Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-02-11

there would no doubt have been found hundreds
Of letters from me. running back during the last
twenty three OF twenty -four years. Having read
one letter which was found with Mr. Lincoln.
now read the other:
wasuseToS, June q. lsco.
ur4H sIS. iake pleasure introdacinx Jon old
and vaissd irieud, Mr. rhemas b. Lincoln. lie has
proposition - make 10 you connected With kind q
psosemenss under year centrs ieomni-na ham 40 you
A. reliable gentleman IN every sense q the word and
besPeak Tor him your k.isi eof-aerAi'oi- - y,,c,,r
Captain FHAsuE.
Mark vo,:. this letter forms no part ofthe accu-
safon against me. IL has been certified TO here
by the officer who has custody OF IL, for the pur-
pose / suppose. Of showing that l had been IN
the habit Of corresponding with Mr.. Lincoln.
am glad il has been done Ii enables me, from
the face OF different papers, penned at different
periods, 70 show what my relations were with Nj.
Lincoln. and my opinion ofhim. long before even
the thought of disunion expressed
The Senator from Maine, Mr. Morrill,, in his
assault upon me- laid great stress the cordial
ity of feeling expressed in ny letter OF the lst OF
March, both toward the person TO whom il was
addressed and toward the person in whose behalf
il was written; and volunteered the opinion that
il sounded like the language Of courtier
have none other than mere passing acquaint-
ancc With that Senator, and bis total Ignorance
Of my character i disclosed by venturing to make
such an imputation upon il. If he knew me bet
ter. he would have known that whatever be my
defects, this was not one Of them. With more
sycophaiitic smiles. and fewer looks and tones OF
defiance since this prosecution commenced, can
scarcely doubt that | should have lessened the
number of my prosecutors. and abated the venom
of their attacks: but with entire confidence in my
innocence and integrity, all ask, or have asked
is Justice.
wish now to call the attention Of the Senate
10 the smtude OF language in each Of these let
tiers. When the first written ] WAS chairman
of the Committee on Public Buildings and
Grounds Captain Franklin to whom it was ad-
dressed, was in charge oil the Capitol extension,
and 90 some extent under their direction This
brought me in daily communication with Captain
(now General) Franklin. No doubt Mr.. Lincoln
knew this and solicited the letter, stating what
his object WAS. ! have been in the almost daily
habit OF giving letters of introduction % friends
and acquaintance for years past, rs a matter Of
course, and as presume most members of Con-
gress have. particularly those who may be in
sympathy with the party IN power at the time.
In the letter to Captain Franklin, stated what
Mr. Lincoln's business was:
Gle has propositionto make to you connected with
kind ~ machine ne understands you using in the pub
lie Improvements under your control"
further said:
fccunend him you reliable gentleman In every
Grafton"
In writing such letters, my mind and pre-
sumo that OF others, dwells almost entirely on the
relation the person asking il bears 10 me- and
have no recollection of but a single case in which
| ever refused Il letter of introduction % a friend
or acquaintance have given them, as of course,
where | had confidence ia the character and stand
ing of the applicant. and generally stated.
he requested. his object in asking for the let
al.
object
But il Is also asserted that the address of the
letter 10 Mr.. Davis ~ President of the Confedc
rate States, j. evidence of dislOyaty. My answer
j., that had neither the authority nor intention
TO recognize the lawfulucss of his claim to the
Office he held in fact. aud suppose / addressed
him as matter oi courtesy by the title he claimed.
and IN dong this. did no more. well said
by the Senator from California, Mr.. Latham.
than was repeated by Senators on this floor in
open debate both before and after thedate ofmy
letter. | had been for many years terms OF
friendly personal and political relations with Mir.
Davis. and IN common with those who knew him,
had high opinion of his character and capacity
and oi course ielt justified by those but recently
severed relations IN giving letter OF introduction
60 him without any reference to- the position he
claimed; nor did then for moment believe that
civil war could or would be resorted 20 as rem
edy for the settlement of sectional difficulties
Nay more. tor weeks before, and for days il not
weeks alter this letter was written, letters and
documents were transmitted by your mails, ad
dressed TO Mr. Davis by the same title, without
objection or giving rise 20 the idea that such an
address WAS recognition OF his lawful title 10 the
Office he claimed cor any impeachment ot the 10y
atty of those who directed them or permitted their
transmission. One Ct the Senators from Texas
on this floor repeatedly showed documents and
letters that he had directed at his desk here 10 the
President OF the Confederate States.
Subsequent TO this letter for more than month
persons claiming 10 he commissioners from this
new ccniedcracy residing in this capital AN
molested. and IN communication, whether formal
or informal IS Inmaterial. with the Secretary of
State.
The postal. commercial. and travelling inter
course of the people of the United States was con
tinued ~ before the commencement OF this revO-
luton, and vet a mere letter of Introduction, writ
ten during this state OF affairs. for friend of
twenty years standing % another / had known
almost rs long Is now perverted IN is intention,
and held % be evidence OF disloyalty.
eit az the date of this letter. in the language
OF the President. uttered three DAYS thereafter.
and repeated ~ himself and his political friends
Tor weeks thereafter, that there could not, must
not be war; that We were friends and not enemies.
that oar unfortunate sectional difficulties would
be settled peacefully. hut never by the power of
the sword
But. say some of my accuscrs, YOU must have
known. despite OF all this. that upon W. -
other, say. ''yon must have known that Il was
inevitable To this illiberal. unjust imputation
OF prophetic knowledge on my part oppose his
tory anal Etcts Co;emporaneOus with the scenes
aud Incidents | have mentioned came the voice
OF the people OF tennessee. declaring by ma.
jority of thirty thousand that she was tor the
Union and Constitution ami against secession,
an'i the souri, had scarcely died up0U our ears
ere We hel' rs res erberaton from that mother
Oi States. irgima; and following her example
came kentucky, Arkansas aud North Carolina.
W nth this Gordon ct loyal border Southern States.
who believed that a soldier would ever be
sent from north OF Mason and Dixon's line To
enforce obeiience 10 the Constitutionl
Again, sir many OF the leading Republican
Journals OF the country we're open and unreserved
IA Their adsocl cy at peaceful separation. Among
them VAS the New lork Tytbspe, commencing
its advocacy ~ iar back rs December. 1850 Dis.
unguiSlied public fuuctiouaries of the Republican
party openly avOwcd this policy. and can name
Them % my statement is denied. As late
April 10 the present Secretary OF State in his
dispatch to uur minister al London. said:
The Presidents neither looks for nor apprehcnds any
ictas di,uinerncIa o the American uuion especially
p. aim q iai.letc. The uovrtnsttf
tvr-s.s. or,r,ien PRESIDENT tends directly
o. anarchy pa the sccesis Statcs, similar movement.
in similar rcun,iancc- have already resulted spanish
America and especially Ia Mexico. n, believes, never
tase-s Aai hs sof those state well the