Burlington, Iowa, February 25,1860.
Esteemed Individual:
I am charged to the muzzle with quinine pills, but mind asserts its supremacy
over matter. I thank you for your letter of 22d ; but I am more cheered and
consoled by other events of that same day. Pennsylvania knocked Baits; and
Indiana, where Martin Colfax has been cross-ploughing and harrowing in the good
seed, has died (in convention) and made no sign. I agree with you; take
apartments for me in the Pitti Palace. My acquaintance with him is slight, but
all in his favor. I revere, admire, worship, adore pluck; a stiff backbone is
worth all the rest of the human anatomy. Let us have an order of knighthood
established whose cognizance shall be a spinal vertebra on a field gules. Brain
is nothing compared to the dorsal column. Let no man be eligible to the
nomination who can take a kick behind with no change of countenance perceptible
to the spectator in front. I hope that will not rule out any of your New York
candidates. Will it?
I join hands with you on Pitt; and now, come out and “fight
the beasts at Ephesus” (Chicago) with me.
And now, once more. Will you keep me in a stock of speeches!
I want Mr. Corwin's, who is a splendid talker; Winter Davis, also, and John P.
Hale. Never mind; if you are weak and cannot go to the capital on foot, take a
carriage; it only costs fifty cents.
I am glad the Speaker is just what he is when it is
necessary to take a candidate to please Geo. Briggs and Adrain, when the
responsibility of having the control of the House is one which ought to have been
dodged if it could be. I am happy that justice is more nimble-footed than
usual.
I saw Pennington and Bates at Washington about the same
time, and came to an early conclusion that neither of their anxious mothers
knew they were out. As superb an ass as old P. is, I would rather take my
chances with him for President than the Missouri pre-Adamite. You can
understand my horror, then, of such a possible result as making a Republican
President. Horace is kinky, but what has obfuscated Dana? My suspicion
is that Weed does not want Seward, and does not intend he shall be nominated,
but does want Bates? He is one of Weed's style of men. W. has been a correspondent
of his for a long time, and Mister Weed could turn the crank and grind out any
tune he wished. Weed made Fillmore, Fish, and Wash. Hunt. That's my theory, and
it has to me great plausibility. There would be glorious picking at the
Treasury for the New York banditti.
But this is private and very confidential. Use your eyes and
your nose, and see if there is not something in it. Let me hear from you when
the fascinations of the. federal city can be thrown off.
I suppose you dine frequently with Mr. Buchanan. Please
assure him of my tender and abiding affection. With compliments to Mrs. P.,
Very truly,
Fitz-henry Warren.
SOURCE: James Shepherd Pike, First Blows of the
Civil War: The Ten Years of Preliminary Conflict in the United States from 1850
to 1860, p. 496-7
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