Noah Webster to Richard Yates

May the 6th 63 Bible Grove Clay county Ill

Most Excellent Govner Dear Sir will your [precious?] time permit your Excellency to coraspond for the present with your humble Servent Dear Sir I avail myself of this oppertunity of asking for advice as I know your Excellence is ever Ready to give information think me not forward in thus addressing your most Excellent govner the questions concerning those demagogs that is going about over the country and trying to induce honest and loyal men into what is called the rights of the golden circle and opposing every institution that is calculated to unite union men to gether I would ask you what we are to do with Such men as will Solicit honest men to join Such an institution and pledge them selves not to take up arms against their Southern brothers it seems to me that such men are the twin brothers of the cow boys and tories of the revolutionary and ought to be treated as such for those that claim the rebels of the South as brethren is no better than those that claimed protection under the british crown in an early day nor [is?] half so good in my judgement for they in an early day had never enjoyed the blessings of a republic government but these tories has and if tories then was hung tories now ought to be hung and then believe the lord will dam them in due time I ever acted politically with the democratic party and its first principely as I learned was love of country and obedience to the constitution and laws and cursed be he that dare to honer & thought of treason we have those kind in our country now what shall we do with them let them still breathe out their treasonable acts against the government and keep up their damnable institution until our country is ruined God forbid if I had the power I would rid the earth of their foul presence for ever & ever pleas excuse one who loves his country & [u?] [illegible] of [illegible] yours Truly [illegible]pleas answer Noah Webster from adres Bible Grove Clay Co Ill

Noah Webster Bible Grove Clay County May 6 1863

Wishes to learn what is to be done with the Copperheads that are going about trying to get honest men to join the K.G.C. thinks they should all be hung as he thinks them worse that the tories of the revolution. ___________________________________________________ Rm ____________________ Recd ExO. May 12th 1863