The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-11-17
A "Reminiscences of the War.
w. II. SEWARD AND EX-PRESI-
DENT PIERCE. #
WHAT CAME OF AHOAxING
LETTER.

During the late war. w. II. Seward
was anxious to tinIlle his little bell fol
the incarceration of the late ex -Presi
dent Pierce. The following anony-
nous communication, sent to the State
:, Department., was the occasion of a
correspondence, below printed, from
which Seward did not retro with an
President P, in his passage. has
drawn many brave and infiucn tial men
to the League. P-y Of the T.. c.,
D--t, sent a line to DR.. r, by
{H., the Mormon Elder,) who, as you
perhaps know, is just across the line
from Port II. The League is doing
nobly in NJ. l., and Wis. He is eau
tious, but, in common with Others is
gradually preparing the minds of the
people for great change. He ex-
presses a fear that any attempt to
draft men will produce premature
outbreak. 3 / think his. fear is well
founded. A member of the League in
Tennessee, who passed through the
woods on his way with dispatches to
DR.. =, told me that any attempt
to draft our friends there would bring
on an open rupture. ] think our Lead
ers should look to this, as no doubt
they will.
Yours, in the cause.
] The author was detected, and in his
confession, declared the whole letter a
joke. He says, in a letter to Mr.. Sew
ard:
"My further expectation was that it
would be sent to one of the treason
shrieking presses, and when exploded
would produce lots of fun l fancied
such 'seP would be apt to quiet their
bowls. My firm, only belief, was, that
it would be Immediately seen through,
or if the fish took the bait, would be
semitic the Tribune, drawing from that
admirable journal q yell of intense sat
isfactian.o ~
The following is the correspondence
which the hoax provoked: .s,.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington, December 2O,1S69.
TO Franklin Pierce, Esq, Concord, N.
II. -'~s--, - ..s
SRI inclose an extract from let
ter, received at this department, from
which it would appear that you are a
member of a secret league, the object
of which is to overthrow this Govern
ment. Any explanations upon the
subject which you may offer would be
acceptable.
Fam, sir, your obeaient servant,
VIM. II. SEWARD.
The extract enclosed was in the
words and marks which we have Just
given. The'injustice, to say nothing
Of the insolence and arrogance of the
Arrangement, touched Mr.. Pierce. He
promptly wrote a reply, which, if VIC
may judge from the answer thereto,
brought the insulting Secretary to his
knees. We give below the whole cor
respondence, because it affords an il
| Illustration aud an example of the moral
fibre and tone of Mr.. Pierce's charac-
! ter:
MIR. PIERCE To MR.. SEWARD. Pc
| ANDoyEE, Mass, Dec. %, 1860.
STA package Endorsed "Depart-
ment of State, u. S. A." 5franked by
w. Hunter, chiet4 clerk, addressed to
| ''Frahklin Pierce, Esq, Concord, New
Hampshire" was received by me to-
day, having been forwarded from the
place of my residence But for the
stamped envelope and the handwriting
of Mr.. Hunter, with which am. famiI-
lar, | should probably have regarded
the inclosure as an idle attempt atm
position. in which your name had been
surreptitiously used I must, / sup
pose, though l do so reluctantly, now
view it in different light. In the
!; note bearing your signature you say
t'I incioSe an extract from a letter re-
ceived at this department., from which
il would appear that you are member
of q secret league, the object of which
is to overthrow this government. Any
eSplanatioEs on the subject which yor
may may offer would be acceptable
1t is not easy to conceive how any per
: son could give eredence to, or entertain
for moment, the idea that l am now
OF ever have been connected with {
> "secret league" or with any league thu
object of which was or is the overthrow
Of the Government Of my, country
j Surprise, however, only increasing as
pass from your note to the extract t.
which you refer as sufficient basis fo
an official communication. Incoheren
. and meaningless as this extract from
the yagaries ofan anonymous corespol
dent seems to be, it is not little sin
gular that it should have~been sent fo
Hexplanation to one who, during hi
life, has never belonged to any secre
!, league, society or association. Ny
name does not appear in the extract
and as there is not the slightest grount
for any reference to me. in the connec
ton Indicated, I take it for grantee
that your inference is wholly errone
Gus, and that neither I nor. anything
which ever said or did was in TIL
mind of the writer. Nothing bat tht
gravity of the insinuation,. the higi
source whence it emanates, and thu
distracted condition of our recently
united, prosperous and happy country
could possibly lift this matter abov.
ridicule and contempt. Not, therefore
"because explanation would be accept
able," but because this correspondence
is to hold q place upon the files of thu
Department of State long beyond thu
: duration of your life and mine, and be
cause l would leave, so far as an
concerned, no ambiguity upon the re-
cord, it is proper, perhaps it is my du
ty, to add that my loyalty will neve
be successfully impugned so long as