The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1865-05-20
BURLINGTON WEEKLY HAWK.EYE,
Letter Of President Lincoln
Hitherto Unpublikhed.

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A Letter Of President Ltncols
Hitherto Unpublished.
t1utAbe1t Built, ESQ, Neap Orleans. La.
SIR: Inc copy of u letter addressed t,
yourself by Mr. Thomas ]. Duran. ma
been sha 70 me. Tho writer appears I,
t,e an able, a dispassionata, and an en,irel-
sincere man. The t;rst par. Of the letter i
devoted 20 an effort TO show that the seces
slon ordinance Of Louisiana was adopted
,,,; the viii OF majority Of the people
DO found some instruction. Why did theS
eu"w the ordinance to 90 into effect? VIII
ala tney not exert themselves? Why stand
passive and allow themselves to be trodder
down by minority? Why did they no.
mold popular meetings, and have q conven.
| Ton OF their own to express and entorcf
the true sentiments Of the State. II pre-
ORGANIZATION was against them, then why
not 40 this now, that the United States ar.
my Is present to protect them7 The para.
iyzer-the dead palsy-of the Government,
IN the whole struggle is, that this class OF
men will do nothing for the Governments
nothing for the,nselves-except that the
government shall not strike it's enemies,
lest they should be struck by accident.
Mr. Durant complains that in various
ways the relation OF master aud slave is
7,
and be considers it particularly vexatious
that this. in part, is done under cover Of an
act OF Congress, while constitutional guar.
antees are superadded on the plea of mill.
tary necessity. The truth is, that what is
done and omitted about slaves is done ON
the same military necessity. tits mill
tary necessity to have men and money; and
We cannot get either in sufficient plumbers
or amounts, II we keep from or drive from
our llnes slaves coming to them.
Mr.. Durant cannot be ignorant of the
pressure in this direction, nor of nv eff.
forts to hold it within bounds, till hs, and
such ~ he, shall have time to help them :
| selves.
am not posted to speak understanding.
y on the public regulations of which Mr..
Durant complains. If experience shows
any of them to be wrong, let them be sci
right. think can perceive in the free
dom Of trade which Mr.. Durant urges,
that he would relieve both friends and en-.
emles from the pressure of the blockade.
BY this he would serve the enemy more
effectively t than the enemy is able to serve
I do not say or believe that to serve the
enemy is the purpose Of Mr.. Duraut, OF
that he 10 conscious Of any purpose other
than national and patriotic ones. Still, II
there were class Of men, who, having no
choice OF stdeN in the contest, we're anxious
only to have quiet and comfort for them
selves while It RACES, and TO fall in With the
victorious side at the end Of it, without loss
to themselves, their advice as to the mode
Of conducting the contest would be precise
~ such az his.
He speaks OF no duty, apparently thinks
Of none, resting upon Union men. He
even thinks 1t Injurious to the Union cause
that they should be restrained in trade and
passage without taking sides. They are
TO touch neither sail nor a pump-live
merely passengers l''dead heads'' at that
safely landed right side up. Nay, more
even mutiDeer is to go untouched, slest
these sacred passengers receive an acciden-
tai wound.
Ofcourse the rebellion will never be sup.
pressed In Louisiana, ifthe proSessed Union
men there will neither help to do it, nor
permit the Government to do it without
their help.
Now think the true remedy is very
different from what is suggested by Mr..
Durant. It does not lie in rounding the
rough angles of the war, but in removing
the necessity for the war. The people 81
Louisiana who wish protection to person
and property, have but to reach forth their
hands and take. Let them in good faith
set up State government conforming
thereto under the Constitution. They
know how to do it, and can have the pro.
lection of the army while doing 1t. The
army will be Withdrawn ~ soon as such
government can dispense with its pres
ence, and the people Of the State can then,
upon the old terms, govern themselves to
their own liking. This 10 very simple and
easy.
lfthey will do this-ift they prefer to haz-
ard all for the eake Of destroying the Gov.
ernment-it il for them TO consider wheth-
er It IL probable will consider the Gov.
eminent to save them from losing all. II
they decline what 1 suggest, you scarcely
need to ask what will do.
| What would you do in my position?
| Would you drop the war where it 10 OF
would you prosecute 1t in future with el-
derstalk squirts, charged with rose water !
Would you deal lighter blows rather than
heavier ones? Would you give up the
contest, leaving every available means pm.
applied? .
I am in no boastful mood. L shall moi
do more than I can, but shall do all eau
to save the Government, which ia my
sworn duty, as well as my personal inclina.
ton. shall do nothing in malice. What
Ideal with is too vast for malciousssd dealing
Yours. very truly,
/ A. LINCOLN.
WASHINGTON, July Is, 1862.
H3-
AN IMPORTANT REC0RD.-The United
States Sanitary Commission have recently
gained possession of very important doc.
ument, around which will gather the sad.
dest memories Of the war. This is com.
plete death record Of Andersonville prison
| "a list of all the Union soldiers who died
there from February 9th, 1854, to March
oath, 1866, comprising Il, l56 names-with
rank, company, regiment, disease, date Of
death and place Of burial Of each. The &C.
tual number Of those who died at Ander.
sonville during this time was Il. Ssi, but Of
these 42s persisted in the open camp. Nth.
by which they could be identified.
This important document Wa compiled
secretly from the rebel hospital recotds
disrs-xho had tie care Of them, and ".
smuggled through 70 orr line: .. victs.
burg 10 1 bag Of meal. Certified - 1t is by
the sffidavits Of the clerks by whom It was
Transcribed, thi. record viii 30 Of grea,
value in anording proof Of the death q
those whose names II bears, removing oil
doubts regarding the fate Of the Thousands
! Of our brave Doys who have fallen victims
L