Boston, December 22, 1859.
Dear Sir, — I am sorry
to see, by a reported speech of yours, that you are among those who have been
duped by vile fellows who believe that a large number of decent men in this
part of the country are implicated in the affair of Harper's Ferry. Among other
names I find my own, and I am the person alluded to as a cotton speculator who
employed Brown to do his work. To show you how absurd this whole plan of libel
will appear when it is examined, I will state my own case.
1st. I am the son
of Amos Lawrence, now deceased, whom you knew, and who brought me up to be a “national”
man, as we understand that term. 2d. I have been so decided in my own
opposition to the formation of sectional parties, that those who voted for
Fillmore in Massachusetts, in 1856, nominated me for governor, but I declined.
They have requested me to be a candidate every year since that, and last year I
did run against Mr. Banks. 3d. Though largely interested in cotton factories as
a shareholder, I never owned a bale of cotton in my life, and never had any
business with any person whom I knew as a speculator in cotton. Some years ago
I took a great interest in our people who settled in Kansas, many of whom went
from Lowell and Lawrence with their families. They were shockingly abused, and
if it were not for my wife and seven children at home, I would have taken a more
active part in that business. But that has passed long ago; it did not induce
me to join the Republicans, though it did most of my friends. I took part with
Mr. William Appleton and my relative Mr. F. Pierce in the Faneuil Hall meeting
here the other day, and with most of our people am called a “hunker,” and even
in Mississippi should be a law and order man. You will do me a favor, if you
will prevent my being summoned to Washington on so foolish an errand as to
testify about Harper's Ferry.
Respectfully and truly yours,
A. A. L.
SOURCE: William
Lawrence, Life of Amos A. Lawrence: With Extracts from His Diary and
Correspondence, p. 136-8
No comments:
Post a Comment