He said that James B. Clay's only offense had been that he chose to think as a man had a right to think. Honorable Thomas H. Clay remarked that that was not all; that James had attempted to leave the State to forward t] the rebellion. Mr. Winder again remarked that Mr. Clay had a perfec right to leave the State if he pleased. I said to Mr. Winder that he was the first person of his sex whom I had heard in Washington declare his sympathies with the South. He said he could not help it; that his heart was there.

Much more in this strain was said by Mr. Winder in the midst of a pleasant conversation and we parted, Mr. Clay and myself expressing confidence that he would probably soon be convinced that after all his feelings the United States Government would be found by him to be the best he could live under.

EDWARD F. UNDERHILL.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, November 30, 1861.

Brigadier General ANDREW PORTER, Provost-Marshal.

GENERAL: Mr. Charles H. Winder's parole which expires on December 1 may be extended for sixty days further, but it is indispensably necessary that he should abstain from political conversation. He has already been reported to me as publicly expressing treasonable sentiments within the past month. It will not be in my power [sic] this exemption from confinement if he does not himself co-operate in the regulations prescribed.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

FORT WARREN, December 3, 1861.

[CHARLES H. WINDER.]

DEAR CHARLES: Since replying to yours of the 25th ultimo* I have nothing further from you, from which and from other circumstances I infer that Mr. Hodge has learned that Governor Seward has objections to setting a precedent of unconditional release and may be unwilling therefore even to allow me on parole to visit Washington to investigate my case.

I have omitted I think to call attention to the fact that since my arrest all my letters atthe Philadelphia post-office have been stolen from the office by the marshal so that all my business has been interrupted, to my great detriment. Having arrested me without any justifying evidence and having outraged my rights by an illegal and secret seizure and search of all my papers of thirty years' collection to find cause for its justification, and failing to find any instead of having me released they had me transferred to a distant fort, seizing every letter addressed to me and keeping them in the hope to find something to give countenance to my confinement. This of course they will not find, but the iniquity of the proceeding cannot be overstated. I am confident that Secretaries Seward and Cameron are not conscious parties to these monstrous outrages of my rights and interests as an American citizen, and I do suppose that Governor Seward when properly advised will given an order to the marshal to surrender all my papers and to ceaseto take my letters from the post-office. If Mr. Hodge can get such an order on the marshal for my papersto be surrendered to Mr. George

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*Not found.

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