''cancelled" by my defeat Gen
eral Shields submits his prerensions to a seat
in the Senate to Democratic caucus of the
Illinois Legislature, and agrees expressly, or
by the clearest implication, tha, he will abide
their decision; and yet it appears that al this
very moment she had sworn in his hearth to
defeat The will of the party if it had pro-
nounced in favor of his most prominent com
petilor; and, in order to accomplish his pur-
pose, he determines 10 perpetrate an assas-
sinaiion for such is the obvious import of
this language. Such a design and such a
deed are revolving 10 the American mind, and
foreign TO the American character. They
are worthy only of the most infamous ages of
Italian crime. If our political contests. are
to be mingled with, or followed by, personal
violence, how long will our elective system
endure! Without further comment, SUBJ
nit this extraordinary passage TO the consid-
Grafton of candid men. Christians and pa
triots, who love and respect the laws and in
stitutions of our country, and desire to guard
and defend them against all violation.
Gen. Shields, says: 'In 1910 gave him
something in the shape Of final certificate of
naturalization" The naturalization laws do
not recognise 'something" or anything Gin
the shape of final certificate" TO 'simplify
proofs in case of difficulty" or for any other
purpose, How, then, could |, a circuit Judge
have given him any snch paper9 The state
ment has no fact legal provision, or proba-
biliy to support it.
If it be true that his father was in the
country and naturaized, is it possible that
Gen, Shields, should know the fact, and not
know the State and county where it occur
red When authentic copies of those natu-
ralizaton papers, if they exist, could be SO
easily procured, is it not strange he should
attempt to extort from me by menace, a state
ment which, if obtained, could have no legal
bearing upon the subject
What the consequence are against
which Gen. Shields gives me "fair warning"
il | persist in what no sane man will call Sim
JUSTICE" am equally Ignorant of and indif-
ferent to- One thing is certain, be they what
they may, have not given, nor shall give
him, any ''statementn of the character re-