Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-08-31
LlNcoLN's GLIDING.

HI Gentle Reproof In Reply 90 0eeersl
Hunters Ugly Letter.
Another remarkable evidence Of the
great kindliness Of heart Of Abraham
Lincoln has been brought to light in
the form Of long lost letter which the
martyred president wrote to General
Daniel Hunter in 1861.
General Hunter was in command OF
the department Of Kansas at the time
this particular letter was written. II
seems he considered himself dishonored
BY an appointment to the rather OBJ
scure military post, and he wrote to the
president protesting against It Lin
coins Characteristic reply was as fol-
lows:
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON. Dec 81. 1901.
Major General Hunter:
DEAR StR--Yours Of the I'd Is received, and
am constrained to say IL Il difficult to answer
% ugly letter In good temper. am, as You
intimate, losing much Of the great confidence
placed In you, not from any net or commits
Sion OF yours touching the public service up to
the time you were sent TO Lcavcnworth. but
from the food Of erumbling dispatches and let
tors have scen from you since. knew you
were being ordered 10 Leavenworth mt tho
time II was done, and aver that, with IA ten
der regard for your honor and your scnsi.
bilitics rs hnd for my own, 10 never occurred
to me that you were being "hnmilisted, In
suited and disgrnc,d." nor have mp 10 this
day heard any intimation that you have been
wfonged coming from any ono but yourself.
No one has blamed you for the retrograde
movement from Springfield. nor for the infor-
nation you gave General Cameron. and this
you could readily understand " II were not
FOR your unwarranied assumption that the or
dering 10 I.cavcnw or,h must necessarily have
been done NJ T. punishment for some fanlt.
thought then. and think yet, the position M
signed 10 You u ms responsible and honor
ablo as that assigned 60 BUELL. know that
General Mcclellan expected more important
results from IL. Ny impression IL that at the
time you were assigned 10 the new western
Department u had not been determined TO re-
place General sherman in Kentucky. but OF
this am not certain, bccauSc the idea that q
command In Kentucky WIS very desirable, and
one in the farther west undesirable, Ind never
occurred TO me. yon constantly speak Of he
inc placed In command II only 400. Now, tell
me, a not this mere imIa;icnscf Have you
not known rll the while that You are TO com
nland four or five times tina. manyf
have been and an sincerely your friend,
and II ns such care TO make n suggestion
would say you arc adopting the best possible
way 20 ruin yourself 'Aci well your part.
There NIL The honor lics." He who does soine
thing Mt the head 81 one regiment will cclip-s
him who does nothing n, tie head Of 100 Your
iicnd ever, n LINCOLN
Nothing could have been better cal
culated to allay the feelings OF personal
wrong which must have possessed
Hunter ut the time That he thought SC
himself is shown by the following
words, written by the dissatisfied gen
eral on the big yellow envelope In
which the letter had been sent:
1.-The residents reply to my ugly
letter. This lay on his table month
after it was written, and when finally
sent was by special conveyance, with
the direction that it was only to b
given to me when was in q good ku'
NOR. New York Sun.