The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-10-22

of tho address is to be noted
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington, 2Oth Dec. 1861. II
To Franklin Pierce, Esq, Concord, n. JT
SIN: ] enclose an extract from
lotter received at this Department,
from which 1t would appear that
YOU are a member OF secret league,
the object Of which is 10 overthrow
this Government. Any explanation
upon the subject which you may Of.
fer would be acceptable.
! am, sir, your obodiont servant, |
TSigncd1 WIN. ii. SEWARD.
Tho "extrac" enclosed was In the
words and marks which we have
Just given. Tho injustice, to say /
nothing of the insoleuco and AFRO |
ganco of tho arraignmcnt, touched !
Mr.. Pierce. He promptly wrote n
reply, which, if one may judge from
tho answer thereto, brought the in
sultlng Secretary TO his knees. We
give below the whole correspond
cnco because it affords an illustra-
tion and an example OF tho moral
fibre and tho tone Of Mr.. Piorco's
character
MIR. pIERcB TO MR., SEWARD.
ANDovER, Mass, Dec. -, 1861.
SIR A package, indorscd "Dc>
partment of state, U. S. A., frankod
by W. Hunter, chiet clerk, aud ad-
dressed to "Franklin Pierce, Esq,
Concord, New Hampshire was re-
ceived by mo to-day, having been
forwarded from tho place Of my re-
sidoncc. But for tho stamped en-
vclopc and the handwriting of Mr.,
Hunter, with which / am familiar,
1 should probably have regarded
tho inclosure as an idle attempt at
imposition, IN which your name was
surreptuously used, / must, | sup
pose, though l do so reluctantly,
now view it in q different light. In
tho note bearing your signature,
you say: Il enclose an extract
from u letter received at this De-
partmcnt, from which it would APP
pear that you are q member OF n
secret league, the object of which is
to overthrow this government
Any explanation on the subjcc
which you may offer would be ac-
ceptahlc." 1t is not easy to conceive
how any person could give cre-
dencc to, or entertain for moment,
tho idea that | am now, or ever
have been, connected with n "so.
3 crot league or with any league
) the object of which was, or is, the
overthrow Of the government Ofmy
country. Surprise, however only
increases IA pass from your note
to the extract to which You rcfcI
3 us sufficient basis for an official
communication Incvhcrcnt aud
meaningless as this "eX,ract' from
! the vagQrlcs OF an anonymous cor
respondent seems to be, it is not {
httIo singular that it should have
: been sent for explanation TO on,
, who, during his whole life has nev'
or belonged to any secret league
society or association. My nHm'
. does not appear IN tho "cXtr0ct,
T. and rs there is not the slghtcs
c ground for any reference TO me II
n the connection Indicated, | take i
o for granted that your inference il
= wholly erroneous, and that ncithc
= ! nor anything which | ever salt
i or did, was in the mind Of the wri
s ter. Nothing but tho gravity O
n the Insinuation, the nigh oiiicia
c source from which it emanatcs, an,
= the distracted condition of our 10
!, Gently united, prosperous and hap
- py country, could possibly lift thi
J. matter above ridicule and contomp'
d Not, therefore, "because eXplana
d tons would be acceptable" but be
0. cause tins correspondence Is to hol
l. q place upon the files Of the Depart
o mont Of State long beyond tho dul
=, alton of your lite and mine. and be
II cause | would leave, so tar rs | al
ut concerned, no ambiguity upon IL
> record, it is proper, perhaps it
D. my duty, to add that my loyolt
IN will never be successfully impugl
n cd so long as | enjoy the Oons.itl
il tional rights which pertain to ev
ry citizen Of tho Republic, and CT
70, pecially the inestimable right TO
u informed Of tho nature and caui
y of accusation, and to be confront(
to face to face with my accusers.
l. Lovc for our whole country, respe
is for tho reserved rights Of the State
'rt reverence for the Constitution, al
o. devotion to the noble Union whiC
u tor so many years reposod secure
rs, upon that sacred instrument, ba'
of been interwoyen with my be
lie hopes for civil liberty, my deepe
pit emotions and my sternest purpO
&c es, from youth TO age. If / ha'
ar failed to illustrate this in oilioi
he stations, in private lite, and und
cd all circumstances when it brcar
tn me to speak or act, | have labor
ne under a singular delusion, consC
Gr Ousness of which would ombitt
en- more than anything else the pre-
lid ent hour and such remaining hou
l. or years as may be in reserve
mo.
in | am, sir, your obedIent scrvan
bio FRANKLIN III ERCE.
to Hon. VIM, IL. Seward, Secretary
State, Washington, d. G.
ea. WAsHNGroN, Dec. 80, 1861
Ike My DEAR SIR ; An injurious {