Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-04-25
RELIC OF THE REBELLION.
Valuable Historic Document Now in
the Hands of q Mil


Waukeean.
Wisconsin, reporter has dragged to
light at Milwaukee an interesting fact in
connection with the history Of Jefferson
Davis which has not heretofore been
published. When the president of the
Confederacy was captured after the
downfall of his empire based on human
bondage, he had with him. in the mis-
cellaneous collection of personal eff
fects which he had gathered to carry
with him into "the last ditch" letter
that had been written to him more than
four years before, appealing to him
IS a statesman not to Join the
forces Of disuni0n. The original manu-
script of this letter is now in the pos
session of c. B. Aubery, Of this city,
who purchased itat the table of war relics
presided over by Mrs. S. c. Bell during
the Woman's Relief Corps Fair, two
ten in scholarly hand on three sheets of
large letter-paper considerably yellowed
by age, and is signed 81. Montgomery
Bond" 1t is only within the
past week that tie owner of the
valuable manuscript has discovered,
after painstaking inquiry, who
L. Montgomery Bond was He was
wholesale tea merchant and importer, of
Philadelphia, at one time president of
the Keystone Bank. His recreation
was the collection of books and auto
graph letters, particularly those relating
to the early history of America. He has
been dead for dozen years or more.
Following is the text of the letter:
PHILADELPHIA Dec. %, 1S6O.-HOn Jefer-
son Darts, Senator of the i. .S-DEAR SIR: |
oHH no oil he
which is now agitating our common coun-
try because | believe you to be statesman
-One OF the few statesmen now yin Congress.
] believe you have it in your power to per-
form great actions in the allaying if not
silencing the discord row distracting the
people OF this great country. 1t is impossi-
bic that a comprehensive mind like yours
can be blind to the horrors which must fol-
low the mad movement of the South in this
crisis. GU cannot but see that if the spirit
of the North is aroused it must end in war
such as the world has never heard of. AL
ready this spirit is being awakened by
the actions of some of the men of
the South traversing the country as
emiSsaries OF state government, stirring
up what may be construed as
rebellion. Whatever right states may have
to secede from the Union, they clearly have
no right to send emissaries to stir up action
against the general government in other
states. | say this is no party spirit, but as
lover of his country speaking to one of her
first statesmen. We all know you TO be
legislator of enlarged views, attached to
your own section, Ofcourse and jealous offs
rights, but still able to rise above petty ques-
tons and look, as statesman and patriot
can always look, beyond the mere question
OF state or section to the greater one of the
general good of the whole. If an overt act
OF the government speaking through Con-
gresS had occurred inimical to the rights or
honor of the South then there are thou
sands here who would not and could not
have blamed the act of secession. But no
act has ever been passed by Congress reflect
ing even upon the rights of the South.
The South asked for the Legislative state
law which was her right under the consti-
tuition. Was it denied her? The South
asked a decision from the highest tribunal
of the land as to her rights Of property in
slaves in the territories. Was not the de-
cision favorable to the South? Now how
can the Southern states reasonably COM
plain? II states pass laws not favorable to
slavery they fall to the ground under the
constitution and the decision of the supreme
court. ] cannot think that other states will
follow South Carolina if their statesmen
would not countenance secession. Never
was there such an act Of madness as that of
the secession of South Caroline. Who ever
heard of a deliberative body of men pass
ing al act seyerlng great state from all
laws without having government to take
the place OF the Onerepudlated? a body Of
boys or madmen they would seem to be,
immediately the one of them declares his
state ''houseless and homeless"
The people Of the South are entirely mis-
taken in assuming the result Of the late
election as a Republican victory. The
vote, though but one-third Of the vote Of
the Union, was not Republican vote
Everybody here knows that had a Repub-
lican pure been in nomination he could not
have been elected. The Republicans were
fortunate in choosing a man of no ante
cedents-one who at the same time had all
the popular elements Of character to con-
centrate the vote Of the common people
He was represented as one of them-as a
rail-splitter as a raftsman, etc, ETC. This
kind of thing was used by the demagogues
OF party, and it had the effect to bring him
hundreds of thousands of votes which
would not have been given to Mr.. Seward
or Mr.. Wade.
Dear sir, let me appeal to you in conclu-
sion to use the high position you occupy to
bring. back the unity of the government.
Nothing can be gained by separation. The
nations of the earth will not look kindly
upon a government based upon slavery.
even If one were successfully established.
1t is against the intelligence of the age. 1t
IS against the progress Of civilization. For
300 years the tread of civilization has been
westward. The nations of Europe have
been growing freer. Kings have been
obliged to give constitutions to their people,
and now on this Western continent shall a
retrogade commence? I trust in God YOU
will not be found among the statesmen who
Will give cOuntenance to such movement
| am sincerely yours,
Il. MONTGOMERY BOND.