The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-08-17
THE PEACE MISSION.

ruE PEACE MISSION,
And now that it is growing late and will
| have ,.mo to say but little more to You e.
night, YOU will excuse me for devouug q few
moments to myself Not that ] wish to in.
trde myself upon your notice at the expense
| oi topics Of national interest, but that
| would yndicate my own character from the
vile and false assertions that have been lately
thrown upon it, Since ! left my home at
| Quincy and came 10 the city Of Rock Island
find that the Quincy wing publishes an
| article containing what purports to be d let
ter from Mr.. II. l.. Clay 10 the wife Of &. c.
| Clay, in which my name was MENTIONED
hat letter is true, every word Of it. ! DO
not desire 10 deny it, aud would have no oc.
caslon to if did. did meet Mr.. Clay, and
did make the statement mentioned in the let.
ter. It IS true was in Richmond at that
time, bat ! was there with the consent and
at the desire Of Mr.. Lincoln and would not
have been there had it not been for the DE.
celtlu course Of Horace Greeley, who would
destroy the reputation Of the President to
advance his own. .. II. Browning, whose
reputation for yeracity has never been Ques
toned by any man, knows the facts | was
| there, earnestly aud honestly eudeayorlug to
negotiate for the peace and safety Of my
country. That failed is too long a tory to
| tell now. II was not the fault Of Mr. Lin.
coin, and, | can conscientously add, it was
not mine. In the article copied into the
republican paper of this city, was another
| letter which purports to be written by Jacob
| Thompson, but 90 mutated that ii il lmpos.
| sble 10 ascertain when, where or to whom il
| was written. | never saw Jacob Thompson,
| 10 know him. had never any sort of CON
ucclion with him, politically or otherwise.
The whole letter, as relates to me, is base
fabrication. Loo. at it Look at the mean
malIgnIty Of assaiIing me in my absence
| aud publishing such an article, the moment
my back was turned, and to which they
| hoped | could not Immediately respond
! They thought it would 50 permeate the coun.
| ty journals that | would be compelled to turn
away from the discussion Of the political is.
sues Of the day to defend myself, they hoped,
| IN the bitter malcc that actuatCd such an
attack, that the autidotu could not follow the
poison until the patient was made too sick
to reply. Now, fellow citizens, this Thomp.
son letter has u0 application % me. It Is
meant, If meant at all, and having the least
| Iota OF geUuIueness, neither for me nor any
one belonging TO ne 1t has neither date
nor direction, The head Is cut Off, the tail
waggIiug, You know, like asuake. It's said,
if you Kill II snake its tail viii wnggie till
shutdown. Laughter. How did that let.
ter get to Richmond IL Thompson wrote it
in Canada ! was in Canada at the time
Mr.. clay was there Why was there will
tel, Nou 100 moment | saw Mr.. Clay IN
hos E.,. ,,.,.r., -, 80 '','. :'o''' l'''
! ,Lo .,a,.r...,o,. \,..,L,..lt d;5 u", a.. a,
,r,, H. p;c1,,,nJ Va :, ,,,c.,i III.
! The claude IN Lo ;,st IN ,;, ,,,'",
| b.. ,,r,urad ny ,bo T-,;o, '''''o a,,,,.
| sner ',. ,.l 81 - LaJ t
.nrnt GA, Mas il ,arricJ Lv s",n"
| uarlbafp blast D Richmond to me- p,ckod mn
! ina the street. Urought to WASHINGTON ani
| fI.I n rlr "aurraY of military iustica -
Il malicious ia,sebooJ from bcoinninc
to end. It Is. apparept TO all. a mero frag.
ment picked M IN the street But wbctbor
| yerurr, or mot /, Is poro flo less fal.o 81. rc.
| ,ards myself
wa. opposed to this war. as everybody
| tells Won. thouoht war coud not nrc ,aryo
! the Union. was in favor Of tho shirt of
Cancellation and COMPROMISE which rh,roc.
! tcrized the action of orr fathers. Whom
| went To WASHINGTON and saw Mr. Lincoln
and submitted NV nlans 10 him he annrovad
nf them and did 80 in wri,ing I have l,ot
| the written authorities for that fact and 5aro
any one IN deny tle t.,tb IF this ossa-tior
wont IN Richmond mot ~ nm official I,,t
as a friend of the president's apthori2ad IN
nrasppt his wishes and des,res IN the stotos
T. -.I,1I:-. -. g.. .-..-.- g. .