Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1900-11-02
HalStead Would
Kill Lincoln.
Hanna's Special Champion Once
Wrote a Letter.


selected to present the Republican side OF
the Kansas City Stars campaign forum,
said that any one who opposed the pres
ident's war policy was traitor.
Yet, Halstead once wrote letter to
Governor Chase, secretary of the treas
ury, in which he not only criticized the
war policy of President Lincoln, but he
called Grant "the foolish, stupid Grant, y
and said that Lincoln ought to be killed;
that he would feel that it was doing
Gods service to kill him.
Here is the letter. Read it,
CINCINNATI, February 10, 1868.
Gov. CHAsE-MY DEAR SIR:
wrote you a somewhat fantastic let
ter the other day. But that, suppose
is not now strange. | wrote this morn
ing to send you copy of private
letter | have from our army in front OF
Vicksburg. 1t is a close observer, who
endeayors to tell the truth.
There never was a more thoroughly
disguised, disheartened, demoralized
army than this is, and all because it is
under such men as Grant and Sherman.
Disease has decimated it's ranks, and,
while hundreds of poor fellows are dying
from smallpox and every other conceiv-
able malady; the medical department is
afflicted with delirium tremens. In Mem
phis, smallpox patients are made to
walk through the streets from camps to
hospitals, while drunken doctors ride
from bar-room to whore-house in gov
eminent ambulances.
How is it thar Grant, who was behind
at Fl. Henry, drunk at Donelson, SUR
prised and whipped at Shiloh and driven
back from Oxford, Miss, is still in COM
mand?
Gov. Chase, these things are true. Our
noble army at the Mississippi is being
WASTED by the foolish, drunken and
stupid Grant. Hecan't organize or con-
troll or fight any army. have no per-
sonal feeling about it, but ! know he is
an ass. There is not among the whole
list OF retired major-generals man VINO
is not Grants superior. Mcclellan
Fremont, Mcdowell, Burnsipe, Franklin,
even Pope or Sumner, would be an I'M
provement upon the present commander
of the Aarmy of the mississippi. Will
you wakeup some of these days and find
we have no Army of the Mississippi! l.
Then there is an awful encouragement
at the way the foolish old Hunter, who
is thought to be great man because he
is not insane in his prejudices on the
Negro question, is doing. In Gods
name, what is he waiting for? More re-
Inducements? Pity he can't die and get
out of the way, as Mitchell did
But, to stop this sort of growing and
come to something more practical.
The army, West and East, is being
weakened by assertions. 1t is great
evil. The thing needed is for the presi-
dent to give each commander of depart
ments power to SHOOT DEsERTERs. They
must be shot by the dozen. The presi-
dents weak, pulling, piddling humani-
tarianism is death and hell to the army.
Can't you take him by the throat and
knock his head against wall until he is
brought to his senses on the war bust,
ness? l do not speak wantoniy when
say there are persons who would feel
that it was doing Gods service to kill
him, if it were not feared that Hamlin
was bigger fool than he is.
And yet, the pitiful congress twaddles
weakly in private caucus about political
matters, as if little more niger would
do everything. Why don't they pass
your finance measure, and conscript act,
and mind their own business?
The proclamationisa positive nuisance
| to every truly loyal man in the West. 1t
| is weapon in the hands of the Butter
nuts. If it is made a party test, Vallan'
bingham would be elected governor OF
Ohio. Don't think am talking at ran
dom, Alas! | know what am talking
about What is wanted:
1. A general for our Army OF the Mis-
sissippi.
2. Deserters shot bv our commanders
of departments.
Less dependence upon the niger,
and more on the white man.
4. The consolidation of the fragments
of regiments.
S. Arrest and try Henry May and
Wendell Phillips for treason.
6, Suppress the New York Tribune and
New York World. Nj. HALsTEAD.