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Lee, and many of the most distinguished citizens of
Boston who were acquainted with her loyalty, and esteemed her for the regard with which she had treated our soldiers while in prison at
Richmond.
We find on the
Governor's files a letter directed to
Secretary Stanton, dated Sept. 12, in which this lady's name is mentioned.
I gladly send you Miss Van Lew's letter.
She placed it in my hands for my opinion on the subject, and also on the propriety of her expressing to you her own opinion.
It is difficult not to sympathize with the views of one so truly devoted to our cause as she is, and one who has suffered so much.
Still, while I am confident of her loyal good faith, I am not sufficiently apprised of the grounds upon which the United-States Government is now acting, to be able to form a clear and intelligent judgment.
The answer of
Mr. Stanton to this letter was conveyed to
Miss Van Lew, who was staying at the residence of
Colonel William Raymond Lee, by the
Governor, in a letter dated Sept. 18, in which
Mr. Stanton is quoted as having written,—
The case of Mr. Stephens has been brought to the notice of the President by several persons who take an interest in him, and it is now under the President's consideration.
I will submit to him the representations of Miss Van Lew, and beg you to communicate this to her.
This appears to have been the end of the correspondence.
We are aware, however, that permission was given by the
President to
Miss Van Lew to visit this distinguished state prisoner at
Fort Warren, and that he was shortly afterwards released from confinement, and permitted to return to
Georgia.
We will add, in this connection, that the writer had known
Mr. Stephens when he was a member of Congress; and, while a prisoner in
Fort Warren, we visited him several times while in the casemates of that fortification.
Mr. Stephens was never heartily a rebel.
He was opposed to the secession of the
Southern States; his State having voted to withdraw from the
Union, he deemed it his duty to go with her. We discussed with him there all the points of the secession theory; and the impression left upon our mind was, that, if a proper opportunity
