Washington, Dec. 30, 1859.
My Dear Sir,
You are right in supposeing that I made a much longer speech on Mason's resolution than I had any idea of at the commencement. [Am glad that what I said meets your approbation--]
Your letter to Mr. Judd directed to my care came to hand while he was in New York attending the meeting of the National Committee, & was forwarded to him there--
Our friends are determined to adhere to Sherman to the end, & I doubt not will eventually elect him. The Ill. Democratic Representatives have done enough this session to forever down them with all thinking & honest Anti Lecomptonites. What a burlesque to get up Union meetings in Northern Cities to sympathise with disunionists in the South!
Yours truly
Lyman Trumbull
---------------------------
Trumball had given a response to Senator James Mason of Virgina, who called for a [Federal] investigation of the raid at Harper's Ferry. What Trumball did was not a bipartisan, unconditional agreement to do so, but he made a speech for an investigation with conditions! He wanted an investigation of an event in 1855 Missouri go along with the John Brown Raid investigation, a totally different event. He also states...
"I believe the outbreak at Harper's Ferry has arisen, not from the teachings and the acts of the Republican party, or any of its leaders, or anybody in its ranks, as the Senator from South
Carolina supposes, but from the teachings of the party with which he himself is associated".
further...
"I think that the two things properly go to-gether, and that one should be inquired into as much as the other. As great an outrage was committed four years ago, in taking possession of the arsenal at Liberty, as was committed a month or two ago, in taking possession of the armory at Harper's Ferry. I apprehend that where hundreds of dollars worth of property were destroyed at Harper's Ferry, thousands were destroyed in consequence of the taking possession of the arsenal at Liberty. I apprehend that where one life was lost in consequence of the act3 at Harper's Ferry, many lives were
lost in consequence of the taking possession of the arsenal at Liberty and the events that followed it. Sir, it was with the arms which were."
This is misdirecting the subject at hand by using an event from years earlier, that he "just" remember happened, and did not call for an investigation before the event at Harper's Ferry. Why is he arguing such a unnecessary point at such a critical time? He goes on to change the debate to the issue of slavery in the territories, and the Republican Party platform which clouds the idea of having an investigation.
http://www.archive.org/stream/remarksofhonlyma00trum/remarksofhonlyma00trum_djvu.txt
----------------------------
Another letter, this one from Charles H. Ray to Abraham Lincoln, Oct. 31, 1859.
"We are damnably exercised here about the effect of Old Brown's wretched fiasco in Virginia, upon the moral health of the Republican party! The old idiot-- The quicker they hang and get him out of the way, The better. You see how we treat it. -- I hope we occupy the right ground."
That's strange language; "get him out of the way" What was he in the way of?
----------------------------
A letter from a M. C. Bissell to Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 28, 1859.
"Several of our citizens your friends being assembled thought we would like to have an address upon the occasion of the death of John Brown(in the event of his execution of which we have no doubt) Can you address the Mass Meeting at this place (Joliet) say about Dec 7 at 7 P M. If so we will arrange a big thing for you"
----------------------------
Another letter from a jailed associate of John Brown; Thaddeus Hyatt to Abraham Lincoln, May 19, 1860.
"The event that I have looked for and earnestly desired, thank Heaven! has taken place-- You are the Nominee of the Republican Party -- and with the favor of the Divine Providence, our next President--When I first came into this prison, now almost ten weeks ago I wrote you a letter -- but on reflection did not send it-- I thought it premature--... I have no suggestion to you make to you-- But if you have looked into this outrage of the U. S. Senate: and if it has moved you: if in my case: if in this incarceration of an American Citizen you perceive an occasion for publickly expressing your sentiments -- I shall be glad to hear from you--"
----------------------------
A letter from a Hawkins Taylor to Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 8, 1859.
"As far as I can judge the Harpers Ferry "Big Scare" will do the Republicans good. There has been a kind of heartless in the prossecution of Brown that Humanity revolts at. Try a man for his life when he could not sit up on account of his wounds. Give him no time to get his council, get his witnesses, not even suppenen his witnesses for him and then Sentence him to be hung in thirty days, is not what the American people have been used to And that too a man who is conceded by all to be crazy on the Slavery Subject And a Man too who had shown such Noble genrosity to his prisoners (Some of the first families of Va) even when the beseigers outside had inhumanly Murdered some of his own Men -- who he had Sent Out with a flag of Truce and when his own son lay dead from shots fired after they had proposed to Surrender And when he knew that he need not hope to be spared. If Gov Wise9 hangs him in 30 days under all the circumstances he will only be spoken of as the Jeffries of Va."
__________________________________
David Upton