New Oregon plaindealer. (New Oregon, Iowa) 1859-1866, 1862-03-07
WHOLE NO. i29,

of loval Union men in the South as well as in
the North were laboring. Up to the day that
Fort Sumter fell. believed. with the pre>i,
dent. that Eve were friends not enemies "
| wrote ofthem. and to then, spoke of them,
and to them as ever had; but here. SIR, the
curtain fell this was an act OF war, and from
the date Of the Presidents proclamation We
were enemies, not friends, in the hellgerent
sense Of the term. Acts which before the
happening of this event were legitimate and
lawful, became now illegal and in some in.
stances reasonable. The shipment OF pro.
visions. the sale ofall kinds Of munitions of
war, that had been publicly carried on be-
tween the North and the South, and was an
every day occurrence up to this time sudden
y. and by ;his act Of war. and by virtue of
the proclamation of the Pres dent, necame
Illegal and reasonable and after The oc-
currence of these events, should never havo
felt at liberty to address letter of introduc.
ton to Mr.. Davis.
No man disputes this but are you going
to say that every man that engaged in trade,
commerce, OF corresucudence with the South
prior to this time is disloynl, and guilty If
treason Are you prepared to assert this
principle of CT post tdcto tyranny! If So
who can fix limit to the offenders. and to
what a farce do you reduce that principle OF
eternal Justice which has in all ages of tha
world been the shield and protection of the
citizen
return again to my letter, and after a
short statement. which shall be usstantially
arepeti!ion Of what said before the commit
tee, will dismisss it as far as | can from my
mind.
hare not The most distant reco'section Of
kering written either Ct these letters. 1 said 5"
in my letter o !explanation to Mr.. Fitch. which
has been introduced here and criticised with
such severity. because Of the bod avoNal ct
opinions which honcst!y entertained said
the same to the committee and repeat It
here to-day. So little impression did this act
of courtesy for friend make On my m,ind,
that to this hour cannot call to mind when,
here. in what circumstances the letter was
written. and may say the same Of the lpt
ter to Captain franklin. When | saw tho
letter published marked ''private and conf
DENTAL" | said that the letter was my style,
that Lincs|n was an cd friend. and that if
he SAID l had given him such q letter it must
be SD; that the words ''private and cOnhden.
tial' | seldom put on any letter, never In \
letter ofintroduction friend soon after
wrote me that was correct on that point.
and that those words private and contilen
tial" were no, on the original letter. Stl! 1t
has gone to the world in that form. and all
the prejudice that such an addition to the lc;-
would create, has attached. and my enemies
have the beneft of it swelling the volume Of
opposition that arrays Itself against me-
Another argument against me is, that at.
ter took my seat here, sad that won'd
do the same thing aoain under the same Cir.
y>co =; :. .1,,,.,
else. d dsay so. and repcnt NOS and
| meant by that just this, that when gave
that letter to MIR. Lincoln, the idea Of war or
of q hostile collision with any one or more OF
the Southern States never entered my mind.
!, could not; / know it did not II even
clsam Of snch Il suspicion had entered my
mind, every instinct of my nature wsul'' have
deferred me. to say nothing Of those praden-
tia, considerations which trust have gov.
erened me IN all the relations Of life
| was asked by one of the honorable com.
mittee whether would have given such Is
letter after the fall of Fort Sumter. unhes.
itatingly answered "No SIR would have
regarded the request on the part OK an int:l-
ligent man, under such circumstances. as an
insult
Mr.. President, it is only since grave Sena-
ators have been betrayed into digniying this
matter with public examination that could
bring Aysclf to realize that any man who
knew me, believed that | was fa.thless, in any
sense of the term to the obligations owe the
Government of which form part but
am no longer left to con lecture on this point;
| am bound to believe, from what see pass
ing around me, that there are those who think
| am less loyal { ian themselves and while l
laugh t.. scorn such an absurdty, shall not
nder the present frenzied state Of excitement,
attempt to wrestle with or alter those opin.
ions, or influence their votes nor will any
conclusion that NAV be reached here or else-
where. alter nay opinion of myself, or chango
the QUO amino of my heart us coupled with
this transaction. God and myself know that
and not suspicious, falliblo man,
have already devoted more time to this
letter than it merited at my hands, for no one
who has observed the direction tI.s debate
has taken. believes thav the letter forms any
part of the reason for my expulsion. ! wish
now to call the attention Of the country to
the various phases this case has assumed in
its progress.
The resolution for my expulsion was based
solely on the letter Both were referred to
the Judiciary Committee and after hearing;
the facts SIX out of seven members reported
against the passage Of the resolution; where
upon the mover OF it asked to have it NADIA
special order: and then commenced part
drill prepared speeches, and general plan
Of attack on my fitness and qualifications t.
SIT in n legis ative council with such patri-
archs in their country service us the Senator
from Massachusetts Mr. SuMHER and the
Senator from New Hampshire Mr.. CLARKE }
even the nerves of the honorabi: Senstor from
Pennsylvania Mr. WiLMor) and the not less
di tngushed Senator fir m Tennessee (Mr.
JoHNsoN) are affected by my presence here.
am not loyal enough for either of them Oh:
must have degcncrated in the last ten years!
In 1850, ! was elected by a vote OF the Sem
ate as one Of the ccmmitte, OF thirteen, ut
which the patriot and statesman, Henry
Clay, Of Kentusky, was chairman. and hav-