The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-04-05
CenspSracy Against che Government
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Conspiracy Against che GOvoSmMent
2 In the Senate, March 25th, Mr.. LATHAM said:
have resolution that shall offer, and !
beg the indulgence of the Senate while make
brief preliminary statement, as shall ask
for its immediate consideration. In the Bos-
ton Journal of Saturday evening, MsTch ~,
1852, appeared the following article:
"TREAsoSABLE Ptor IN MrcHIGAs. The |
Detroit Tribune publishes curious document
REVEALING an attempt in that State last fall tc !,
organize league for the purpose Of overthrow
ing the Federal Government. This object is
plainly avowed in secret circular, which de-
clares the purpose of the movement to be .to
rise and unite, if necessary, with the a-(army)
Of the s., (South, overrun the N--(Norih)
like hurricane, sweeping the Al Adminis-
tration) into eternity, or at least, driving them
into complete and unconditional submission"
The document is dated October 5, 1861, and
says the leauge is doing q noble work in Mary
land AMI among the soldiers at Fortress Monroe
and that s.President p president PIERCE in
his passage has drawn many brave and influ-
entail men to the league" The Tribune says
the original of the document is now in the
State Department at Washington, and that it
led to the arrest and imprisonment of several
persons in Fort Lafayette. 1t was discovered
that secret organizations existed in many towns
in Michigan, and in numerous places in Canada
West"
This morning received the following letter
from ex-President Pierce:
CONCORD, N. H., March "a, 1862.
MY DEAR SIR: l inclose short notice from
the Saturday evening edition of the Boston
Journal, March %, the substance of which
| it is quite probable you may have seen
before Having originated in Michigan, and
been reproduced in Boston, it can hardly be
doubted that it has already secured wide
| circulation.
The subject is not new to me. 1t was the
occasion of O correspondence between the Sec
rotary of State and myself as early as Decem-
Der last. thought Unreasonable to suppose, at
the close of that correspondence, that the mat
| ter would cease to attract notice.
This expectation not having been realized,
and the offensive charge alleged to be based
upon document, the original of which sis
| now in the State Department at Washington, ]"
having been revived and extensively published,
will you do me the favor to introduce in the
Senate resolution calling for the correspond
ence to which l have referred.
| 1t will strike you, am sure, both upon
public and personal grounds, that such impu-
| tations should not be permitted thus to circu-
late unchallenged, especially when answer
| to them, at least so far as ! am concerned, has
been for months upon the files of the first De-
| partment of the Government.
/ am, very truly, your friend, &C.,
| FRANKLIN PIERCE.
Hon. MILTON S. LATHAM, United States SEN
ate, Washington, d. G.
Mr.. President, shall offer the resolution in
my hand, and trust the Senate will permit its
consideration now, for / deem it nothing more
than proper not only to this distinguished
individual, but to the country, that the truth
in relation to this charge should be known, and
if a malignant and base calumny, that it should
be branded as such:
ResoIced, That the Secretary of State 10
requested to transmit to this body copies of any
correspondence which may have taken place
between Hon William II. Seward, Secretary of
State, and Hon. Franklin Pierce, ex- President
of the United States having reference to a sup
posed conspiracy against the Government.
Mr., CHANDLER. Mr.. President
The VICE PRESIDENT. The Senator will
allow the Chair first to ascertain whether there
is any objection to the consideration of the
resolution
Mr.. CHANDLER. wish to make some
remarks in regard to the resolution.
The VICE PRESIDENT. They are not in
order unless the resolution is before the Sem
ate.
Mr.. HOWARD. hope there will be no
objection to it.
The VICE PRESIDENT The CHR hears
no objection and the resolution is before the
Senate.
Mr.. CHANDLER. copy of that letter was
furnished by me to the State Department,
think as early as November last, and it has
been in my hands since the 7th or Sth day of
October. l should desire to read to the Sen.
ate the whole of the letter OF which that is an
extract, but it is at my room, and have not
| with Of bicf Tha
was most reasonable and infamous; it was
| wide spread; and it received the attention of
| the State Department, as think it should have
DONE The writer of that identical article-a
DIR. Hopkins-was on his way to accept COM
| mission as surgeon in the Federal Army
| when he was arrested and sent to Fort La Fay
cite. About that time ''the Knights of the
Golden circle" as | was informed and believe,
| came to the resolution that they would be
more patriotic than anybody else that they
would rush into the Federal army; that they
would put men, if possible, in every regiment
of the Federal army; and to my certain knowl.
edge, they did succeed in getting large num-
| Der OF the worst traitors in the United States
| into the Federal army; and they are there now
| This man Hopkins acknowledged the writing
| Of the letter, but undertook to call it Joke
Well, sir, it was pretty serious joke. l have,
perhaps, more information than it is necessary
| for me to divulgc at this time in reference to
/ this matter.
Mr. LATHAM do not wish to gainsay
| anything the gentleman has said. What |
wish, and what feel is due to the Government
and the country is to know whether person
who has filled the highest office within the
GIFT OF the Americn people, an ex- President of
OF the United States, was in any manner con-
nected with such an organization 1t is due
to him, and it is due to the country, that it
should be known whether such is the fact; and
that is simply the object of my resolution
| Mr.. HOWARD. am very glad, Mr. presi-
| dent, that the Senator from California has pre-
| sented this resolution. think it is alike due
| to ex.President Pierce and to the country that
| the facts, so far as they are attainable at the
State Department, should be obtained by the
Senate and spread out before the country.
do not undertake to say. nor to intimate that
| the papers to which allusion is made by the
Senator from California, will in any way i'm.
plicate ex-Presdent Pierce. do not know
| how that may be; l will not undertake to say.
| That there is such letter as has been referred
to by my colleague is certainly true; for have
| seen the original with my own eyes; or that
| which is called the original. | believe, how
ever, that the resolution of my friend from CAL
ifornia does not require copy of that particu
lar ietter--the letter of DIR. Hopkins / would
inquire of him whether it is broad enourb IN
cover that letter It calls simply for any cor
respondence that may have taken place be-
tween ex-President Pierce and the State Dc.
partment, and think stops there; but NAV
be mistaken.
Mr.. LATHAM. At the suggestion of the
honorable Senator from Michigan, | will amend
my resolution, so as to add at the conclusion
OF 1t, "and all other papers relating to the
same"
Mr. HOWARD hope that amendment
will be made, so that We may have all the doc
uments before the Senate. will 60 further
do not know that my friend from California
willard suggest to him to extend his resolu.
ton so far as to require the production of any
written or printed document in the possession