Allan Tomlin to Richard Yates

[sideways at top of page] Jo Davies County

Lincoln 970 Ma

Yates 986 Ma

Nar 984 Ma

You lead all - good

A. Tomlin Galina 13th Nov 1860

Dear Friend

Do please allow me to cordially congratulate you upon your triumphant election & especially upon having both branches of the Legislature in harmony & concord so that in reality you are a unit - one body all- ready - anxious & eager to place yourselves in the breach to stay the system of loose, profligate, & corrupt legislation that has been popular & rampant so long - from our little City and Town Corporations to State & National legislation - all, to a greater or less extent is tinctured with selfishness & corruption - let us now take courage & hope that this many headed

monster has been pierced with so many arrows of truth & righteousness & has been made to bleed at so many vital points - will now cease to exist - but if he does it will be at the price of ceaseless vigilance of the votaries of truth virtue & true religion - what a contrast between truth & falsehood - one is open unsuspecting manly noble, at all times seeking the light - yea more light still - free discussion - open communion - Loving all, aiding all- "rejoicing with those that do rejoice & weeping with those that weep" - the other sulky steathy, restrictive, prohibiting free enquiry & discussion - wants not the light imprisons truth justice and righteousness 0 encircles itself in vails of Egyption darkness but enough of moralizing

what a glorious victory it is - the mind almost becomes wild with excitement, when contemplating the vast & almost boundless consequences that must follow a proper use of this unexampled success of sight over might - the people have seemed to believe that you & Lincoln were in earnest he when he said it was the mission of the Republican Party to change that old and infamous motto that "Might makes right' into this one that hereafter "Right should make Might" & you in Chicago when you uttered that noble thought - that when your principles were overborne that you would go with them that success at the sacrifice of principle would be a failure & your willingness to wait & trust God - would that we might all do this - Then should we be warriors

4 fit for any emergency - excuse my rambling so much - for really I suppose you will be flooded with letters at this time - I wish you to understand that I am very little of a politition - I do what I can to aid on the good cause whose infancy has just been baptized with such intense delight by the Nation - but I have some old School Boy friends whom I would be more than glad to see the people honor & if by local position or knowledge of facts that would aid them in developeing the real & Substantial interest of the Country & at the same time develope their own powers of usefulness to the Country I would indeed be very much gratified and if you would not consider it

[Nov. 13, 1860] 5

impertinent I think I can bring to your knowledge a matter that has been covered if not buried for these many years - which if properly elucidated & explained & the Simple facts brought to light will be a vast & wide spread benefit in a National point of view & of immeasurable local advantage to Illinois Wisconsin & Iowa - I will now in very few words & comments state in part the subject - at the organization of our Mining System here in the Lead region of Ills, Wis & Iowa - The U. S. Government appointed Agents to attend to her interests - to Lease to the Miner a Lot of ten acres for Mining purposes - The smelter was allowed what was called a "Survey" of a mile square

All the Mineral raised upon it the Miner had to sell to the Smelter holding it 0 with certain conditions & restrictions - The Miner was Taxed Six percent of all the mineral raised to be cleaned by him & made fit for Market - the Smelter paid no Tax - but had to retain the Tax levied on the Miner as it was smelted he must retain six perCent for Government - and the U. S. G paid the Smelter for smelting or sold him the Mineral - Usually the Smelter gave the U. S. G Agent 400 [lb?] Lead for each thousand pounds of mineral - The Mineral yielding from 550 to 700 [lb?] Lead to each 1000 [lb?] which was certainly a sufficient profit for his

part of the transaction, in this way there was vast amounts of Mineral paid by the Miner to the Agents of Government - thus depleting the wealth of the Country - retarding its full developement by these burden's on the laboring market with the same propriety & justice might the Gov claim sex perCent of the productions of all the soil - [until?] it is sold - these they refund to let us buy our homes until a very late date - keeping back cultivation and improvement - orchards - schools 6% full twenty years - & yet the Gov never did anything to aid us in proving the depth, size thickness of our mines And now to crown this long continued system of wrong - some huckstering Polititions have (I understand) taken

the job of collecting on shares all this sent mineral paid by the Miner - to the Smelter as the Traitor of Govt back to the Smelter his Executor, Adm or assigns - You, (who never mined any in your life I suppose) have just as good a right - if not a better - for they had one profit in the business - than they have - and they have I believe two precedents - having had two claims allowed I am told - one [Gratiol?] a number of years ago & one to Joseph Hardy of Missouri two years this winter by act of Congress & now they have procured the evidence & I am told they are filed with the department for allowance to these parties - it is a most gross & outrageous case - and I think you

[Nov. 13, 1860] 9

can puncture this (at present) skeleton of wrong & iniquity and let the maridian rays of truth & justice shine through it & discover its fraud & depravity to the gaze of all - I have written to the Secratary for all information on the subject & shall hope to have the details soon - the amt claimed - parties claiming evidence - Rules & Regulations for the Management of Mining affairs &c &c - but you can most likely get all this information much more expeditiously than I - but be careful to whom you apply - for I am informed that some of our Congressmen are the engineers in the affair - Now then if you can get all the necessary information before

your first message it would be well I think to make as short & simple a statement as you can & request them to instruct our Senators & request our Congressmen to have an Act passed by Congress - not to refund the money - for the real parties in interest could not, one in a thousand he found but to sink three deep shafts, pits or, holes - to a depth say of 2,500 or three (3000) thousand feet - One in the vicinity of Galena one in Wisconsin & one in Iowa - under the Supervision of parties under State appointment - in this way & in no other can the Government in Paart reimburse this Lead mining region - for its wrongful

impoverishing of the mines - and this is a matter of vital National importance as well as of all absorbing local importance to Ills, Wis & Iowa - It would at once draw and center all eyes on your & you would by thus trying to do right bind these manes to you by this stronger than chains of steel - the amt will be large - & if Successful in giving it this direction - your will not have been elected govenor for nought - I want you to make for yourself a National reputation - I have many fancies (to me they are veritable realities) running in my mind of measures of reform & benefit to future generations - one is in relation to the great Rail Road interest of the state

but I forbear - knowing that in all these things you are necessarily much better versed in than I am - & I do not wish to be or even appear officious or obtrusive & if I do seem so in any way to you just set it down to personal love & friendship a real jealousy for your success and elevation - serve the whole people let your great heart beat responsive to their true interests & you will bind them to you as did Clay & Jackson with a love and devotedness that death itself cannot quench - with them it was real & not simulated - they are quick to detect counterfeits - & you & Lincoln may thank the People & not caucuses or politions for your nominations or elections

[Nov. 13, 1860] 13

And now a few words in closing - If you feel disposed to take this thing in charge - you had but as soon as you can gather sufficient facts together to justify you in moving in the matter open a correspondence with the Govenor's of Wisconsin & Iowa and have it nearly simultaneous you taking the entire charge & management of the whole business - it is a righteous thing - I know nothing of your affairs - nor feelings only so far as I judge by my own heart towards you - for you was kept a prisoner & when here - from me - by your anxious friends -

I only could say a word to you as to my own concerns I am in a very bad situation indeed, financially & you could if free from promises & with an ample faith that the interests of the State would thereby be subserved, assist me - I speak to you as brother to brother - frankly & expect the same - either way rest assured it will make no difference in my feelings to you - whether yea or nay - I may be down in your region of country soon & if so will endeavor to see you as long as you did me please write to me at once if only a line - you ought to help Denis with A. L. to a good officer, Marshall or

Your old friend Allan Tomlin