The New York herald., 1864-03-13
NEW YORK HERALD, SUNDAY, MARCH l3 1864

JACK BuNsBY IN ARKANsAs.-we find the fol-
lowing curious edict, emanating from our
Washington Jack Bunsby, in the Little Rock
(Arkansas) Unconditional Union of the goth
uit.:-
WASHINGTON, Feb. IS. 1884
To WILLIAM FIAIBAcg-
When fixed plan for an election in Arkansas did
II In ignorance that your Convention was at the
work Since learned the latter have been
y trying 70 yield my plan TO theirs. have sent two
letters to General steele three four dispatches
you and Others saying that he General seee must bs
master but that will probably be best for him 10 keep
the Convention its own plan Some single mind must
be master. else there will be agreement anything;
the ground. tho best man to be that master Even
now citizens are teegraphing postpone the cleo
tion to later day than either axed by the Convention
or me. This discord must be silenced. A. LINCOLN.
When Bunsby "axed plan for an election in
Arkansas" he transcribed his authority He
has no more to do with an election in Arkansas
than he has with one in New York city. And
when he finds that convention of the people Is
fixing plan of its own, as it has an unques-
tonable right to do, he has no business to inter-
fere, much less to try "to yield his plan to
theirs" Monstrous concession! But he (Buns-
by) has sent letters directing that General
Steele shall be "master" of the situation. He
might as we'll have ordered General Dix to
have been master of the bsllOt-boxes in this
city last Tuesday. Bunsby cannot appoint
master of such situations. The constitution of
the United States is the only master that can
be recognized in such emergencies; and the
people can elect congressman or not, as they
see fit. The President of the United States can
occupy the country with his troops; he may put
down the rebellion, and keep it down, if he can;
but as for devising or presenting any fixed
or peremptory "plan" for the political action
of the people in the election of Judges,
State and local officers, or members
of Congress, he has no more to do
with anything of the sort than has the
sovereign of Kamschatka. The people may
have the privilege of voting, but they can ex-
ercise it or not, as they please A horse may
be taken to the water, but it is difficult to make
him drink unless he chooses. But while
General Steele is to be master, Bunsby, with an
eye to windward, says 'it is best for him to
keep the Convention on its own plan" eff so
be as the ships gone down, why so; if SO be as
the ships not gone down, why so ALSO" But
again, argues the astute Bunsby, "some single
mind must be MASTER" and although the Con-
vention is to be permitted to keep to its own
plan, yet Gen. Steele, being on the ground, "is
the best man to be that master" The Conven-
ton, according to this biological conclusion,
is therefore at liberty to do as it pleases, pro-
vided it does just as General Steele pleases,
who receives his orders from Bunsby in Wash
ington. But this wise and sapient edict con-
cludes with sentence of portentous signifi-
cance:-"This discord must be silenced.'
There it is, all in nutshell. The command
sounds like the order of the officer of the pit in the
Bowery theatre when the boys get ont of peanuts
and become obstreperous. But the whole thing
would be beneath serious attention did it not
afford another evidence of the fragrant violation
of constitutional authority which our Washing
ton Jack Bunsby is continually exhibiting in
his oficious intermeddling with military, politi-
cal and other matters, concerning which he
knows nothing, and which he never touches
without committing blunders that cost oceans
OF blood and mountains of treasure.