Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1849-04-05
From the Missouri Republican.

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f8gsa From the Missouri Republican.
A Spicy Letter and Piqsant CONNIE ntary.
The National Intelligencer, Of 18th ult.,
contains the following letter from General
Shields to Judge Breese, and the comments
appended to it by the latter. Each Of the
productions are rather singular in their
way, and will be apt to excite some cnri-
GUS reflections in the midst Of the coDstitu-
ehts Of the parties. The position Of Gen.
Shields, in regard to his eligibility to the
Senate Of the United States, will be, no
doubt, satisfactorily settled BY the report
of the committee appointed to investigate
the facts Of the case, and with this report
we shall be soon made acquainted. II is
very possible, that this publication had the
effect Of inducing the Senate to make the
investigation, but we think it due TO Judge
Breese to say, that no publications made
in this paper, touching Gen. Shields ELI
glbilIty to the Senate, ever came from him.
We have no reason to suppose that he had
any agency whatever in their being writ
ten, and must, for this reason, acquit him
Of the censure which is cast upon him.
Aside from this, the gentlemen can take
care Of themselves. s@ a3
From the National Intenigencer.
WASHINGTON, Feb. Is, l849.
GErrLEMEr:-The extraordinary cha
racter Of the following letter from Gen.
Shields, received through the mail on the
..~vs .'s"6 Vt sis~ oAss, ;.sss.I :---r----..-...
me the necessity of giving it publicity,
with some comments thereon. / have,
therefore, to ask Of you sufficient space in
your columns for that purpose.
Very respectfully, your obedient, &c.,
SIDNEY BREESE.
SIR :-On my return to this country
from Mexico broken in constitution, fee
bic in health, and still suffering under the
effects Of wounds, you were the only man
in the city of Washington who received me
with coldness and unkindness. When
this city honored me with public dinner,
which was generously intended as COM
pliment not only to me but to my state,
you were the only man who declined to at
tend that dinner. You went further.-
You propagated areport here in Washing
ton and circulated it afterwards in Illinois,
that I was ineligible to the Office Of Sena-
tor; and this, too, after had poured out
my blood like water in the battle fields Of
my country. You published an article in
the st Louis Republican charging me with
sneligi6iity-doing that which | thought
no man in these United States would have
been mean enough to do in my case, even
if had been true. You. however, did
this, knowing It to be untrue. On this
subject | have simply to say, that, had ]
been defeated on that ground / had sworn
in my heart that you should never have
profited by your success and, depend
upon it, l would have kept that vow, re-
CARELESS Of consequences. That, however,
is now past, 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 Efingham court. You knew at the time
that was naturalized by law, and BY the
naturalization Of my father while was a
minor. told you the circumstances, and,
as | then talked Of going to Canada in case
Of war, you offered 10 give me GER
tifcate which would simplify the proof in
case Of difficulty. Now, wish you to
give me letter acknowledging these facts.
write you private letter for that pur-
pose. should have sent friend at once
and imperatively demanded such letter,
but | felt that, in disgracing you, | would
disgrace the State that made you and my
self Senators; and also wished to give
you an opportunity to make this acknowl-
edgment quietly. II, however, you per-
sist in your course Of injustice towards
me, and refuse this request l here give
you fair warning-let the consequences
fall on your own head shall hold my.
self acquitted both before God and man 70,
the course | shall feel bound to pursue to.
wards you. Your obedient serv't,
| sg.1 JAS. SHIELDS.
Hon. SIDNEY BREEsE.
Gen. Shields begins his letter BY refer.
ing to the wounds he received in Mexico
This aliusion seems quite unnecessary.-
The whole country, and particularly tn,
people Of Illinois, are familiar with III,
fact that he bears honorable scars upon hi,
person. For these wounds he a$alread,
received liberal share Of sympathy from
his grateful countrymen. However, ! an
not disposed to cayil at this part Of his let
ter. It il q matter Of taste that does no
concern me. s
deny most positively that ! treate,
Gen. Shields with Goodness and unkind
| ness" on his return from Mexico. I'm
mediately on his arrival in this CITY, I call