The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-01-23
Cushing's Letter to Darts.

following is the letter addressed by Ca /
leb Cushing to jefferson Davis, the dis
covery of which, it is said, induced Grant
to withdraw his nomination as Chief JUS
tice from the Senate
WAsHINGToN, March 20, 1861.
DEAR SIR: Mr.. Archibald Roane, for the
last six or seven years a clerk in the Attor-
cysGenerals Office, desires from rue a letter
of introduction 10 yot, and he desires II not
IN The view of anticipating administration
favors, brt that be may have the honor OF
your personal Intercourse. OF tins take
pleasure in assuring you he is enlnehtly
worthy. 4 Southern man by Dirth ithlIE,
and affection, lie has carefully sta"led anu
ably discussed, in Mr.. DE BOW ne 'oo anu
other Southern works, rhe lame ntable events
which have been gradually undermining,
and have 1T length oVerthrown the Alnerl-
can Union. Whilst practical man, he is
also "a ripe and accomplished scholar, with,
indeed, predominant literary tastes and htsb-
its In the disc harge of his official duties
he has combined in a singular degree the
pureSt integrity and most enlightened in
teliigenCe with modest contentment in his
lot, having more than once declined offices
of more conspicuous employment in the
public service. He now resigns his present
Office from sentiments of devotion to that
which alone he can feel TO be his country,
namely the Confederate States from one OF
which (TcXas) he was appointed. l most
heartily commend him n gentleman and
n man TO your confidence and esteem. And
am, with The highest consideration, your
obedieut servant, &. CUSHING.
Hon. jefferson Davis, President of the
Confederate States.
Ii will be observed that this letter was
written three weeks before hostilIties were
commenced by the attack on Fort Sump-
ter. If it be tleasonable document, then
Gen. Scott WAS as much traitor as Caleb
Cushing, because about the same time he
declared himself willing to let ''our erring
sister depart in peace" No man has ever
dared to brand General Scott with enter
tanning reasonable motives, and the most
that can be imputed to him is that lie was
mistaken in his Judgment. Caleb Gushing
no doubt believed in March, 1861, as Gen.
Scott and scores of others OF our public
men believed, that the union of the States
was broken up and destroyed, and although
the result proved otherwise, we are una
bic to perceive the justice Of charging them
with a crime 70: having entertained and
expressed that opinion. Even Horace
Greeley, after Pope's disastrous defeat at
the second battle of Bull Run, had so little
faith in the success of the North in quell-
ing the rebellion. that he proposed in the
/ New York Tribune to decide the question
of the permanent existence of the Southern
! Confederacy by the result of one pitched
battle, and was only cured of this delusiOn
by the subsequent superb and magnificent
gencralship of George 3. Mcclellan on the
bloody field of Antietam. If, however,
Caleb Cushing entertained any doubts
about the existence of the Union OF the
21st of March, 1861, he was willing to risk
his life in its defence on the 25th of April,
only one month afterwards, as will be seen
from his letter to the Governor of Massa-
chusetts, as follows:
NEwBURYPoRT, April %, 1s61.-SIR
| beg leave to tender myself TO you in any ca
pacity, however humble, in a wish it may
be possible for me to contribute to the pub
| lie veal in the present critical emergency
l have no desire 10 survive the overthrow o
, the government OF the United States. | an
ready for any sacrifice TO avert such n catas
trophe, and l ask only to be permitted u
lay down my life in the service Uf the Com
mon wealth and Union.
l am, Very Respectfully,
G. CUSHING.
, His Excellency, John \. Andrews, Cover
nor OF the Commonwealth.
This does not sound like he language o
a man who sympathized with the rebellion
, The imputation of treason against Nh
Cushing is an after thought. Did no
grant appoint, and did not Loyay Senat
confirm John 4. J. Cresweli, of Maryland
as Postmaster General, who drew up seces
sion resolutions and undertook to raise
, company for the Confederate service
l Grant also appointed and subservieR
+ street, the next ablest military chieftain i
+ the South to Robert f. Lee and Stonewa
:. Jackson, to the lucrative position of navf
/, officer at New Orleans, James /. Orr, {
4 South Carolina, an uncompremising rebe
= was rewarded by being sent as Minister t
~ Russia.
II We are neither the defender nor apolt
g. gist of Gushing, never having admired hir
since he assisted in disrupting the Den
ocratic party when lie was president of th
= national Democratic Convention atChaIie:
e ton, in 1860. 1t is plain to our mind, how
it ever that his letter to Davis was only
if preteXt for his withdrawal, and not til
. controlling reason for it, in order to sui
- ssrve the ulterior designs of certain Rad
e cal Senators.
I. CONGREss has at last needed the unive
sr sal demand of the country and repeale
'c tho extra pay swimdle, fixing the salary
Il its members at what it was prior to Sd