Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-12-07
AusthiII. anipu mo 9msrifau


!. perhaps any conjunction, but sense Of personal
insecurity at the hands of the avengingsN Nemesis.
This letter is the most graphic sketch, yet given
to tAe world, of the cruel and dastardly Tyranny,
which the Yankee Government has established at
Washington. RUSSELL, in enc of his letters to the
London Tines, mentions the expedient of "arrest
bytelegraphn which has been introduced by SEWARD,
as something new and appalling, and outstripping
all the ingenious contrvances of all the despotisms
that ever existed. But the incarceration and tor-
ture Of helpless women, and the outrsges heaped
upon them, as detailed in this letter, will more
than shock manly natures, and stamp the LINCOLN
dynasty everywhere with undying infamy.
The letter tells its own tale and may be relied on
as atrue copy of the original in the hands Of VIM.
II. Seward:
WAsHISeroN, NOV. 18th, 1861, 1913, 18th Street.
To The Hon. Wm. Il. Se0ard, Secretary Of State:
Sit-For nearly three months have been con-
fined, close prisoner, shut out from air and
else, and denied all communion with family and
friends.
Patience is said to be a great virtue" and 1
have praehced it,, to my utmost capacity OF endur-
auce.
lam told, sir, that upon your ipss dixa, the fate
of citizens depends and that the sIgn-manual of the
was not more potential in their day. than that of
the Secretary Of State in 1861.
l, therefore, most respectfully submit, that on
Friday, August 2Sd, without warrant or other
police, and my house taken IN charge by them (;
that all my private letters and papers of lifetime,
were read and examined by them that every law
of decency was violated in the search of my house
and person, and by the surveillance over me.
We read in history, that the poor Maria AntoinS
had q no mar hnrh nv qVvIp ca
hands, and that even 9 change of linen had to be
effected in sight of her brutal captors. 1t is my
sad experience TO record even more revolving OUT
RACES than that for during the first days of my inns
prisonment whenever necessity forced me to seek
my chamber, detective stood sentinel at the open
door. And thus for period of seven days /, with
my little child, was placed absolutely at the mercy
OF men without character or responsibility; that
during the first evening, portion of these men be
came brutally drunk and boosted in my hearing Of
the mice times" they expected to have with the
female prisoners and that rude violence was used
towards coored servant girl during that evening,
the extent of which have not been able to learn.
For any show of decorum afterwards practised to-
wards me, was indebted to the Detective called
Capt. Dennis.
In the careful analysis of my papers l deny the
existence of line had not perfect right to have
written, or to have received. Freedom of speech
and of opinion is the birthright of Americans, guar
anteed TO us by Charter of Liberty-the ConstiS
tuition of the United States. l have exercised my
prerogative, and have openly avowed my senti>
ments During the political struggle, opposed
your Republican party with every instinct of self
preservation. l believed your success a virtual
notification of the Constitution and that it would
entail upon US all the direful consequences which
have ensued. These sentiments have doubtless been
found recorded among my papers, and hold them
Rs rather proud record of my ssgacity.
must be permitted to quote from letter Of
yours, in regard to Russell of the London Times
which you conclude with these admirable words :
Individual errors of opinion msy be tolerated,
long as good sense is left to combat them" By way
Of illustrating theory and prGctice-here am l. pTis-
Oner in sight of the Executive Mansion in sight of
the Capitol where the proud statesmen Of our land
have sung their s2ns to the blessings of our free
institutions.
Comment is idle. Freedom of speech, freedom
Of thought. every right pertaining TO the citize n
has been suspended by what, suppose, the Presi>
dent calls a military necessity" A blow has been
struck, by tn total disregard of all civil rights
against the present system Of Government, far
greater in its effects than the severance of the
Southern States. Our people have been taught
to contemn the supremacy of the law, TO " hieh
all have hitherto bowed, and to look to the
military power for protection against its DEGREES.
A military spirit has been developed, which will
only be subordinate to g Military Dictatorship.
Read history, and you will find, that the causes
which bring about s revolution rarely predomi-
nate at its close, and no people have returned
20 the point from which they started. Even should
the Southern States be subdued and forced back
into the Union, (which regard as impossible,
with full knowledge of their resources) differ
ent fern of Government will be found needful to
meet the new developments of national character.
There is class of society no branch of industry,
which this change has not reached and the dull,
plodding, methodical habits of the poor can never
be resumed.
You have held me, sir, to a mans accountability,
and therefore claim the right to speak subjects
usually considered beyond q wom&n's ken, and
which you may class as q errors of opinion. +"
offer no excuse for this long depression three
months imprisonment, without formula Of law,
gives me authority for occupying the precious mo-
ments of Secretary of State.
Ny object is to call your attention to the fact {:
that during this long imprisonment, am yet ignoS
rant of the causes of my arrest; that my house
has been seized and converted into pris or By the
Government that the valuable furniture it con-
tanned has been abused andIdestoryed that during
some period Of my Imprisonment have suffered
greatly for want Of proper aud sufficient food
Also, have to complain, that, more recently, q
woman Of bad character, recognized as having been
seen on the streets of Chicago such, by several
of the guard, calling herself Mrs. Onderdonk, was
placed here in my house, in a room adjoining myne
In making this exposition, l have no object Of
appeal to your sympathies. If the justice of my
complaint and decent regards of the worlds
opinion do not move you, should but waste time
to claim your attention on any other score.
i may, however, recall TO your mind, that but
little while since you were quite much prescribed
by public sentiment here, for the opinions and prin-
ciples you held as lam now for NINE
could easily have escaped arrest, having had
timely warning. l thought it possible that your
craftsmanship might present such proclamation of
weakness to the world, as even the fragment of
once great Government turning its against the
breasts of women and children. You have the
power, sir, and ystill further abuse it. You
may PROSTATE the physical strength by confinement
in close rooms and insufficient fo0d-you may sub
ject me to haFsher, ruder treatment than l have
already received, but you cannot mprisOn the soul
Every cause worthy of success habits martyrs.
The words of the heroine CordSy are applicable
here :"Cest e crime qai fat Ia honts ct non pas
Pechafaaden Ny suferings will afford significant
lesson to the of the South, that sex or con-
ditlon ia bulwark against the surgng pillows Ct
the "irrepreSSible conflict
The "trOn heel Of p5lcer" may keep down, but it
cannot crush out the spirit Of resistance in DeoN
pie armed for the defence of their rights; and l
tell you now, sir, that you standing over
crater, whose smothered fires in moment may
burst forth.
1t is your boast that thirty-three brstling fort,