Boston, June 23,1862.
My Dear Sir, —
. . . The “New Bedford Mercury,” under its new management, is getting to be
quite a live paper. I wish as much could be said for our administration, which
seems to be carrying a millstone about its neck in its dread of the border
States and of “Hunkerism” generally. I believe to-day that the old Union
Democrats, and even the true men of the border States, are ahead of Lincoln
upon this question of hitting the rebels hard — with the negro or any other
club. It is strange when a rattlesnake is attacking us that we should be so
delicate about the stick we hit him with!
I look with much anxiety to our operations in South
Carolina. Beauregard's army, on its way from Corinth, passes directly by
Charleston. Our force is ridiculously small for attack, the Key West troops
included — if they can get there. Our negro brigade amounts to nothing until
trained. We need prompt reinforcement there, or we shall have another blow half
struck, or possibly a recoil there.
_______________
* Editor of The New
York Evening Post.
SOURCE: Sarah Forbes Hughes, Letters and
Recollections of John Murray Forbes, Volume 1, p. 314-5
