Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-11-17

possible transported to Africa, making 20 their
owners such compensation tIr"m the public trca
suryl shall he deemed just aud equitable"
You wilircadily perceive that the proposition |
offered has more affinity to that which You inn
pute to me- than heat to cold light to darkness.
The effects OF the suggestion you attribute to me,
would be to turn loose upon the South, without
property, some hundreds oi thousands OF ignorant
and idle beings, who have no tic, feeling or in
tcrcSts in common with the white population. The
effects of my proposition, would DO to Indemnify
the master for all that ''ccrtaiu species of property"
which has recently rotcd Sin violence and blood
shsd"-trousport it thousands of miles from
shores and its places III the South to be ra
pidy filled with white population, which would
| not only increase the wealth and strength otihc
south but enable lis people to lay their heads on
their pillows confident of their security.
l may we'll be excused if ask did you gentle
men Grand Jurors, coer sec the resolution did Of
fer7 If you did il, You not covered with
| shame al tho gross misrepresentation You have
published, under the sanction IF yonr names. and on
your solemn oaths atirmations? Ifyou have
seen the resolution offsred-.vhich would chart
tably hopc-do YOU feel no compunctious sitings
of conscience for having libclled and denounced Il
| feilw citizen, who never entertained unkndly
feeling towards your The suggestion | did pro-
| pose, and which am proud of having proposed, is
no more like that which you have presented, than
Hyperion to Satyr.
You havs, however, Grand Jurors, not boon
content your odths and dftrmd.ions, to prcrcnt,
as grievances, resolutions and suggestions which
| never had existence except in your own highly
| excited and diseased minds but under the same So
lemn oblis cations you have represented me their
"Mover." The unmcasurcd and unwarranted
| terms of this prescntment you has spread before
the public, who will not fail TO start with amaso-
ment, if not with horror, from picture not one
| neament of which has the faintcst resemblance to
the originals picture, drawn under strong excite
ments of fear and hatred. My imagination can
suggest no apology for men, who have either never
| seen, or have strangely and w6nton'y perverted u
olt,tt, nF
impotent threats and bascess dcnanciations. You,
| however, it would seem, not satisfied with the
materials, mere stubble and straw, winch you have
erected on which to build up your dcnunciations,
but driven to the dire necessity OF resort
ing to vile insinuation to prop up your charges.
! Y GU insinuate that you had previously known me
''as covert, and therefore dangerous enemy.
1t would be easy for me, by Il slight movement of
my pen, to contradict the insinuatoin and brand
its authors, in plain language, liars, but 1 do
: not choose thus TO rcpel the attack. prefer to
state facts, and thus put back the libel, and make
the libcllers ashamed. No men like publicly to he
convicted of the vicious propensity of speaking
what they know to bo false, doing what they
know to be vicious.
You will remember gentlemen Grand Jurors,
because these are facts which stick close to your
memories, that the summer before Major, now Go
vernon Hamilton was first elected to Congress, he
was Intendant of Charleston S. C.. During his
intendency, there were many arrangements and
movements of an nsurroctionary character in thai
CITY ana It's immediate vicinity. These evil doings
mace 1t necessary to institute judicial tribunals c
inquire into the facts and punish the guilty. These
tribunals were in session for several weeks, anG
called forth-not only from the Press Of the South
but from that of "the North and East"-much ami
madversion. L was, at that time the editor of
newspaper in this city. What the language
then held by me, may readily be inferred from the
facts am going to state. In the winter, thint
OF 1917, Major Hamilton did me the honor, with
out any formal introducton to call at my Office anc
in warm and kind terms, make not only his owl
personal acknowledgements, but those of his fellow
citizens, for the uniform language held by the De
mocratic Press at that memorable period. 'Yours
SIR" said he ''was the only press north of the
Chesapeake, which did Justice motives and
conduct, and duly appreciated our feelings and 81
tuatior."
| These facts demonstrate what has been the lam
guage l have held at all times this delicate and
momentous subject You, Mr.. Green, should fee
the burning blush of shame glow your checks
| when you raview the undcscrved and unsustaina
BILE charges you have PIT forth against friend
whom you would persuade his llow-citzens, has
:, been long 'known' "a dangerous enemy"
desire to do myself Justice, and to place myself as
am, before my fellow citizens. May not he nj
lowed to congratulate you and your fellow jurors
rather than myself upon the fortunate circnmsan
of my ''absence from the ursdictonal limits oil
Georgia." an incident which has saved YOU from
the guilt of having shed innocent blood. You
have your oaths and affrmations, and under
your subscribed names declared, that il is 10 that
accident ''alone" you inIebted for having been
preserved from having committed the crime of muir.
der. JOHN BINNS.
p. S.-Edtors who have published the pre- sent
ment of the Grand Jury will do act of Justice by
publishing the above letter. J. B.
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