Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-03-16
JuDAHP. e.

to charm every time down in New Or
leans.
Yours, JuDAHP. q.
The following private and confidential
letter from Sanders to Florence mot VIII
liam J. was not Intended for publication,
but being found among the other ietters we
give it for what it Is worth. II is rather
rich
Private and Confidential
MONTREAL, CANADA, Feb. Is 1866.
Ny DEAR Ton: Breakup and gobble-
up is the game. You are playing it fine.
You are tanning the fire of discora in the
Union ranks with an activity worthy Of all
praise. / wish was there to take hand
at the bellows, but, my dear fellow, you
must get rid of Stanton before / can cross
the line. Tell our friends not to trust John
son too far. He is too loyal for US, and
naeaaslt. Don't demand anything of John
son, Cor fear he may give you the cold shoul-
der. Don press him too hard to make
epceehes, az you observe that isa al che
speeches, he makes he issists upon the cleo
ton of logGl men.
That was a damned hard rap he gave to
the Virginia delegation. The chairman had
just proposed Gen Lee for Governor Of Vir-
ginia, and in the face of that fact johnson
told the delegation that If there we're only
five hundred loyal men in State, and all
theresst were disloyal men In aState, he was
In favor OF ignoring the latter, and giving
the offices to the former.
[ shall remain here and stir up all the
strife can. 'Breck will not venture into
the States until Congress changes it tactics,
and the President stops talking about pun
ishing treason as crime
Give my love to -. G. B." Tell him I
am glad he got out of Fort Lafayette, and
say that it would give me great pleasure 10
take hand at Boston" with him.
Yours, truly. SANDERS.
VALLAND1GHAM TO THE COMPANY.
SANDUsKY, ONO, Feb. %.
Ny DEAR CoYLE: You re brick. Your
meeting is splendid flank movement on
the johnson administration. Smut the
Unionists as much as possible / didn't
think Tom, who always exhibited in Con-
gress so much affectionate regard for Phila-
delphia Navy Yard, could think of fanything
else. Can't you try to have something said
about my friend McCuferty? He was a
good rebel against our Government, and
now he is q rebel against the British Gov
ernment Success toyour meetings.
VALLANDIGHAM.
JOHN c. BRECKENRIDGE TO t. B. FLOR
ENCE.
My DEAR FLORENCE have never had
an opportunity till now to thank you for the
service you rendered the "Confederacy.
From your standpoint during the war you
certainly did all you could and all that Mr..
Davis or myself could have asked. Your
present point is to fatter the President and
do all you can to create discord in the Union
party. But do not commit yourself to
johnson, because the moment we get all the
States represented in Congress, and getthor-
oughly organized, we must throw him over
board. Being in the position he now is, we
can use him to great advantage. He is
shrewd. Look out that he don't detect
what you are up to- Make it your business
to surround him officially with as many of
our friends as possible. Let them profess
Unionism. Cover your tracks well IF we
cannot get possession of the government In
the next Presidential election, we viii be in
condition by that time, at any rate, to REQ
pen the rebellion
| regret that | cannot be with you on the
22d instant, not particularly to celebrate the
birth of &c. w" because that is played
out, but to assist in breaking down John
son s Administration George and myself
have consulted a great deal together, and
came to the conclusion that general polit-
ical smash up is what is wanted We must
have it. Upon such ruins we can better our
condition.
| have private information that the pur-
Of hal .e u,
me- is to try me for treason in one of the
civil courts, because Of my peculiar position
at the time the rebellion broke out. You
viii recollect that, as Vice President of the
United States and President of the Senate,
| presided over the convention of the two
Houses when the votes were counted for
President in 1860 and, In my official capac-
ity, having been legally elected by the peo-
pie (for at any rate we made the people be-
heVe so, | declared Abraham Lincoln and
Hannibal Hamlin constitutionallvl elected
President and Vice President of the United
States The fact is, in the face of that Off
cial declaration / rebelled against Lincoln's
government, and joined in the general clam
or that he was sectional President. BY
the way, you rendered us great service in
that matter But you and | know that cry
was false one. What is worse, the people
found it out, and over went our pet confede-
racy, and poor Davis is pining his life in a
prison for the part he took in the work.
But | learn that the intention is, if they
can catch me, to try me for treason in civil
court to settle the question of treason legal
ly, and then to give Davis military trial
and punish him upon the scafold For this
reason / shall keep away Do you think it
would be any use to petition johnson for a
pardon? Let me know. You are doing