The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1862-02-20

party In power at the time. In the letter
to Captain Franklin, stated what Mr..
Lincoln's business was
He has proposition to make to you
connected with kind Of machine he un.
derstands you are using in the public i'm
provemsnts under your control
further said:
l commend him to you as a reliable
gentleman in every sense of the word, and
bespeak for him your kind CO consideration.'
In writing such letters, my mind. and
presume that OF others. DIV ellis almost
entirely on the relation the person asking
1t bears TO me, and have no recollection
of but single case in which ever refu.
sed letter of introduction to a friend or
acquaintance. have given them, as of
course, where had confidence in the
character and standing of the applicant,
and generally stated, as he requested. his
object in asking for the letter, without
even a thought in relation to that object.
But it is also asserted that the address
of the letter to Mr. Davis as President of
the Confederate States, is evidence of dis
loyalty. My answer is, that had neither
the authority nor the intention to recog-
nize the lawfulness OF his claim to the of.
fee he held in fact, and suppose ad
dressed him as matter Of courtesy BY the
title he claimed, aud. 10 doing this, did
no more. as was we'll said by the Senator
from California, Mr.. Latham, than was
repeated by Senators on this floor in open
debate, both before and after the date of
my lettar. had been for many years on
terms Of friendly personal and political
relations with Mr.. Davis. and in common
with those who knew him, had high
opinion OF his character and capacity. and
Of course fslt justified by those but recent
ly severde relations IN giving letter of in
PRODUCTION to him without any reference to
the position he claimed; nor did then for
moment believe that civil war could or
would be resorted to as remedy for the
settlement Of our sectional difficulties.
Nay, more; for weeks before. and for days
If not weeks after this letter was written,
letters and documents were transmitted by
your mails, addressed to Davis by the
same title. without objection or giving
rise to the idea that such an address was
a recognition of his lawful title to the off
ce he claimed or any impeachment of the
loyalty of those who directed them or
permitted their transmission. One Of the
Senators from Texas on this floor repeat
edly showed documents and letters that he
had directed at his desk here to the Presi.
dent of the Confederate States.
Subsequent to this letter for more than
month persons claiming to be commits
sioners from this new confsderacy were
residing in this capital unmolested. and in
communication. whether formal or infor-
NAL is immaterial, with the Secretary Of
State.
In view of all the historical facts, how
can any candid. impartial mind come to
the conclusion that on the lst Of March.
l knew that there was war existing, or
that war was inevitable? Add to this the
timid and tlme-serving Policy of the late
Administration, in frequent consultation
with the immediate friends and commits
sioners of the Southern organization, al
lowing his political friends and the press
Of the country to announce and reannounce
daily that there would be no war--that
Fort Sumter would be evacuated and
peaceful relations established; and you
have another key to the delusion under
which thousands and hundreds Of thou
sands of loyal Union men in the South as
we'll as in the North, were l&bor-
ing. Up to the day that Fort Sumter fell
believed with the President that we were
friends, not enemies wrote of them
and to them; spoke Of them and 10 them
as ever had; but here. sir. the curtain
FELL this was an act of war, and from the
date of the Presidents Proclamation we
were enemies, not friends, in the belliger-
ent sense of the term. Acts which before
the happening of this event were legiI-
mate and lawful, become now illegal and
in some instances reasonable. The ship
ment Of provisions, the sale of all kinds of
munitions Of war that had been publicly
carried en- between the North and South,
and was an every day occurrence Up to
this time. suddenly. and by this act of
war. and by virtue of the proclamation of
the President, became illegal and treason.
able; and after the occurrence OF these
events, SHOULD never have felt myself at
liberty to address letter of introduction
to Mr.. Davis.
No man disputes this; but are you 60
tno 70 hot l. Il