The Arkansas advocate., 1833-07-24
To the People Of Arkansas.


 F. DAUGHTYs
 To the People of Arkansas
 Fello1p- Citieens:-I feel constrained to forego the determination 1 had formed, to enter into no controversy with anonymous writers who are weekly filing the coiums of the Gazette, with petty larceny islanders against me. From the time of Robinson Crusoe, there has not existed band of worthes equal to those who lntest the coumnsofthe Gazette, inthe shapeof Public Sentiment gentlemen, from Fayetteville and Cane Hill, in Washington county Their falsehoods equal in boldness of de- sign, the best efforts of their masters here, but want their plausibihty. Here, if they have lost all consideration for their own characters, they are constrained to pay some respect to public opinion. The pub- lie sentiment gentry from Washington have, as a preliminary to the discharge of the du- ties assigned them, discarded all pretentions to honor, deeency, or truth. In one of their letters, published in the last paper, l am charged with having rudely obtruded Col. Desha's name upon the notice of the public, and elicited an exposure dlshonora- ble to him. The facts occurred Ill the pre- sence of hundred persons, and to them l refer with confidence. In an address l made, 1 said, that from the Governor and Judges of Superior Court, down tothe hun1- blest officer in the federal ranks, all had been made to know and feel their depen- dence upon the Delegate, and that some had T IaaYYAt hty a T s.v,,5rarco that fhair fleet duty was to the reigping dynasty, the second to thepeople. saidit hadsohappened, that no officer had ever dared tovote aseainSt Col. Seyier, but that he was hurled from office; ih1fne fehiotaf o} Jtiage a ififnBiet isfifnBieti 6eGaiiga he disliled him, and discleiaaod on a1,ouuy III the others, but that the fact was, they had remained Ill office while for him, and were removed so soon as theYvoted against hlm; the charges against Judge Bates came from his friends here, and were acted upon under his eye, at Washington City. l did not say that Col. Sevier had removed Col. Desha. l said that he had been removed m SIX months after he had dared to take the netd against Col. Seyier. Matthew Leeper, Esq. Receiver of public Monies, spoke from the crowd, and said Col. Desha had been removed because he was de- 1aultef. l repiled, that as far as was in- formed, t was not true; that he had retained the public funds at the instance of the then Governor, to pay the Legislature, under the assurance that the Governor would write to Washington and obtain check upon hum for the amount; that whilst he was looking hourly for the check, the executive received one on New-Orleans, and by. the same mail, Desha his removal from office.
 MT. Leeper replied that distress warrant had issued usss spring for residue of or 3 thousand dollars. told him 1t was the first time had ever heard it--he gave the names of T. F. Eskridge, A. H. Seyier, and William Field, Esqr,s. Here the mat ter ended, with a statement from me that had known Col. Desha held a considerable balance Tn hls hands, but that after the un- kind treatment of the Government, he felt no disposition to incur the expense and trouble of depositing 1t, but left them to send Tor It. Since my return to this place, l have learnt that they did issue the warrant, anc that the money was promptly paid.-- Col. Desha's name was used to illustrate a general position, in common with two or three others, and he was singled out by Mir. Leeper, and publicly charged; and now they would justify the attack made upon hlm here, in the last Gazette, by a misre- presentation ot an act of injustice done him III Washington, with the double object of wounding him, and in the hope of efTectine thls election. l am proud to call Col. Desha my friend, and feel an abiding con uction that m every attitude in which he can be placed, he IS fully competent to his own defence, and with perfect confidence Tn hIs sterling character and untarnshed honor, leave the subject with him. What l have here said has been solely to state the facts as they actually occurred. On the same occasion Mir. Leeper excused him. self before the public, for his course on the i the " 8: a;;ssiisiby ;ssis, iby stating that Major Will liam Fled had s'nd to him that was in the habit of grossly misrepresenting Col. Se- yler and Gev. Pope, in my speeches; and that 1t was this statement of Mai. Field that had induced him to follow me to the War Eagle, for the purpose of correcting my statements. 1 stated in reply, that if Maj. Field, or any other man, had made such charge against me, upon the infor- mation ot another, his informant had lied. l or II upon hls own authority, pronounced