Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-02-17

Mr.. Lincoln was both wholesale and retail mer-
chant, and did very extensive business. During
his residence at the place last mentioned, which
was between three and four years, | generally at
tended 20 his legal business. On winding up his
mercantile affairs, which think was in lS4l or
io42, he removed 20 Texas, leaving with me
the collection of a large amount of outstanding
debts. think it was not until 1851 or 1852 that
| | had final settlement with Mr.. Lincoln, which
resulted in my purchasing from him consider
able amount of real estate, and there being de-
feet in the titles was kept in occasional CORES
pondenee with him up 70 1884 or 1855. About
this time, Mr.. Lincoln connected himself with
what was known as the Texas land grant, and
/ formed one of many of large company that con
ceIved the idea of making railroad to the PACT
| ic coast. About this time Congress had under
consideration the same subject This brought
Mr.. Lincoln to Washington each session there
after as regularly as Congress met. 1t so hap
pened that of special committee of
nine raised in the Senate on the occasion to con-
slider and report upon some plan or route of rail-
road to the Pacific This again brought me in
communication with Mr.. Lincoln. Seldom
week passed that he did not visit me at my house.
was always glad 10 see him, and whenever and
wherever we met, l recognized and treated him
as a friend and a gentleman | may here add
that Thomas B. Lincoln Is well and favorably
known in his native city of Philadelphia, and in
the community in which | live. He is known to
many of the citizens OF Washington, and very
well known to all those Senators aud Represent
atives who took an active part in the great enter
prise have mentioned / never heard aught al
legged against his honesty, integrity or loyalty
until heard of his arrest in the city of Cincin-
natl, in Julylor Aulast last. on suspieion--mere
saspici0n-Of being in completely with the South
ern rebellion. There were found in bis posses
sion among his papers two letters written by me;
and if be had had his business budget with him,
there would no doubt have been found hundreds
of letters from me, running back during the last
( twenty three twenty four years. Having read
/ one letter which was found with Mr.. Lincoln,
now read the other:
WASHINGTON, June 81 1850.
DEAR SIR take pleasure in introducing to you old
and valued friend, Mr.. Thomas p. Lincoln He has
proposition 10 make to you connected with kind Of ma
provements under Your control commend him to YOU
reliable gentleman in every Of the word and
bespeak for him your kind consideration,
Captain FEASkIrS.
| Mark yOu this letter forms no part of the accu-
sation against me. 1t has been certified to here
by the officer who has custody of it, for the pur-
pose, suppose, OF showing that bad been in
/ the habit of corresponding with Mr.. Lincoln. j
am glad it has been done. 1t enables me- from
the face of different papers, penned at different
/ periods 10 show what ms relations were with Mr.
]
/ the thought of disunIOn was expressed.
] The Senator from Maine, Mr. Morrill, in his
assault upon me. laid great stress the cordial
itv of feeling expressed i'm my letter OF the LIST of
/ March both toward the person to whom it was
addressed and toward the person in whose behalf
/ it was written; and volunteered the opinion that
it sounded like the language of a courtier
have none other than mere passing acquaint-
ance with that Senator and his total ignorance
of my character is disclosed by venturing to make
/ such mputatiOn upon it. If he knew me bet
ter, he would have known that whatever be my
/ defects, this was not one Of them. With more
] sycophautic smiles, and fewer looks and tones of
/ defiance since this prosecution commenced, can
scarcely doubt that should have lesSened the
number of ms 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
to the simlitude of language in each Of these let
tiers. When the first was written was chairman
of the Committee on Public Buildings and
/ Grounds Captain franklin. whom il was adj
dressed, was in charge of the Capitol extension,
/ and to some extent under their direction This
brought me in daily communication with Captain
| (nOw GENERALLY Franklin. NJ 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 acquaintances for years past, matter of
/ course, and US / 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.. LncOln's business was:
ale has a proposition to make to you connected with
kind Of machine be understands you using in the pub
/ Tic improvements under your CONTROL"
L further said:
"Icommend him you a reliable gentlemanin every
Of the word and bepeak for him your kind cOnsd
/ Grafton"
/ In writing such letters, my mind, and pre-
sumo that OF others, dwells almost entirely on the
relation the person asking it bears to me, and
have no recollection of but single case in which
| ever refused letter of introduction 20 a friend
or acquaintance. | have given them, as of course,
where had confidence in the character and stand
/ ing of the applicant and generally stated, ms
he requested, his object in asking for the let
| ter, without even a thought in relation to that
/ object
! But it IS also asserted that the address of the
letter to Mr. Davis President of the Confede
rate States, is evidence of disloyalty. My answer
Is that had neither the authority nor intention
to recognize the lawfulness OF his claim TO the
office he held in fact and ! suppose addressed
him as matter OF courtesy by the title he claimed,
and, ia doing this, did no more, as was well said
by the Senator from California, Mr. Latham
I
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 of course felt justified by those but recently
severed relations in giving letter of introduction
to him without any reference 10 the position he
claimed; nor did then for moment believe that
civil war could or would be resOrted to as rem
Nv ,l.a
Nay, more. for weeks BEFORE and for days if not
weeks aiier this letter was written, letters and
documents transmitted by your mails, ad
dressed To Mr. Davis by the same title without
objection or giving rise 70 the idea that such an
address recognition of his lawful title To the
Office he claimed or any impeachment of the 10y
atty OF those who directed them or permitted their
transmission. One of the Senators from Texas
on this floor repeatedly showed documents and
letters that he had directedat his desk here TO the
President OF the Confederate States.
Subsequent 10 this letter for more than month
persons claiming TO be commissioners from this
new cOnlederacy were residing in this capital un
molested, and in communication, whether formal
or informal is mmateral with the Secretary of
State.
The postal commercial and travelling inter
course of the people OF the United States was con
tlnued as before the commencement of this revo-
luton, and yet mere letter OfintrOducton writ
ten during this state of affairs, for a friend of
twenty years' standing TO another l had known
almost as long, is perverted in its intention,
and held 20 be evidence of disloyalty.
;elt at the date of this letter, in the language
of the President, uttered three days thereafter,
and repeated by himself and his political friends
for weeks thereafter. that there could not, must
not be var; that we we're friends and not enemies;
that our unfortunate sectional difficulties would
be settled peacefully, but never by the power of
the sword
But, say some of my accusers, YOU must have