Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-06-12
Letter from KeOkuk.
Correspondence Of the Ohio Statesman. ]

cescription-up the "Mississipp" on the
"Andy johnson" with more than one hun
dred passengers OH board! The day was
pleasant, AID good cheer and sociability
seemed to characterize all. Great pleas
antrv was expressed by many to your cor
RESPONDENT touching his difficulty with the
Assembly, which was universally regarded
as an act of petty tyranny that would reccll
with whitening effect upon the heads OF It's
desperately enraged and little-souled au-
thors. Every man aboard (and they were
not few who heard "actor Galloway on
the Assemoly's platform was of the opinion |
that he was under not OUer drawn IN the Ia |
nous letter that occasioned the trouble.
And then when they learned that he was
politiciau-a stun per-a pettli0gger-t |
could but wonder that he could not see
himself in some degree as others saw hlm'
The fact is, q little low maliciousness, ratner
than anything else, was at the bottom OF
this whole matter. Threats were over
heard, days before, that something must De
done to silence me; and so when by dint OF
effort got the floor, the calls for 1.-The ques-
tion-the question:" would come from the
mouths of the 'loyal majority" present
and so the letter, when it appeared, was
made the excuse Tor the execution OF Sc |
cretly cherished purpose against me, on the
part of these truly Christian gentlemen
They were annoyed when asked to pray for
President johnson, and told that not to do
SO was evidently "disloyal," according 10
the edict of the Assembly itself OF 1867.
Three cheers were asked by me 1or the
President on the day We took the trip to
Pilot Knob and Iron Mountain; DuI none
were given. Thus, / incurred the indigna- |
tion of these pious fellows, who took the
first occasion that presented itself for my |
dismissal. Such an Assembly never sat De-
fore, and trust in God He will never per-
nit such another to sit. 1t was an Assem- |
bly, in which the widest faction and bitter
est feelings swayed the minds and dOlngs
of the majority. The regular business OF
such a Court, even hearing and deliberatlng /!
on the annual reports of the boards OF Mis-
sions in our own and foreign lands-of ed |
ucation, publication, church extension, J
disabled minister's fund, &c, We're
hurriedly passed by, and haste was
made to bring up from day to day the
louisville Presbytery case" or topics of
kindred kind-and when a three hours |
speech from such Hotspur as DR.. Thomas,
or an hour and half performance OF vulgap
iestics from the comic actor OF your city on |
these topics was ended, then came the call Tor |
"the previous question:" or resolution to |
abrdge all after discussion to few minutes !
to each speaker. l doubt il the like were I
ever seen in any deliberative body before, !
whether secular or sacred. And II was |
painful to see that comparatively few OF
these very 'loyap ones who were so over
Jealous for the exclusion of the Louisville |
delegates, could ever be got into prayers at |
the opening of the morning sessions-so |
constantly were they engaged in lobby and .
caucus councils. Their motto was might !
makes right'-and that might they used. I
They expelled me on mere suspicion OF /
my being the author of the offensive lett r. {
Then reconsidered their action. Then eX-
plaiued, saving | did write it; that had
but given utterauce to the generally eX-
pressed opinion of all heard talk on the
subect-even many of Mr.. Gs warm polit-
icai friends; but had | thought IL would |
have given such high offense to Mr.. &. or |
the Assembly | would not have done SO Id /
the terms used. |
Thus have | ran into a recital of this !
matter in relating our tripand what occur !
red i'm it, from St. Louis TO KeOkuk. 1t has |
perhaps given me more nOtoriety than is !
agreeable to an humble minister OF the
Gospel, but we will try and meet all thai
NAV come out of it conscious that in oul
heart we had no intention OF harming an!
one, but only to give the public a faithful
picture of things as they occurred in the
Assembly.
At the commencement of this letter, this
is called " singular CITY," What is meant
is this: Its situation and construction en-
title it to be thus designated. 1t stands on
the west shore of the great river IN the ex- ,
trPme southeast corner Of Iowa. Its site il |
a bold-even precipitous bluff. This has at !
an enormous expense been tlattened down
for building room. Borrowed capital, am |
told, did this. Huge brick structures were I
erected on credit. Speculation ran high
The more sanguine saw the keOkuk OF the I
future city ofsuch magnificent dimensions /
as to rival st. Lousl On they went. Six |
hundred to a thousand houses were put up
annually from the year 1852 TO 1855. All this, |
too, Oh Eastern money. Bricks were made !
quickly, houses built quickly, finished |
quickly, and soon many OF them fell down,
and down they still lie. The whole city !
became bankrupt. The war came on-all
improvement ceased. The price of property |
fell; and it is still low, offering many in |
ducements to spectators. Keokuk is |
making grand effort to arise from its |
collapsed condition, and may do so in the |
course of time but as it now appears to the |
eve of the stranger it must be regarded as |
an exhibition of exploded greatness. Streets |
wide and very dirty-hOuses high, and |
mostly ugly-bricks new, and very roughly |
made-signs numerous, but all (or most of
them) huge black letters on coarse brick |
walls-dingy, dauby, streaky. Here is
where a big house has fallen down; there |
is an old cellar over which a dwelling once |
stood, but stands no more-all the debris |
being removed.
Still there is much evidence of thrift
The city is rapidly filling up. A few fine |
houses are in course OF erection. Property |
is on the rise. A regular line of daily |
packets run between this and the port |
of St. Louis, and are doing fine business.
BY the by, I'am told that this line is prin- |
cipally owned by Mr.. NJ. of st. Louis, |
who some time since made a will leaving to |
the six Boards of the Presbyterian Church |
$4,000 each, but that he was so disgusted
with its late doings and spirit as 20 revoke
all. SO tar as the Boards were concerned!
Expecting soon to return to Quincy, and |
thence to Galesburgh, Princeton and Chi !
caco, ILL.,, will have more to say, giving !
you as faithful picture as can OF meh (
and things as they appear to me as pass.
~ SIG.