The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-05-24
RICHARD KINNEY
KEoKuK, Iowa, May %, 1862.

RICHARD KINNEY.
KEoKuK, Iowa, May %, 1862
DEAR FArHFR: 1t is with the feelings
and sentiments Of patriotic son that l
sit down to write in reply to your kind
| but rot loyal letter. l am well at prss-
lent; and hope kind Providence may
protect your health until you get old
enough to see yourself as you are. was
glad to hear from you, but did nat expect
from you such an epistle upon the present
state of affairs. You say our Union is
gone, and that our Constitution is tram
pied under foot BY Old Abe and his Cabi-
net. ] think you are wrong or else you
have wrong idea Of it. 1t was JEFF
Davis and his Cabinet that tried to tram
pie the Constitution under foot /; but
they have been forced to retire until some
future time,-unsil they can get chance
to steal some more government arms and
rob the Treasury of the United States.-
You say the Senators have introduced
bills to free the negro, and to confscate
the property of the Democrats, both north
and south. You are as much mistaken
about that as was in your loyalty to this
Government, which has protected you
and me from our infancy up, until this
present time. Father, must stand and
see our Government overthrow, and our
national ensign hauled down and tram
pied in the dust by treacherous hands
You know, as we'll as do, that this is
the best government tina. is in existence,
and that our forefathers fought for our
freedom and our liberty, and gained il !;
and /, a. the heroes of old did. will fight
to maintain and sustain il yet. or lose
every drop Of blood that now moves
this beating heart Of mine. / split some
Union blood upon the battlefield of Fort
Donelson, and still have some to spare.
| have lost part Of one Of my ears, and
still can lose a part Of the other You
say that the South asked for their rights,
and that the North would not grant them.
What do you call rights for them? sit
right for them to.steal al the arms and
all the money from the Government, and
then secede from us! think you had
better study the matter over and get the
scales from your eyes, and then you will
think differently. You say the North
had stolen from and robbed, murdered
and plundered the helpless southern wo-
men and children. / think that is hard
talk for you. You are older than / am.
but think ! have lived the fastest. I
have had chance to know something
about that. have been down in Dixie,
and instead Of stealing and plundering
and robbing them, We have clothed, fed
and protected them. II was expected
among them that We would slaughter wo-
men and children as We went; bat when
taken prisoners they would curse the
southern leaders for dsceiving them, and
would return us their humble and sincere
thanks for the kindness that We bestowed
upon them. This know to be 70, for l
have been m eyewitness To it. You al.
SO say that the North invaded the South.
Look at RI. Sumter, Il you please. What
kind Of an invasion do you cali that p
Look at it once, where $4,000 or 70, 900
rebels fought IS or 10 Union men for
thirty-six hours, before they took it.
would not talk about rights or invasion
any more, if were you.
Father, little did | think that ever
should hear as much southern sympathy
from one that / hold dear and near 10 me.
--one that has been my Guide in early
life, and from whom I still should expect
some kind advice; but ~ You say you
took the Bible for your guide in regard
70 ihis War, also will You know il
Gays. Cast not your pearls before swine,
lest they trample them under their feet
aud turn again and rend you" further
more !. says, " If your right eye or arm
offend thee, cut il Of and cast It from
thee, for it il better toTenter into heaven
L e
with only one" car than to have Ola Abe
say. depart, - workers Of rebellion, into
everlasting Voc and contempt prsparsd