Year: 1864

|
hand, in which l am informed that certain
letters belonfiipg to me have been stolen.
You do not directly state whether you
committed the theft yourself, or whether
YOU employed some one else; but inasmuch
as you have possession of the stolen prop
crty, and avow it as if you had done some
thing to be proud of, you will of course
not object to being considered the principal
in this act of petty larceny and l,ck-pick-
ing. There are some titles to distinction
which you claim, and which are not, |
believe, generally conceded to you by the
public No one, however, will dispute your
right to this.


You take great pains in your communi-
cation to convey false impression in
regard to the circumstances under which
you examined and purloined my private
correspondence. In November, 1868, l
locked my desk, my drawers and my office
in the usual manner, and left for Wash
ington City. l did not return to Tcrre
Hattie until the 10th of June, 1864.


During my absence | authorized the
owner of the property to rent it and take
charge of my books and papers. lie rent
ed it some time in the spring to man by
the name of Muzzy, and with a mistaken
confidence, suffered everything belonging
to me to remain under his control. Here,
General, was your easy opportunity L
was nearly thousand miles away, polit-
ical enemy had possession of my desks
and drawers, and all you had to do was to
apply the burglars art, prepare false keys,
pick my locks, and you at once had access
to my private, confidential correspondence,
embracing period of seven years. L have
every reason to believe that youread it all
letter by letter You took your time, and
like the furtivc, thieving magpipe, mar
rowly Inspected each line and word, to find
if possible, some expression of opinion
which your servile political creed holds to
be disloyal. There were many letters there
from cherished friends who are dead
There was bundle also from my wife in
regard to our domestic affairs. If you
have stolen these, also, please return them
as they can be of no value except to the
owner ! have heard of generous house
breakers and pickpockets doing as much as
that.


! confess to oae very ,lisagrccable sem
sation in this affair. 1t is the thought
that the evidences Of long years of friend
ship and affection should be subjected to
the scrutiny of such an eye as yours.


You wear the uniform of Brigadier
General, and believe you are a colonel
in the regular army. Do you imagine that
such an act as robbing private drawers and
publishing private letters, VIII bring honor
to your rank in the estimation of gentle
men? Have you ever read here and there
n scrap of history? Do you know i'll what
Il light the shiny inlormer, the cavesdropcr,
the ptiful spy on the affairs of domestic
and private lie, have alway. been regard
cd by honorable men? Did you ever read
the invectivcs of Curran before the jurics
Of Ireland against just such conduct as
yours If You have not, advise you to
do so, and you will there see yourself in a
mirror as others scc you at all times. Titus
Oates pretended to see plots, consplraccs
and treason just as you pretend you are
doing. He got rich at it, as | presume
you are doing. He sacrificed the lives of
many of the best citizens of England
You may do the same in this country by
+ your sensational falsehoOds and reckless
disregard of the public peace. But the
parallel may go further 4 healthy reac-
ton took place, and Titus Oates, the plot
finder of England, stood in the stocks and
was pcltcd by the multitude. His ears
were cropped close to his hcad he was
whipped at the tail of Il cart dozen times
/ 4 hn CIR Of
acts of vengeance against him were only
expressive of the feelings which virtuous
mank ind everywhere entertain towards the
wretch who turns universal witness against
his fellow mcn-who, in times of great
: public excitement and trouble, seeks to
sggravatc the public distress by pretend
. ing to find everybody guilty but himself
md his own followers; who crawls into
bed rooms, who ransacks bureaus, who
picks locks, and pliers the private thought:
of friends. You have studied this grea
English informcr as your example; woulC
you not do well to study his fate ? Popu
lar dclusions do not last always, and tn,
= day is even now at hand when your pres
cncc among gentlemen will be regarded a
a signal to cease conversation for fear yol
will bctray it-when your presence in
room will cause its occupants to secur,
every loose letter or paper that may be il
sight for tear you steal it, and when you
# presence in town will cause everybod


to lock their Offices or remain in them t.
guard against yonr approach.


am told that you have been often or
p dcred to the field to meet the armed enc
mics of your country. | have formerl


expressed nv surprise that you did not &C
You were educated, if am not mistaken
at West Pointby the Government, and m
= experience among army officers has bee


that as class, they were men of courage
IL high breeding and honor They hav


generally esteemed it their duty to be il
:. the front in time Of war. But all genera


rules are proven by their exceptions, an


you are the exception in this insla2ce.


shall no longer wonder that you remain il


Indiana, nor shall be surprised if on an


other invasion of our State you are agai


put under arrest and relieved of you


command. Your vocation is certain


not the sword You should lay it aside a
l. g.. 30 "A