Daily Nashville union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1862, 1862-06-14
NO. SIS


a CRlumny on MIR. seward ReEuted.
Some weeks since, Senator POWELL. Of
Kentucky, whose love for the Union is
such that he holds on TO his office and
takes bis salary regularly, but whose
love Of slavery is 80 much greater that
he cannot conceal his secession sympa-
thies, made a speech in the Senate, de-
nouncing the administration for con-
filming suspected abettors of treason at
Fort La Fayette and other similarly safe
and secluded places of abede.
The speech exhibited most malignant
feeling towards the Secretary Of State,
Mr. Seward, and represented the latter
as treating a delegation Of Kentuciians,
who called upon him to urge the release
Of certain citizens Of that State, then in
confinement with the grossest indignity,
using profane language, and ayerring
that he did not care d-.n whether the
prisoners were guilty or not. tt
A member of the Kentucky delegation,
Mr.. Q. II. Mitchell, who is represented to
have been particularly outraged by Gov
Seward, has written letter, which he
publishes in the National Iateldgencer
completely indicating the Secretary of
State from this infamous Islander. He
says:
have good reason TO remember what
took place; sat very near Gov Seward
and marked well every word he uttered.
1t would require too much space to go
over the whole ground. II will be sufii-
cient for my purpose If give the Lam
guage of Gov. Seward as understood il,
in place Of that employed by you. The
report made and endorsed by you is that
Mr.. Seward said she didn't care q damn
whether the parties were guilty or not;
he had saved Maryland by similar ar
rests, and 80 mean 10 hold Kentucky"
What Gov. s. did say, according TO my
recollection, and out Of which this huge
fiction has grown, was substantially this;
had asserted that these parties, with q
single exception, had no sort Of political
influence, and that nobody that knew
them believed them guilty of any act APP
proximating treason, and that no good
would grow out Of their detention. In
reply to this Gov s. did say shat he
did not care, so far as his action was
concerned at present, whether they were
| guilty or not; it was sufficient for him to
know that the military authorities OF the
district where they reside had caused
their sr.est, and be would not ;aterp0ss
until they had been Consnlled.0 And t
Is i0it5in my haol0leagetiat this t0as done i'm
aEsdiafe1y, botk ~ telegraph and letter. Did
this look like indifference But the best
REPUTATION, after all, of Gov, s. against
these charges in his action. That utterly
disproVes both the words and opinions
ascribed TO him; for IN a Gerry .tey days
these identical prisoners roere released, and,
as I have good reason to believe, IN consequence
| of representations asade at tbs inteyvieso and
IN spite Of the military qglcer gEo caused
their arrest. ala o 4i cf
If Gov, Seward said anything about
having saved Maryland by arrests, and
that so he intended TO hold Kentucky, it
escaped my acute hearing. i certainly
heard nothing like il, not in the least, and
his immediate subsequent conduct dis
proved it. ,n
The matter purely personal to myself
utterly deny; no such rudeness occurred
in my hearing or in my presence The
words used are that he Gov 81 turned
fercely on Mitchell and demanded of him
why the hell are you not at homo fighting
traitors instead Of seeking their release
here P
Let Us see how easy il Is when there is
q will to misquote and to fall into error.
This is precisely what did occur and out
OF which the above monster has been
d brought forth, namely:d natsl ,2a4
AT the close Of some general remarks
about the condition of the country, tho
efforts Of the rebels, and the gigantic pro-
portions Of their operations, the embar-
easements thathad environed the Govern
ment &c, Gov Seward said, Here ID
Mitchell too, instead Of being 40 home
fighting traitors, he'is here trying TO per-
suade me 10 release themN
This was said as thought piayfully
and IN thekindest tone. SO, at an events
regarded IL. Certainly the coarse ex-
pletive was not used, nor anything like It.
This affirm with all possible emphasis