The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-12-01
THE MADISONIAN.
LETTER FROM VIM c. RIyEs.
From tae Richmond Enquirer


paper Of the 20ih inst. by writer VINO Signs
himself a Republican of the Old ocnoo''
has Just fallen under my eye. II has neeh my
misfortune, as you are aware, MIR. Edior' LOT
the last eighteen months especially, larising
from no other cause OF which am sensioie'
than an Independent and conscientious ms
charge of my duty to the country, according
10 the best dictates Of my ,nderstanding,) 10
be the object of much denunclatlon and mis-
representation. through the medium OF the po-
litical press. Under all this injustice have
remained silent. we'll knowing that honest in
ten,ions and integrity Of purpose have nothing
to fear from the calm and unbiased decision
of the people, who Judge public men by the
evidence Of their acts, and not by the gratuI-
tous assertions or discolored representations
of personal or party prejudice.
From this course should not now depart,
but for the peculiar circumstances Of the case.
The accusatory queries Of your correspondent
refer to matter resting in the privacy OF
friendly epistolary intercourse. The public,
therefore, is possessed of no materials on
which to found its judgment. might well
except, indeed, to this attempt engendered in
the reckless party intolerance of the times, to
invade the sanctty ofprvate correspondence.
But ask no protection Of that sort. have
never expressed sentiment, under the hither-
to respected sanctions of private correspond
ence, which | am not willing to avow in the
face the world.
What, then, is the burthen of your cores
pondent's complaint : He cites from Balti-
more paper report, ''thnt Senator Riyes had
written a letter TO a friend in Philadelphia, In
which he demonstrates earnestly as aInst any
Conservative voting for Porter;" and there
fore he Eliminates against me the charge OF
, Gan improper interference with the Pennsyl-
vania election" and OF ''throwing my lntiu-
ence into the scale of an Abolitionist J"
The facts, which suppose to have given
rise TO this report, are briefly these: a wor-
thy and intelligent friend in the city of Phila-
delphia, agreeing with me in political senti-
ment, had written me n letter, referring to the
interesting political contest then pending in
Pennsylvania, and to the position, in regard to
it, of that portion of the Republican party to
which we both belonged. In replying to this
letter, responded, without reserve,to his own
feelings Of patriotic solicitude on the subject.
| participated in the apprehension, that the
election Of the administration candidate to the
Office Of Governor, unless something could be
done to exclude that inference, would be
claimed by the victorious party, and be con-
sidered every where out Of Pennsylvania, as
the triumph Of the Sub Treasury scheme-a
scheme which we both believed to be iraught
with fatal consequences to the country--and
that the moral influence Of supposed deci-
sion in its favor by so powerful and patriotic
a Commonwealth as that Of Pennsy lvania,
would be the almost certain means of its sue
cess in other parts Of the Union. Believing,
that majority of the people of Pennsylvania
were opposed to this scheme, had suggested
whether it might not be practicable to adopt
some means by which the success of the adj
minisration candidate could be prevented
from being plausibly interpreted into an ex-
preston of appreciation of measure, which
was persuaded from the proceedings Other le-
glslature, that ancient Republican State did aot
approve; but ifno such means could be found, it
would then become matter of grave conside-
ration Tor the Conservatives of Pennsylvania,
whether they could conscientiously bestow
their votes so as to be instrumental in fiisten-
ing upon the country scheme which they be-
lieved to be ruinous to its prosperity and dam
gerous to its free institutions. This was
question: added, which the Conservatives of
tent TO decide. demonstrated against no
course they should think it proper to pursue,
but expressed my conviction that their deter
mination, whatever it hight be, would be guild
ed by patriotism and wisdom.
have no copy Of my letter; but that this
Is correct statement Gifts general tenor and
spirit, feel perfectly sure. was guilty of
no interference with the Pennsylvania cleo
ton, as charged by your correspondent. My
letter was not obtruded, but was in answer to
one had received. 1t was strictly private
letter, not designed for public use or for po-
iltlcal effect. 1t was simply an interchange
ofopinion with a friend in the freedom of pri-
vate correspondence, on a matter Of general
speculation and interest and unless your cor
respondent means to nterdict all liberty Of
epistolary communication, Think he can hard.
ly consider me as having abused so humble and
customary privilege, on this occasion.
An attempt, however, is now made to con-
meet the question of Abolition with the Penn
sylvania election. | will venture to assert,
that hardly man out of the State of Penn
sylvania, and but few, if any, within it, ever
dreamed of any other issue being involved in
the contest there than that which had been
joined on the great political question of the
day. What evidence was there that the Ad-
ministratien candidate, highly respectable as
he undoubtedly is, thought differently from
his competitor on the subject Of slavery! If
he had made any public declaration of his
sentiments on that question, or if there was
any other evidence of what his sentiments
are upon it, | have never seen or heard of
them. We have seen recently in many in
Coo L. a. e -
and Massachusetts, according TO statements
La IF