Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1868-12-18


me with his accustomed amenty, but in
regard to the matter In hand, talked quite
diplomaticaly. 1t was about my first expe-
rience Of regular diplomatists converse
ton. didn't much admire or understand
IL. Mr.. 5. invited me TO take tea with him
that evening. did. After tea | renewed
my application for the release of my friends
aud argued the matter rs we'll as could
He bad only this reply to make: Z" ON
considering the matter, and shall be very
glad to see you at tea or breakfast or din
ner every dey, and We will talk the subject
| over"
One evening, when bad been about fonr
days in Washington, ventured to urge my
request very strongly upon the Secretary
and he said, "call at my Office tomorrow
morning at half-past ten, and will give YOU
an order for the releass OF your friends -
OF course was puuctual to the minute.
Fred" said he, addressing his son and as
sistant secretary, "give Mr.. Prentice the
document | directed you to make out"
The assistant secretary placed it in my
hands, / read 1t. IL was not an order for
the discharge Of the victims. II was only
an order that | should have the privilege
of seeing them in their prison when pleas
ed. "Why, Mr.. Seward, this is not what
you promised me yesterday" "No, it is
not, but | especially desire that you go TO
( New York and talk with your friends and
ascertain their feelings and intentions and
report TO me-" | told him in terms, n little
brief, possibly, that he certainly could not
expect mo TO visit my friends in prison and
enter into conversation with them as Gov
ernment spy. Well" he said, e do me the
favor to 60 and see them, and write to me
as you IKE" said eyes" | went, and
wrote to him every day as strongly as /
could in favor Of the release of the prison
ers. Ny first three letters were unanswered
| In reply to the fourth | received dispatch
saying that my friends were "paroled to
! Washington for explanation" Or course
/ / considered that dispatch as ilplying a
discharge. went Immediately with DR..
! Gwiuu's wife aud daughters to Fort Lafly-
cite, exhibited the order to the prisoners,
and advised them TO proceed to Washington
! Immediately. "GO with us" said they
| | told them that it would be exceedingly
inconvenient for me TO 60 with them. Tney
were apprehOnsive Ol deceit and treachery
- Go with U.s." said they, cor we will not
60" / went with them. Gu arriving at
| Washington | called upon Secretary Sew.
ara in their behalf. lie required that they
! shQRd either take certain obnoX Gus oath
or be remanded bo prison. l asked them
| what they would do, and they agreed that,
as there were 10 charges against them, aud
| as they had cOmmitted no crime, they would
sooner 60 back 10 their blstile than take
the oath. All my appeals to the Secretary
were of no avail.
! Then my appeal was to President Lincoln,
certainly "a kind-hesrted, though in many
| things sadly misg Guided, funcuonary. At
my second interview with hns, he SAID "
Will set your friends free. they may 60
as much at large as any other citizens of the
| United States" | asked him it he would
grant them permission 10 go to Europe. He
replied that none Of our people had the
| right 20 g0to Europe without passports, not
even himself, aud that therefore he could
ros give passports, but that my friends
! should be iRsU AS Tree as he or any other
man under the Government TO 20 and come
| at pleasure. L requested himto put this
. declaration in writing. He said "no, il is
i very delicate subject, aud Seward Will be
very mad abOAt 1t. l will not touch pen to
paper iu regard to it. Tell your friends what
1 have told you, and tell them further that
| shall be glad 10 see Them" All Of them,
[ believe, called upoA him Rnd expressed
/ their thanks, though whether thanks were
! due, under all the circumstances, is,
think, quite a question.
In ISd5 DR.. Gwlnn, who had not taken
]
war, went from this country To- Mexico for
his own private purposes, whatever they
were, AMI have reason 10 know that they
were rigat aud proper. He went ami took
others with him 10 make money, but, on
| account of the miserable condition OF Mrxi-
can affairs, they failed. DR.. Gwlnu came
back 10 the United States in the full CON
consciousness OF right and the expectation
OF safety He had done no wrong TO, others,
and he had anticipated no wrong 10 himself
Butt upon his arrival within the Federal
liues, then kept up for no proper purpose,
he was snapped mp upon not even pretrXt,
and thrust into Fort Jackson, below New
Orleans. Several of his friends were thrown
into Fort jackson with him There they
were kept for many months. They were
kept incarcerated, but perhaps not very
badly used. ! went to Washngto TO get
them discharged and succeeded although
in opposition TO all the diplomatic Efforts Of
Secretary Seward il the opposite direction.
Aud in an inter view on thai occasion, Mr..
Seward had the very intense coolness, fifty
degrees below zero, the point of the tneI-
! mUmeter, where the mercury freezes, to say
TO my face that he was tue man who had
discharged my three friends from Fort
Lafayette and given them all their suOse.
quent liberty.
Mr.. Seward is able, but he is faithless.
No trust can be safely repOsed in him. lie
seems genial enough, but he is not just aud
true. glad that ho is 70 retire from the
government, hoping only that IA worse man
man will not succeed him. There are
thousands worse, aud certainly more thOus-
ands better. am considerably afraid that
the worse will have to go on the left hand
in the Judgment day when the sheep Snail
! bs divided from the goat, -
n n