The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-07-28
Letter from Daniel Il. Sickies.
., New York, July 90.

The Herald Of o-day contains letter
to the editor from Hon. Daniel E. Sick
les, in which he corrects a statement
made in that paper yesterday, regarding
the recent event in his domestic relat-
tons. The reconciliation, he says, was
my own act, without cons ultation with
any relative, connection, friend or advi-
ser. Whatever blame, if any, belongs
to the step, should fall upon me. | am
prepared to defend what | have done,
before the only tribunal l recognize as
having the slightest claim to jurisdiction
over the subject, my own conscience
and the bar Of Heaven. | am not aware
of any statute or code of morals which
makes it infamous to forgive woman, nor
is il usual to make our domestic life a
subject Of consultation with friends, no
matter how near and dear to us, and
cannot allow even all the world combined
to dictate to me the Reputation of my
wife, when think it right to forgive her
and restore her to my confidence and
protection. If | ever failed to compre
bend the utter desolate position Of an of
Tending though penitent woman, the
hopeless future with all its dark possibil-
tiles OF danger to which she is doomed
when prescribed as an outcast. can now
see plainly enough, in the almost uni
versal howl of denunciation with which
she is followed to my Threshold, the
misery and perils from which have res
cued the mother of my child, and al
though it is very sad for me to incur the
blame of friends and the reproaches of
many wise and good people. l shall strive
to prove to all who feel any interest in
me, that if am the first man who has
ventured to say to the world, an erring
wife and mother may be forgiven and re-
deemed. that in spite of all the obstacles
in my path, the good results of this ex-
ample shall entitle it to the imitation of
the generous and the commentator of
the just.
There are many who think that an act
of duty proceeding entirely from atfec-
tons which can only be comprehended
in the heart of a husband and father, is
TO be fatal to my professional and politi-
cal station. Professional success and So
cial recognitions are not the only prizes
of ambition, and SO long as do nothing
worse than to reunite my family under
the roof where they may find shelter
from contumely and persecution, | do
not fear the noisy but fleeing voices of
popular clamor.
The multitude accept their first i'm
pressions from few, but in the end men
think for themselves; and if know the
human heart, and sometimes | think
that in career Of mingled sunshine and
storm | have sounded nearly all its
depths, then may say to those who look
with reluctant forebodings on my future,
to be of good cheer, for will not cease
to vindicate just claim to the respect
of my fellow citizens while to those
motley groups here and there, who look
upon my mistortunes only as weapon
to be employed for my destruction. say
once for all, If man make good use of
his enemies. they will be as serviceable
to him as his friends
In conclusion let me ask only one ia
vor OF those who. from whatever motive,
may deem it necessary or agreeable to
comment in public or private on this sad
history, and that is, to aim all their ar
rows at my breast. and for the sake of
my innocent child, to spare her yet
youthful mother, while she seeks in sor-
row and contrition the mercy and par
don of Him to whom sooner or later we
must all appear.